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Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Persian Chicken Barberry Stew with Saffron Rice and Tahdig

Nowruz, the celebration of Spring, is a time for gathering and sharing cherished traditional dishes. One of my favorites is my mom’s slow-cooked chicken and barberry stew, known as Khoresh Zereskh, a flavorful recipe from the Shahmirzad region. Served over fluffy basmati rice with crispy Tahdig and refreshing cucumber yogurt mint sauce, it’s a true celebration of Persian flavors. This dish balances hot and cooling properties, making it perfect for Nowruz or year-round. Tender chicken thighs are slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce, enhanced with cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, and dried barberries, and topped with luxurious Iranian saffron. For a taste of tradition and authentic Persian flavors, this dish is a must-try!

Serves 6-8

  • 2 cups cucumber, diced (cold)
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced (cold)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (hot)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (hot)
  • 1 tsp dried mint (hot)
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice, fresh (cold)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (hot)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (hot)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (hot)
  1. Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes, and finely dice the red onion into a medium bowl.
  2. Add chopped fresh parsley, and dried mint to the salad.
  3. Add fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
  4. Next, drizzle the olive oil over the salad and give it a final toss.
  5. Taste again for salt and pepper.
  6. Serve immediately
  • 3 cups of basmati rice (soaked overnight)
  • 3 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • ¾ cup dried barberries (available at Persian grocery stores)
  • 2 tsp, ground Iranian saffron
  • 4 tbsp, tomato paste
  • 32 oz plain yogurt
  • 1 large Japanese cucumber or 2-3 Persian cucumbers
  • 3 tbsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp, ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp dried mint
  • 6 cups hot water
  • 1 tbsp sugar in the raw
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 ½ tbsp, kosher salt
  • ½ tsp, cracked black pepper

Saffron Broth

  1. Add your saffron threads to the mortar and pestle.
  2. Grind saffron until powder form, it should be a beautiful orangish-red color.
  3. Add the ground saffron to a mixing bowl, or cup, and add about a ¼ cup of boiling water to it.
  4. Stir to combine and let sit for about ten minutes to extract the saffron and create a broth.

Rice & Tahdig (Crispy rice from the bottom of the pan)

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with kosher salt.
  2. Pour in rinsed, soaked basmati rice and give it a few stirs.
  3. Rapid boil the rice for 6-8 minutes or until the rice is long grained and al-dente, but not fully cooked.
  4. Drain and rinse once with cold water. Set aside for a moment while you prepare the base of your tahdig.
  5. (Prepare in advance) In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolk, 2 tbsp of saffron water, a little salt and pepper, a dash of garlic powder, and a ¼ cup of yogurt until smooth.
  6. Add 1 cup of the par-cooked basmati rice to the mixing bowl and carefully toss and coat the rice completely with the egg saffron yogurt mixture.
  7. In a nonstick deep, and semi wide pot, turn on your heat to medium high. Once preheated, add 1 tbsp of butter, and one tbsp of olive oil to the pan. It’s helpful here to rub butter and olive oil on the edges and sides of the pot as well to prevent sticking. (Nonstick pots are always preferred for tahdig, but I have also used cast iron pots, which also work fantastic. If you do not have a nonstick pot, place a layer of parchment paper on the bottom of the pot on top of the butter/oil mixture before adding the rice yogurt saffron mixture.)
  8. Add the rice and saffron yogurt mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan in an even layer to form a crust on the bottom.
  9. Then layer in the rest of the par-cooked rice in a dome or mountain shape, so it comes to a point in the middle.
  10. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon or kitchen utensil, make 3 wholes from the bottom to the top so the air can escape through while steaming the rice.
  11. Add a drizzle of saffron water on the top and a tbsp more of some butter cubes to begin the steaming process. Put a clean dish cloth around the edges of the pot, and seal it with the lid, folding the corners of the towel inside so it’s not hanging off the side.
  12. Cook on medium high for 5 more minutes and then lower the heat to medium low and cook for approximately 1 hour.
  13. Remove the lid and run your spatula round the edges of the pot to separate any pieces that may have stuck to the sides. This will ensure that when you flip the pot upside down to create the tahdig, the rice will come out perfectly.
  14. Grab a large circular platter for your rice that is bigger than the size of the pot and place it on top of the pot with oven mits.
  15. Holding the pot by the handles and holding the platter at the same time, carefully flip the rice upside down onto platter and carefully slide it onto your countertop to slowly reveal the tahdig!
  16. The tahdig should come out of the pot with ease and be a crispy golden-brown color. (Every tahdig is different so it’s ok if it’s a little over browned, but this can be avoided by not turning the heat on too, too high in the first 5 minutes of cooking).
  17. Allow to cool slightly, then serve with the chicken barberry sauce and a side of cucumber, yogurt, mint sauce.

Chicken & Barberry Sauce / Stew

  1. Clean, rinse, and pat dry your chicken thighs.
  2. Season the chicken well with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric on both sides.
  3. Preheat an extra-large cooking pan on medium high heat. Once it’s preheated, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, and then begin to sear the chicken thighs on both sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and seared.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine tomato paste with 3 tbsp of saffron broth, cinnamon, 2 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and ½ of black pepper. Whisk together well.
  5. Once combined, add the hot water to create a fragrant tomato sauce to add to the chicken. Continue to stir and taste for seasoning – you should be able to taste the saffron, the garlic, and enough salt to bring out the tomato flavor. The cinnamon is a secret ingredient that adds dimension and balance to the dish.
  6. In a larger saucepan pan, bring your heat up to medium high heat. Once warm, add all the cooked chicken and its juices into the saucepan.
  7. Pour the seasoned saffron tomato sauce all over the chicken and bring to a boil.
  8. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 hour, or until chicken thighs are tender and falling apart.
  9. Once the chicken is cooked and the sauce is ready, pour it into a serving dish. Top the sauce and chicken with all the toasted barberry-saffron topping. The sauce should be silky and luxurious. Serve on top of the basmati rice with a piece of tahdig and the yogurt sauce.

Toasted Barberry-Saffron Topping

  1. Preheat a small saucepan to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of butter and let melt.
  2. Add your rinsed barberries to the butter (this flash cook of the berries happens very quickly so be sure to have ingredients on hand and ready)
  3. Add sugar in the raw, 1 tsp of saffron broth, and a dash of salt, and cook the barberries until they are bright in color and juicy.
  4. Remove from heat immediately and prepare to add to the chicken stew and tomato sauce to finalize the dish. They should be sweet and tangy.

Yogurt Cucumber Mint Sauce

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, add your finely diced cucumber, plain yogurt, dried mint, 1 tsp of salt, and ½ tsp of black pepper and mix until combined.
  2. Prepare in advance and keep cool in fridge until you’re ready to serve.

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