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Home Cuisines Middle Eastern Recipes

Golden Saffron Rice Bake with Baharat Spiced Meat

By Nagi Maehashi
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Published6 Mar '26 Updated11 Apr '26
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Recipe

This is a fragrant, golden Saffron Rice Bake that’s stuffed with a layer of baharat spiced meat. It’s big (serves 10), easy to assemble and will make your kitchen smell incredible. I’ve been describing it to people as a Middle Eastern rice lasagna. I know, I know, I’m so basic! 😂

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat

Golden Saffron Rice Bake with Baharat Spiced Meat

If you love Middle Eastern flavours, you’re going to adore today’s recipe! It’s an easy Thursday-night version of the famous Persian dish Tachin, where saffron rice is layered with spiced meat or vegetables, baked, then inverted to reveal a crispy golden base.

We’re skipping the flip (it’s always a bit nerve wracking), baking it in a big pan instead of a fiddling with a pie dish, and taking an express pass to flavour by using baharat (Lebanese 7-spice) for the meat filling, a store bought spice blend that packs a flavour punch (or make it yourself with pantry spices!)

Out of the oven you get a crispy top you’ll want to peel off immediately, bright yellow fragrant rice that’s delicious on its own, and a juicy warmly spiced meat filling that smells incredible.

Enticed?? 😉

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
The crispy golden lid is everything!!

Ingredients for Golden Saffron Rice Bake

Here’s what you need to make this big layered rice bake. There’s 3 parts – the Saffron Rice, the spiced meat filling and a yogurt sauce (essential!).

1. For the saffron rice

The rice gets its vibrant yellow colour from saffron, moistness from yogurt and olive oil, and is held together by eggs. Basmati is the traditional rice used for Tachin, and though long grain rice will work, you will miss the subtle fragrant smell of basmati rice.

Ingredients for Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  • Saffron – The world’s most expensive spice by weight is what gives the rice that gorgeous bright yellow colour! Sold widely these days in the spice section of regular grocery stores, it adds a uniquely delicate earthy floral flavour using just a small amount – we only use 1/2 teaspoon.

    Substitute – If real saffron is out of reach, feel free to use imitation saffron powder which will give the rice a similar bright yellow flavour. However, it doesn’t add flavour so to compensate, I would add some melted butter into the rice (around 50g / 3 tablespoons).

  • Basmati rice – As noted above, basmati rice is traditional for Persian dishes though you can substitute with long grain rice. Jasmine, medium grain and short grain rice (like sushi rice) doesn’t work as well as they are softer. I found they got a little too mushy for my taste once baked long enough to make the surface crispy.

  • Yogurt – Use any plain unsweetened yogurt. Full fat is best, though if you only have low fat you can add a little extra olive oil to compensate.

  • Olive oil – This is what keeps the rice layer from drying out. So don’t skimp on it! In fact, feel free to add extra. 🙂

  • Eggs keep the rice layer from falling apart when you cut it. Use large eggs, around 55g/2oz each sol in cartons labelled “large eggs” (see here for more on egg sizes for cooking – it’s a thing!).

  • Salt – We use some for par boiling as well as mixing some into the rice.

2. spiced filling

I love making this with lamb which is used widely in Middle Eastern cooking and goes so beautifully with Arabic spices. However, I’ve also made this with beef and let’s just say plates were scraped clean. 🙂

Ingredients for Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  • Lamb or beef – As noted above, I especially love this with lamb but it is equally as good with beef. It can also be made with chicken or turkey though the filling may be a little drier as they are leaner.

  • Eggplant – I added this for two reasons: to increase the volume of filling so you have a thick distinct layer between the golden rice (rather than using quite a bit of extra meat), and to make the filling a bit juicy (eggplant are like sponges!). You could substitute with another vegetable that is juicy when cooked – zucchini and cauliflower come to mind.

  • Baharat – The key spice, an express pass to serious flavour in the lamb filling! Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend, made with warm spices like all spices, cinnamon and cumin. You can find it at some large grocery stores (I get mine from Harris Farms, I’m in Sydney), Arabic stores or make your own – Baharat recipe here (just uses common pantry spices!).

