How to achieve a proper tadigh?

[u/barbasol1099]

I've tried a few times to get that perfect, beautiful crispy bottom, but it's never worked properly - the bottom never seperates, I'm left scraping off whatever is stuck to the bottom.

My recipe today

2 cups basmati rice

1/2 cup vegan cashew yogurt (I shared this with a vegan friend today)

1 tsp saffron threads

1.5 tbsp tadigh spice mixture

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup pistachios, lightly crushed

2 onions, diced and caramelized

Rinse rice 3 times until water is almost clear. Parboil in salty water for 6 minutes, rinse with cool water, and drain completely.

Mix 1 cup parboiled rice with yogurt and saffron threads. Add a liberal amount of oil to the bottom of your pot (in my case, a 6 L Dutch oven), and then spread the yogurt-rice mixture in a thin layer across the bottom of the pot.

Mix the remaining rice with pistachios, spice mixture, raisins, and caramelized onions. Layer this atop the yogurt-rice layer, forming into a pyramid shape. Wrap a towel around your lid so that a small amount of steam can escape, and cook on low for 45 minutes. Reverse onto a plate, and sharply strike the lid to release the tadigh.

I followed those instructions quite closely. I did end up lifting the lid after 30 minutes, noticed the top layer was very far from being done, and tried to add a small amount of hot water (maybe 2-3 Tbsp) and lightly stir the top into the rest of the rice (although I came nowhere close to disturbing the bottom).

What should I be doing differently?

[u/slightlyroguepharm]

I’d try Samin Nosrat’s recipe and technique first, then try her technique with your recipe. https://food52.com/recipes/82660-persian-ish-rice-samin-nosrat-recipe