Tahchin Time: Persian Spinach Upside-Down Rice - Basmati rice

Method

• Wash the rice several times and soak in cold salted water.
• Wash and trim the lamb, cut into approximately 4-inch chunks and sprinkle with salt.
• Peel the onions, cut one into 4 pieces and finely chop the other.
• Wash the spinach, discard the tough stems, dry in a salad crisper and chop with a wide-bladed knife.
• Mix the yogurt and 4 tablespoons of liquid saffron and beat the egg into the yogurt, add salt to taste.
• Choose a heavy-based saucepan, preferably non-stick and large enough to allow room for all the ingredients to steam well together.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and lightly fry the onion chunks, add the meat, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 tablespoon of liquid saffron, salt and pepper.
• Add the boiling water, stir well, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• The meat should be almost cooked by this stage.
• In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and fry the chopped onions until golden.
• Add the chopped spinach and fry for 5 to 10 minutes.
• The spinach will shrink in volume considerably.
• Add the rest of the turmeric, salt and pepper, stir well and remove from heat.
• Set aside to cool.
• Make the rice in the same pan that the meat has been cooked in.
• Take the meat pieces out and put to one side.
• Add enough cold water to the already existing juices in the pan to end up with a volume of 15 fluid ounces.
• Add 1 dessert spoon of salt and bring to the boil.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and half of the butter and a tablespoon of liquid saffron.
• Gently simmer on medium heat until the water has evaporated, and small holes start to appear on the surface of the rice.
• Empty the rice into a large colander or a bowl.
• Mix the rice with the meat and yogurt saffron mixture, making sure that the meat pieces are coated with yogurt and saffron and evenly distributed.
• Return the pan to the heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of liquid saffron.
• When hot, place some of the rice and meat mix evenly in the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to low and add a layer of the spinach and onion mixture.
• Continue alternating a layer of rice and meat with a layer of spinach to the top, making sure that the spinach layer is distributed evenly and thinly.
• Add to the pan the rest of the butter, oil and any liquid saffron that is left.
• Wrap the lid in a tea towel and jam tightly into the pan.
• Steam the rice for at least 1 hour.
• Remove from the heat and stand the pan in 3/4-inch of cold water in the sink for a couple of minutes to loosen the tahdig.
• If you have used a non-stick pan, turn the rice upside down onto a flat dish.
• Alternatively, take the lamb pieces out and arrange in a flat serving dish and then spoon the rice over the lamb.