  • Cumin powder – Extra flavour boost, rounds out the Baharat flavour (using only Baharat was missing a little something, I felt).

  • Tomato paste – This kind of binds the mixture together, as well as adding a bit of flavour. Without, it’s a bit too crumbly.

  • Pine nuts – For sprinkling across the surface. It’s used widely in Middle Eastern cooking and I’m very happy about that because I adore pine nuts!! Substitute with slivered almonds or almond flakes.

  • Garlic and onion – Essential flavour bases!

  • Salt – I use cooking salt (kosher salt is the equivalent in the States). If you’ve only got table salt, halve the amount. For salt flakes, increase by 50%.

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
Yogurt keeps the rice layers moist and adds flavour.
Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
The spiced lamb filling is heavenly – and so easy!

3. LEMON YOGURT SAUCE

You will want a good amount of yogurt sauce to serve with this. Not only does it add moisture but also the cooling tang of yogurt just finishes it off perfectly! Use my Lemon Yogurt Sauce – it’s my most used sauce for good reason – it’s a cinch to make, I always have what I need, and it goes with “everything”.

But honestly even just plain yogurt would suffice because there’s so much flavour in the dish already. 🙂

Lemon Yogurt Sauce in a bowl, ready to be used
Lemon yogurt sauce

How to make Layered Golden Saffron Rice Bake

Here’s my workflow: get the lamb mixture started first then while it’s simmering, you can make the saffron rice. Both will be finished around the same time, ready to assemble your rice bake!

1. The baharat spiced meat filling

Use a large 30cm / 12″ pan here, we’re making quite a bit of filling!

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Cook lamb – Sauté the onion and garlic first, then cook the lamb, breaking it up as you go.

  2. Spices and eggplant – Once you no longer see red, add the spices (baharat, cumin and salt) and cook it for 1 minute to toast the spices which will enhance the flavour. Stir the tomato paste then the eggplant. Stir until all the eggplant cubes are coated in the flavours (ie you no longer see any white surface).

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Simmer – Add the water then lower the heat slightly so it’s simmering energetically but not rapidly. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring regularly so the base doesn’t catch, until the eggplant is mostly cooked (it will cook more in the oven) and the water has mostly evaporated.

  2. Thickness of filling – We want the filling to still be juicy but not so watery that it will stain the base layer of yellow rice. It should be thick enough that you can draw a path along the base of the pan. Once done, turn the stove off. The filling can be used hot or cool.

2. MAKE THE SAFFRON RICE

The step to grind the saffron threads into powder is to release more flavour and colour – remember, this is the world’s most expensive spice! If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can grind in a bowl using the back of a spoon, or if that doesn’t work (it depends how brittle the saffron is), just soak the whole threads.

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Grind saffron with a mortar and pestle until it is mostly a powder.

  2. Saffron water – Add boiling water into the mortar to dissolve the saffron powder.

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Saffron yogurt mixture – Pour the saffron water into a bowl with the yogurt, olive oil, eggs and salt. Whisk until combined. It will be pale yellow at this stage – have faith! It becomes a vibrant yellow once baked.

  2. Par boil rice – Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the rice and boil for just 5 minutes, then drain in a colander. The rice will finish cooking in the oven – it absorbs the liquid from the yogurt mixture.

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Mix the rice with the yogurt mixture.

  2. Yellow rice, ready to use!

3. assembling and baking

Don’t forget to use the pine nuts! I can’t tell you how many times I forgot. 🤯😂

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Rice base – Spread half the rice in a 23 x 33cm pan (9 x 13″), or around that size. It can be metal, glass, ceramic – any material.

  2. Lamb layer – Then spread all the lamb mixture on top and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Rice topping – Dollop the remaining rice across the surface then spread across the lamb.

  2. Bake 50 minutes – Drizzle with oil (this helps the top go crispy). Bake for 50 minutes in a moderately hot oven – 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
  1. Baked! It’s ready when the surface is quite crispy, with the edges a lovely golden colour.

