Persian Noodle Rice

Begin by placing rice in a medium-sized bowl and covering it with lukewarm water. Gently move the rice around with your finger to stimulate its natural starches, then tilt the bowl to drain the water. Repeat this process several times until the water runs clear, approximately 7 rinses. Cover the rice with cold water, add a small amount of salt, mix gently, and let it soak for an hour. Discard the water without rinsing.

Next, grind saffron threads into a fine powder using a small mortar and pestle. Transfer the powdered saffron to a small bowl with boiling water, stir it well, cover it, and set the saffran-infused water aside.

Fill a 5-quart non-stick pot with 9 cups of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a moderate amount of salt, stirring until it dissolves completely. Break roasted noodles into thirds and add them to the boiling water with rice. Stir once gently, and keep a close eye on the mixture as it cooks to avoid boiling over. Test the water for salt and adjust accordingly. Cook until a single rice grain rises to the surface, set a timer for 4 minutes, and cook, scraping off any foam that forms on the surface until the timer goes off. Test the rice and continue to cook it until it's tender on the outside but still firm to the bite on the inside, 6-8 minutes more.

Drain the rice and noodles in a colander and rinse them quickly with lukewarm water using a spray faucet to remove excess starch. Taste the mixture and rinse it again if necessary, as it may be too salty. Set it aside to drain completely.

Clean and dry the pot before using it again. Place the clean pot over medium heat, add oil, 1 tablespoon of saffran water, and a small amount of salt; swirl the pot until the bottom and lower sides are coated with the oil mixture. Create a layer of overlapping potato slices on the bottom of the pot to form the tahdig layer.

Gently scatter the rice-noodle mixture over the tahdig in a pyramid shape, making sure potatoes are completely covered and noodles are moved away from the sides of the pot. Gently poke the handle of a wooden spoon into rice and noodles a few times, being careful not to hit the tahdig; this allows steam to escape while cooking. Cover and cook until you see steam escaping from the sides of the lid and tahdig starts to set, approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine boiling water with melted butter and remaining saffran water. Lay a kitchen towel out on a heatproof surface.

Test the tahdig by quickly tapping the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. When the pot sizzles, remove it from the heat. Remove the lid and place it on the kitchen towel, being careful that none of the condensation drips into the pot. Wrap the towel around the lid and secure the ends at the top by the handle so they will not hang near the heat source. Drizzle butter mixture over rice and cover with the towel-wrapped lid.

Place a heat diffuser on a burner over low or medium-low heat and return the pot to the stove. Cook until crispy, rotating the pot a few times, approximately 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a damp kitchen towel; let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes so tahdig will release easily.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add dates, raisins, and cinnamon; sprinkle with a little salt. Cook and stir until dates are glistening and soft, 3-5 minutes.

Gently scatter rice on a platter and remove potato tahdig pieces; serve them on the side. Sprinkle raisin-date sauce over top.