Persian Rice With Saffron And Asparagus

With rice being a whole food group rather than just a grain hereabouts, I am always looking for tasty ways to cook with it. Desi and Jay love it, and even the dogs will eat bowlfuls. My own love for rice was a little late coming, despite the fact that it’s a rock-solid staple of Indian cuisine and I grew up eating it every day. Or perhaps it was this omnipresence that made me not love but almost hate it. When I did fall in love, eventually, the fondness stuck. It’s hard to allay those feelings, not when there are so many delicious ways to cook rice, like this Vegetable Biryani that’s a lifesaver on hurried weekdays, or this Vegan Jambalaya with flavors that dance on your tastebuds, or this Vegan Paella that makes me want to do the flamenco. In fact, everything I cook with rice only reinforces my enchantment with it now. And with this Persian Rice with Saffron and Asparagus, I think I’ve pushed myself past the point of recovery. The rice here is true gold, infused with the delicate sass of saffron fronds and the fire of cinnamon and cayenne. Onions, tomatoes and asparagus add freshness. The soft, textured bites of extrafirm tofu, standing in admirably for meat, give an untraditional yet welcome new dimension. Check to get new recipe updates by email.

But it’s the tahdig, that crispy, sublimely scorched layer of rice cooked at the bottom of the pan, that bowls you over and makes you realize the miracles that rice is truly capable of. We know that when starch hits high heat, the result is finger-licking good. Like Air Fryer French Fries, what’s not to love? The tahdig is just that kind of magic, albeit a healthier one. Exotic and elegant, this recipe would be great for entertaining friends, but I think you could make it for your kids too and they’d love it. Jay finds the tahdig immensely fun and delicious and the saffron intensifies that savory flavor he craves when I am not letting him have as much junk food as he really wants. 😉 A win, I think.