  2. Cutting – Let it rest for 10 minutes so it “sets” a bit so the pieces will hold together better. Then cut like lasagna and serve like lasagna! (NOW do you see why I’ve been describing it as an Middle Eastern Lasagna?? 😂)

Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat
Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat

How to serve this

As I mentioned above, don’t skip the Lemon Yogurt Sauce for serving, it really benefits from a sauce and the cool tang of yogurt goes with the flavours in this dish 1000% perfectly. You’ll want a good amount too, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per slice (depending how large your slice is).

If you get to serving time and realise you forgot to make the sauce, even just plain yogurt will be fine.

Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Golden Saffron Rice Bake stuffed with Spiced Meat

Layered Golden Rice Bake with Spiced Meat

Author: Nagi
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Mains
Middle Eastern, Persian
4.79 from 41 votes
Servings8 – 10
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. This is essentially a streamlined version of Tachin, the iconic Middle Eastern saffron rice cake with its signature crispy crust, baked, then inverted like a pie. Here, I skip the flipping, use ingredients you can find at regular stores, and it's a large format that serves 10 yet takes little more effort than Bolognese.
The top gets crispy, the meat layered inside is fragrant with Middle Eastern spices, and the rice is vibrant yellow with the distinct perfume of saffron. If saffron threads are out of reach, use imitation powder instead. Though it won't smell the same, you’ll still get vibrant yellow colour!
PS. DO NOT SKIP THE LEMON YOGURT SAUCE! (Please, please🥰) See Note 5.

Ingredients

Persian spiced meat filling:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1 onion , finely diced
  • 750g / 1 1/2 lb lamb mince (first choice), or beef (Note 1)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp baharat spice mix – store bought or make your own (Note 3)
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne powder , optional, for very subtle warmth
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 small eggplant , skin on, cut into 1cm / 0.4″ cubes, ~2 heaped cups (Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Golden rice:

  • 3 cups basmati rice , uncooked
  • 1 tbsp cooking salt / kosher salt , for rice cooking water
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads (Note 4 for imitation powder, more cost effective)
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt , full fat (regular, Greek or Greek-style)
  • 2 large eggs (~55g/2oz each in-shell)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Layering:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (slivered or flaked almonds also great)
  • 2 – 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , for drizzling

Serving:

  • 3 batches Lemon Yogurt Sauce (YES 3 BATCHES!), or even plain yogurt or sour cream (Note 5)
  • 2 tbsp coriander / cilantro roughly chopped , optional garnish
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped toasted pine nuts , optional garnish
Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

ABBREVIATED:

  • Filling: sauté onion and garlic, then cook lamb. Add spices, tomato paste then eggplant and water. Simmer 8 min until filling thickens. Saffron rice: grind saffron, soak in hot water. Mix with yogurt, oil, eggs and salt, mix in par boiled rice. Layer in pan with lamb, drizzle, bake 50 min until top is crispy. Slice and serve!

FULL RECIPE:

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
  • Toast pine nuts – Heat a large non-stick pan (30cm/12") over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until they have golden brown spots. Remove into a bowl and set aside.

Spiced lamb filling:

  • Cook meat – In the same pan, heat the oil over high heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 1 1/2 minutes. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go, for 5 minutes until you no longer see red.
  • Spices – Add the baharat, cumin and salt. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste. Add the eggplant and stir to coat in the flavours until you no longer see any white eggplant flesh.
  • Simmer – Add the water and bring it to a rapid simmer. Lower heat to medium high, then simmer for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the filling is thick enough that you can draw a path across the pan and it holds in place. The eggplant should be mostly cooked through (cooks more in oven). It's now ready for use (can use hot or or cool).

Golden rice:

  • Soak saffron – Grind the saffron mostly into a powder in a mortar and pestle (Note 4). Add hot water and leave for 5 minutes+ to soak.
  • Parboil rice – Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Add rice and boil for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Drain well in a colander. (The rice is only partially cooked, it finishes cooking in the oven).
  • Yogurt mixture – Whisk together the yogurt, saffron water, oil, eggs and salt in a large bowl (or used rice boiling pot). Add rice and mix to combine – it will be pale yellow (becomes brighter once baked).

