Instructions

Remove any stems from barberries and place in bowl. Cover with cold water. In small bowl, stir together saffron and 1 tablespoon water. Use vegetable peeler to remove strips of zest from orange (reserve flesh for another use). Cut zest into 2-inch long matchsticks. Place orange strips in medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat. Remove from heat and drain strips in large fine-mesh strainer. Repeat boiling and draining 2 more times. Transfer strips to bowl. (Blanched orange strips can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Place rice in fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place rice and 1 tablespoon salt in medium bowl and cover with 4 cups hot water. Stir gently to dissolve salt; let stand for 15 minutes. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.
Bring 8 cups water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add rice and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt. Boil briskly until rice is mostly tender with slight bite in center and grains are floating toward top of pot, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold running water to stop cooking, about 30 seconds. Rinse and dry pot well to remove any residual starch. Brush bottom and 1 inch up sides of pot with 1 tablespoon oil.
Combine yogurt, 2 cups rice, and remaining ¼ cup oil in medium bowl. Stir until rice is evenly coated. Spread yogurt-rice mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pot, packing it down well.
Mound remaining rice in center of pot on top of yogurt-rice base (it should look like a cone or a small hill). Poke 8 equally spaced holes through rice mound but not into yogurt-rice base. Cut 2 tablespoons butter into 8 cubes. Place 1 butter cube in each hole. Drizzle 1/3 cup water over rice mound.
Wrap pot lid with clean dish towel and cover pot tightly, making sure towel is secure on top of lid and away from heat. Cook over medium-high heat until rice on bottom is crackling and steam is coming out from beneath lid, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pot halfway through for even cooking.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until rice is tender and fluffy, 30 to 35 minutes longer. While rice cooks, scoop barberries from bowl, leaving any grit behind in water. Pat dry. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add barberries and cook, stirring frequently, until color darkens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully, as barberries burn easily). Transfer to small bowl.
Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towel and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add orange peel, sugar, and 6 tablespoons water, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and orange peel is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain carrots and orange in fine-mesh strainer and transfer to bowl. Discard syrup.
Remove pot from heat and place on damp dish towel set in rimmed baking sheet; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer ½ cup rice to bowl. Add saffron water and toss until rice is evenly colored.
On large round serving platter, gently spoon remaining rice in large circle (leave crust on bottom of pot intact). Spoon yellow rice in center of platter, shaping it into small circle. Arrange alternating additions of carrot-orange mixture, almonds, pistachios, and barberries so each radiates from “crown” of yellow rice. Using thin metal spatula, loosen edges of crust from pot, then break crust into large pieces. Transfer pieces to separate serving platter. To serve, scoop some of each topping with rice and mix on individual plates, passing crust separately.