Dampokht – Dampokhtak

Dampokhtak, also known as Dampokht, is a simple and quick Persian dish with only a few ingredients. It boasts a delightful aroma and is highly popular. Also called Dami gojeh farangi or Persian tomato rice is known.

The recipe for this dish is quite flexible, allowing you to add or substitute ingredients to your liking, making it very useful for when you've run out of ideas for a dish! Here, I will explain the basic recipe for Persian Dampokht.

How is Dampokht Made?

The best and simplest recipe for a delicious Persian Dampokhtak is as follows:

Preparation:

Soak the rice. Some say a minimum of 1 hour of soaking is needed, but for Dampokhtak, I sometimes skip this step. I would still recommend soaking the rice for at least 30 minutes, though.

Step 1 - Sautéing the Chicken

Chop the onions and sauté them. Add the chopped chicken and sauté for a few minutes until you see a change in color. Add all your spices and continue sautéing.

Step 2 - Add Tomato or Tomato Paste

If you're using fresh tomatoes in this step, you need to grate or blend the tomatoes. I even used frozen grated tomato after defrosting.

Let it simmer for 10 minute. Add some salt to taste. Add boiling water to the chicken and tomatoes. Let them cook for 30-60 minutes. Do not worry about chicken pieces being semi-cooked.

Step 3 - Cook the Rice:

Pour the rice into the boiling water and tomato mixture and add the rest of the salt.

Let the rice cook for 4-6 minutes and absorb all the water.

Gather the rice in the middle of the pot and leave nothing on the sides since it will turn into Tahdig and become crunchy instead of soft

Step 4 - Let the Rice Steam:

Leave the rice for 40-60 minutes to steam and cook well.

Tips:
- You can make Dampokhtak with either chicken or red meat. The recipe stays the same. However, red meat needs more time to cook. Dampokht morgh (Morgh means chicken in Frasi), is so easy and fast to make.

Dampokhtak Cooking Technique:

Iranians usually drain the water from rice and then steam it (Polo), but there is another way of doing it, called "Katteh." In this technique, they make sure all the water is absorbed from the rice.

How to Use Tomatoes in Dampokht?

Some people use tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes to save time, but I would rather do the latter for better quality and taste. This way is healthier as well.
1- You can use grated tomatoes.
2- If you don't have time for grating the tomatoes, you can easily blend them instead!
4- If you don't specifically care whether the tomato skin is visible in your Dampokht, cut each tomato into medium pieces and use them like that

Conclusion:

It goes really well with fresh herbs and Shirazi salad and is extremely popular among Iranians. This Dampokhtak recipe is so delicious and simple. If you've never tried it before, get started right now, delve into Persian culture by making this delicious meal and ask away all your questions right under this post!