Assemble and bake:

  • Assemble – Spread half the rice in a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" dish. Spread over all the lamb mixture then sprinkle with pine nuts. Dollop remaining rice across the surface then spread.
  • Bake – Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil. Bake 50 minutes until the top is golden around the edges.
  • Rest 10 minutes in the pan then cut. Serve with Lemon Yogurt Sauce.

Recipe Notes:

1. Meat – Lamb is the on-theme choice here because it pairs so beautifully with the spices, but it is really terrific with beef too. Chicken and turkey could also be used but the filling will be a little dry, in my opinion (as they are much leaner).
2. Eggplant – Skin doesn’t bother me, the bitterness associated with it has largely been bred out these days. But you can either peel it off or do zebra stripes (use a vegetable peeler). I add eggplant here because it makes the filling juicy, and also fills it out (rather than using quite a bit more meat).
3. Baharat – Lebanese / Middle Eastern spice blend, also called “Lebanese 7 Spice”, an exotic Arabic blend that is uniquely heavy on all-spice and cinnamon. Find it at larger grocery stores (costs the same as regular spice mixes like Italian herbs), or make your own Baharat – you will need a double batch of the Small Batch in that recipe (which makes 2 1/2 tbsp).
4. Saffron threads – If saffron threads are out of reach (it is, afterall, the world’s most expensive spice by weight!) feel free to use imitation powder – use 1/2 teaspoon.
Grinding the saffron extracts more flavour and colour out of this precious spice. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, try using the back of a spoon or failing that, you can just soak the saffron strands.
5. Lemon Yogurt Sauce – Persian baked rice dishes like this call for a good amount of sauce! You’ll need ~1/4 cup of yogurt sauce for serving, the tangy cooling flavour works so well here! So you need to make a triple batch of the Lemon Yogurt Sauce (which makes 1 cup) to make enough sauce for the whole 8 – 10 servings.
Leftovers – Keeps 3 days in the fridge, best reheated in the microwave. Make ahead – Assemble the whole dish per the recipe but don’t drizzle with olive oil or bake it. Let it fully cool, cover, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, drizzle with olive oil and bake per recipe. There is no need to let it come to room temperature.
Keywords: recipe using baharat, rice bake, saffron rice bake
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

In memory of Dozer

Yesterday marked one month since Dozer left us and it felt like the right time to say goodbye to him at Bayview dog beach. I placed a magnolia flower from our garden on the water and watched it drift away, then scattered his ashes into the sea.

Bayview was his second favourite place in the whole world. It was where he truly got to be his happiest, most mischievous self. It’s where he played, had birthday parties, raced his friends, chased birds and drones, even fish!

But his first favourite place was wherever I was. We lived in eight different houses in the 13.9 years I had Dozer. Quite a nomadic existence! But he never had any trouble adjusting. As long as we were together, he was happy – and so was I.

Rest in peace, my beautiful Dozer. You were my once-in-a-lifetime soul dog, and I am so grateful that we found each other and got to spend the time we had together. I will honour your memory by continuing the work of RecipeTin Meals, the cause you were the heart and benefactor of.

And I will carry you in my heart forever. Love – your mum xx

the next chapter

And with that, this chapter feels like it’s drawn to a close. I’m holding tightly to the memory of everything that was Dozer, and I’m not ready to let him go from RecipeTin Eats yet. But the tide of tears is finally starting to ease, and sometimes I catch myself laughing free of tears (!!!) as I reminisce about Dozer.

So I think it’s time to start sharing some lighter stories about him, the moments that never made it into Life of Dozer on this website. Because there were so many to choose from!

