Sholeh Zard
Saffron rice pudding with rosewater · شلهزرد
- 10 min Prep
- 1 h 30 min Cook
- 8 Servings
- Easy
A golden pudding of rice slow-cooked with sugar, saffron and rosewater, decorated with cinnamon and pistachios. Made for nazri and celebrations.
Sholeh zard is cooked in huge pots as nazri and shared with neighbours, especially during Muharram and Ramadan, and it appears at Nowruz and family celebrations too. Each bowl is decorated with cinnamon and slivered almonds or pistachios, often in patterns or the names of loved ones.
Unlike Western rice pudding it contains no milk: the rice cooks in water until it breaks down, then saffron, sugar and rosewater turn it into a fragrant, glossy pudding.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring the rice and water to a boil in a large pot. Skim, then simmer uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice is completely soft and starting to break apart.
- Stir in the sugar and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick.
- Add the saffron water, butter, cardamom and almonds. Cover and cook on very low heat for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the rosewater and cook 5 minutes more. The pudding should flow slowly from a spoon; it thickens a lot as it cools.
- Pour into bowls, cool, and chill. Decorate with lines or patterns of cinnamon and slivered pistachios before serving.
Tips & variations
- Add the sugar only once the rice is fully soft: sugar stops rice from softening further.
Where to buy the ingredients
Persian grocers carry the saffron, dried herbs, spices and long-grain rice that Persian cooking depends on:
Rather eat out?
Persian bakeries and sweet shops:
Persian Halva
Faloodeh Shirazi
Nan-e Nokhodchi