Tahchin green beans brings together saffron rice, seasoned chicken, tender beans and tart barberries in one pan, with a golden crust around the finished dish.
This version keeps the original recipe’s measurements and cooks the filling separately before it is layered between the rice. That small step matters: it removes excess moisture from the beans and onion, so the tahchin holds together when it is turned out.
Ingredients for Tahchin green beans
- 3 cups rice
- 300 g cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 4 eggs
- 1 glass low-fat yogurt
- 1/5 cup green beans, finely chopped
- 1 glass chopped savory and tarragon
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 glass barberries
- Bloomed saffron, to taste
- Salt, black pepper and turmeric, to taste
Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Rinse the barberries separately in cool water, drain them well and remove any stems or grit.
Prepare the chicken and green bean filling
Warm two tablespoons of the canola oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens and starts to turn golden.
Add the finely chopped green beans. Cook them with the onion until they are tender and any moisture in the pan has evaporated. The filling should be moist enough to eat, but not wet enough to loosen the rice layers.
Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and the drained barberries. Season with salt, black pepper and turmeric, then heat the mixture for a few minutes so the flavors come together. Fold in the savory and tarragon near the end, keeping their fresh aroma. Remove the pan from the heat.
Parboil and drain the rice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until the grains are tender at the surface but still firm in the center. Drain promptly and let the steam escape for a few minutes.
Avoid cooking the rice all the way through at this stage. It will finish cooking in the tahchin, and slightly firm grains are less likely to turn heavy when mixed with yogurt and eggs.
Make the saffron rice mixture
Place the yogurt in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Add the four eggs and bloomed saffron, then whisk just until the mixture is even.
Fold in the drained rice gently. Make sure the saffron mixture reaches all the grains without crushing them. The rice should be evenly coated and fragrant, with no pockets of plain yogurt or egg.
Layer the green bean tahchin
Pour the remaining tablespoon of canola oil into a wide nonstick or well-seasoned pan and coat the base. Spoon in half of the saffron rice and level it gently with the back of a spoon.
Spread the chicken, green bean and barberry filling over the rice, leaving a narrow border around the edge. Keeping the filling away from the side helps the upper and lower rice layers meet and form a clean outer crust.
Add the rest of the rice. Level the top and press it lightly so the layers make contact, but do not compact it into a dense mass.
Cook until set and golden
Cover the pan and cook the Tahchin green beans over low heat. Give the rice time to steam through and the base time to form a golden crust. The exact cooking time depends on the width of the pan and the strength of the burner, so use the edges and aroma as your guide rather than turning up the heat.
It is ready when the center feels set, steam has cooked the upper grains and the tahdig releases from the side of the pan. If the base is coloring before the center is hot, reduce the heat.
Turn out and serve
Take the pan off the heat and leave it undisturbed for a few minutes. Run a flexible spatula around the edge, place a large platter over the pan and invert both together in one confident movement.
Serve the tahchin warm, cutting through the crisp saffron crust to reveal the chicken-and-bean filling. A few of the cooked barberries can be reserved for the platter if you want their color and tartness visible at the table.
How to keep the layers neat
- Drain the filling: beans, onion and rinsed barberries should not carry free liquid into the rice.
- Keep the rice firm: parboiled grains finish cooking in the covered pan.
- Leave an edge: a border around the filling helps seal the two rice layers.
- Use low heat: the eggs need time to set before the crust becomes too dark.
- Rest before turning: a short pause makes the tahchin easier to release in one piece.
