Kateh recipe, The easy technique to cook Persian rice

If you are familiar with Persian culture and cuisine, you will understand that rice is among the most important foods on our Iranian table. Persian people cook rice in two ways. On special occasions or parties, people drain the rice and steam it.

This rice is called Chelow, but in casual family meals and during the week, they cook Kateh. Kateh is one of the simplest and easiest ways of cooking and serving rice that origin goes back to the Caspian region of Iran, such as Gilan and Mazandaran. This rice dish is sticky rice and is cooked by letting the water evaporate in the pot.

 Since the preparation of Kateh is not complicated and cooking the rice this way prevents the loss of its nutrients, it is one of Iran’s most common side dishes. Kateh needs half the cooking time of Chelow-style rice and has a denser flavor due to the addition of butter or oil in the cooking process. and it is served with different kinds of stews and different kinds of kebabs. Follow the Cookery Magazine to learn how to cook Kateh.

ingredients

rice	2 cups
salt	as needed
oil	as needed

How to make Kateh

Step 1

first, wash the rice. In order for the rice to be in the form of grains and not stick together and finally be white, it is enough to wash it two to three times. 10 minutes of soaking is enough for Iranian rice. You should not soak rice that breaks apart quickly. Boil it immediately after washing. At this stage, adding salt to the water is unnecessary.

Step 2

The second step is adding the right amount of water to the rice. At this stage, you should pour the washed rice into the pot in a way that covers the bottom of the pot uniformly. Then put your fingers on the rice’s surface and add water; pour enough water to reach your knuckle; this is the amount for Iranian rice.

Step 3

The third step is the time adding salt and oil. Be sure to add salt before putting the pot on the heat because it will keep the rice grains in shape and not fall apart. Don’t forget the oil; it helps the rice grains not stick together. Be careful that too much oil will make your Kateh mushy.

Step 4

Now put the pot on the flame and raise the heat until it starts to boil. Then reduce the flame until the water of the rice evaporates. When the rice water evaporates, holes are created on its surface, and a small amount of water remains at the bottom of the rice. Cover the lid of the pot with a clean towel.

Step 5

For better steaming, you should gather the rice in the middle of the pot and make a few holes in it with the end of a spoon to help steaming better. Now reduce the heat and wait 20 minutes for it to steam.

Serving the Kateh

Kateh is a side dish that is served with different kinds of stews such as Morgh-e Torsh, Anar Bij, and Khoresht-e Porteghal, and it is served with types of kebab. Also, the people of the Caspian region serve Keteh with a fried egg.