It feels right to remember him with big smiles, plenty of laughter, lots of good food and a whole lot of love. 🐾 I look forward to sharing these stories with you. ~ Nagi x

PS Kicking things off with an up-close-and-personal of one of his greatest features. And a powerful one at that! He’d come tearing into the house from the very back of the yard at the faintest whiff of steak, but not even a flicker of a pause from bird-barking for a vegetable stir fry. That was my Dozer! 🥰

Dozer the golden retriever big black nose

Dozer was my beautiful dog and faithful companion for 14 years. He was also official taste-tester of RecipeTin Eats, and filled every day with joy, mischief and laughs. He passed away in February 2026. I miss him every day. The Life Of Dozer section shares the happiest moments of his life and keeps his memory alive. Read more about him here.

In loving memory of Dozer

2012 – 2026


On a personal note – thank you.

Thank you for being here with me through this time. As Dozer grew older, I knew the day was coming, and I knew it would be hard, but nothing could ever prepare me for the reality of it and living through it. He was my once-in-a-lifetime soul dog, and losing him broke me completely.

I never in a million years imagined that baring my soul on my website would bring me so much comfort, or help give me the strength to slowly find my way forward again, one day at a time.

Thank you for the kindness you’ve shown, for the tears, for the supportive messages you’ve shared, emails and cards you’ve written, and for helping me find my way back to smiling when I think about our beautiful boy.

And most of all, thank you for sharing the joy of Dozer with me all these years. – Nagi x

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428 Comments

  1. Janice says

    April 13, 2026 at 9:53 pm

    Loved loved this recipe, so glad I have everything on hand and can easily make it when the urge calls! My favourite part of your recipes is always the stories you share about Dozer, he is so loved. Reading through this post has me holding my Goldie extra close. Sending much love your way xx

    Reply
  2. Sara Poulson says

    April 8, 2026 at 10:40 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. I love the balance of flavours. I was worried the lamb mince might be too fatty but it’s not. Definitely not too dry either but I’d definitely not miss out on the yoghurt sauce. Worth the extra tiny bit of effort

    Reply
  3. Stephen Fixter says

    April 6, 2026 at 6:54 pm

    5 stars
    Meat and carbs! What more could you want? Fuss free flavoursome comfort food, even my kids loved it. Great dish, give it a go

    Reply
  4. Stephen Fixter says

    April 6, 2026 at 6:52 pm

    5 stars
    Meat and Carbs what more could you want? Fuss free flavour punch that even my kids loved. Great dish, give it a go

    Reply
  5. Stephen says

    April 2, 2026 at 9:30 am

    What an absolute banger of a meal! Meat, Carbs & mouthwatering flavour. Easy to make and easy to eat way more than you should 🙂

    Reply
  6. Amelie says

    March 30, 2026 at 10:44 pm

    5 stars
    My mum says that me and my brother need to start cooking a meal every week so I chose this recipe. It was easy to follow and very yummy, thank you!

    Reply
  7. Kent says

    March 30, 2026 at 12:41 pm

    This is on the rotation, thanks so much. I found 1 gram of saffron at a Costco near me for under A$19 so it hurts a little less than buying at Colesworth.

    Reply
  8. Louise Duma says

    March 29, 2026 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. Everything was so good. Extremely easy to make. Definitely need the yoghurt on the side. I used beef mince for the filling. Nearly forgot the pine nuts – had to scrape off the top layer to add in.

    Reply
  9. Bloss says

    March 28, 2026 at 8:20 pm

    3 stars
    I won’t bother baking the rice on this one again as it I don’t think it elevated the dish, but the meat filling was nice.
    Best of luck in the next chapter Nagi

    Reply
  10. Danielle says

    March 28, 2026 at 1:47 pm

    5 stars
    My hubby was skeptical when I told him I wanted to try this…he isn’t always a fan of chopped meat and rice recipes and he feared it was too much like a casserole (bad childhood memories). All that being said, this was DELICIOUS!! I absolutely loved the crispy rice bits and the flavor was so different. That lemon yogurt sauce is a MUST – so amazing together! Hubby loved it too, even said it could be added to the meal rotation! Huge praise! lol Love all your recipes and stories Nagi from you and your team. Love reading all the posts about Dozer and all the adventures you’ve had. Makes me feel like a part of your world even though we’ve never met…yet! If you ever make it to the US southwest I’d love to meet you in person!! Thanks for another delicious meal…you never disappoint!

