What it means
کفگیر (kafgir) is the slotted spatula or rice paddle used to scoop rice, lift fried foods, and turn items in the pan. It is a native Persian compound formed from کف (kaf), meaning foam, surface, or the flat of the hand, and گیر (gir), meaning catcher or grabber, from the verb گرفتن (gereftan, to take). Literally a surface-catcher or foam-skimmer. In practice, kafgir refers both to the flat paddle used for serving chelow rice and to perforated spatulas used for frying. No direct foreign-origin synonym exists for this tool in everyday Persian.
How to use it
- کفگیر رو بذار کنار دیگ. (kafgir ro bezâr kenâr-e dig.) “Put the rice paddle next to the pot.”
- با کفگیر برنج رو بریز توی ظرف. (bâ kafgir berenj ro beriz tuye zarf.) “Use the rice paddle to scoop the rice into the dish.”
- کفگیرم سوخت. (kafgiram sukht.) “My spatula burnt.” (said of a plastic one touching a hot pan)
- یه کفگیر درست حسابی بخر. (ye kafgir-e dorost-hesâbi bekhar.) “Buy a proper spatula.”
Cultural note
In Iranian cooking the kafgir is used with great care when serving chelow, the plain steamed rice that appears at nearly every Persian meal. The prized tahdig, the crispy rice crust at the bottom of the pot, is carefully loosened and lifted with the kafgir and placed on top of the rice pile as the most sought-after part of the dish. A cook’s skill with the kafgir at the moment of serving is genuinely admired around the table.