Tah-Dig

A friend of mine grew up in Persia and he had his sisters
from Iran visiting him and they served up this dish for lunch.
I've made this rice several times but I just can't seem to get
it to be as good as the Iranian sisters did.

Ingredients:
2 cups long grain (basmati) rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon powdered Saffron
  dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of hot water
Salt
Water

Directions:
Wash the rice with cool water a few times.
Soak in 4 cups of water, add 2-3 tablespoons
 of salt and set aside for couple of hours.
In a large non-stick pot that has a tight fitting lid,
bring 4 cups of water to a rapid boil.
Drain the soaked rice and pour into the pot.
Bring the water back to a boil on
medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.
Test to see if the rice is ready.
Rice should be firm in the center and soft on the outside.
Drain the rice in a fine mesh colander and rinse with cool water.
Place a heavy bottom non-stick pot on a medium to high heat stove top.
Add butter/oil and a tablespoon of saffron,
wait for a few minutes till it heats up,
 move the pan in a circular motion or
use a wooden spoon to cover the bottom evenly with oil.
Remove from heat and scoop in some rice into the pot,
coat the entire area, and pour in the rest of the rice.
Build into a pyramid shape.
Poke 3-4 holes into the dome with the handle of the wooden spatula.
Place the pot back on the stove on medium-high heat, uncovered.
Wait about 10-15 minutes or until steam starts coming out of the pot.
Gently sprinkle a cup of water over rice and put the lid back on the pot tightly.
Lower heat to a medium-low setting and cook for about 50-60 minutes.
It is customary to cover the lid with a kitchen towel
to prevent the moisture from going back in the pot.