    Reply
  11. Rachael says

    March 24, 2026 at 2:42 am

    If halving this recipe does the bake time remain the same?

    Reply
  12. Anne R levy says

    March 22, 2026 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    Made a double portion and used brown rice and a lamb and beef mince combo so it wasn’t too fatty. It was delicious. Didn’t need as much lemon yoghurt sauce as suggested. Probably only used a third.

    Reply
  13. Susan Joost says

    March 22, 2026 at 10:04 am

    Thank you for this amazing recipe. I loved it. I agree it needed lots of your lovely lemon yoghurt sauce. I like my food hot so I added quite a bit of extra chilli. It was great. I didn’t want to share.

    Reply
  14. Jenny says

    March 22, 2026 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    Thank you for all your awesome recipes and tutorials. I was very sad to hear about your lovely Dozer. He will be missed very much.
    I am going make your Golden Saffron Rice Bake and wondered if it would be ok to freeze?
    Many thanks 😊

    Reply
  15. Clare Sutton says

    March 20, 2026 at 1:24 pm

    Hello Nagi – I am yet to cook this delicious looking dish and was wondering if you think it might work for a vegetarian dish using Ottolenghi’s Tray Bake Ragu, if your familiar with that – a very savoury, meaty tasting vegetarian recipe. Thank you so much – I have to cook the dish for about 26 people x Take care of your heart from me and Lola by 12. year old bf Lab x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:23 pm

      Hi Claire – As long as the mixture is juicy and flavourful but not watery (which will soak the bottom layer of rice), it should work just fine! I’d still spice it if you can, with Middle Eastern flavours like the baharat I used. HUGS to Lola! – N x

      Reply
  16. Barby says

    March 19, 2026 at 10:31 pm

    Hi Nagi & crew,
    Just a big Thankyou for your recipes.
    Wondering if it would be possible when you post meat recipes if you would throw in a few extra lines of tasty appropriate substitutions for the vegetarians. I guess for vegans too.
    Just so we choose tasty appropriate protein substitutes.
    Best Barby
    Glad you are able to appreciate what a wonderful fella you had in you cloud of pain X

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:23 pm

      Hi Barby, thanks for your lovely message. That is a good suggestion and I will try to remember it. I guess it is easier for things like stir fries but for dishes like this it’s a little harder! – N xx

      Reply
  17. Alicia Gabriel says

    March 19, 2026 at 12:27 am

    My partner hardly eats leftovers, but she and I went through the entire pan of this dish in 3 days. She would reheat at her school and the other teachers were desperate to know what that heavenly aroma was:) If you haven’t cooked this, DO make the baharat from scratch. It made a huge difference!! So good. A total keeper for the recipe tin!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:24 pm

      THIS MESSAGE MADE MY DAY! Mostly the thought of all the teachers in the staff room drooling over the smell!!! – N xx

      Reply
  18. jasmine panaia says

    March 18, 2026 at 5:51 pm

    i forgot to rinse my basmati before it went in the boiling water. will this matter? tia 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:24 pm

      That’s fine Jasmine! I did not rinse my basmati 🙂 – N x

      Reply
  19. Nancy Logan says

    March 18, 2026 at 8:01 am

    Is it possible to make this with ground turkey by itself or mixed with crumbled tofu, fo diners who avoid red meat?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:26 pm

      You sure can Nancy, what I would do is make it as is with those subs then taste and add more baharat and salt if you think it needs it. 🙂 You want the filling mixture tasty enough that you could eat it by the spoonful, straight out of the pan!! – N x

      Reply
  20. Marina Morris says

    March 17, 2026 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    Dear Nagi, thank you so much for this recipe. I made it last night for dinner and it turned out beautiful and delicious. I wish I could upload a picture, it’s so golden and amazing. I made sure my meat filling is very juicy, used plenty of eggplant and added some frozen peas. Also made sure there was plenty of yogurt to coat all the rice. We had it with a salad with lemon dressing, and having it again for dinner tonight.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2026 at 7:26 pm

      I loved reading this!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Marina, thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! – N x

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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