🍮 Sholeh Zard
Sholeh zard is a Persian rice pudding coloured bright yellow with saffron and perfumed with rose water. Rice is cooked until very soft and creamy, then sweetened and finished with a little butter. It is served chilled in bowls, decorated with lines of ground cinnamon and slivered almonds, and has a soft, fragrant, gently sweet taste.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g short-grain rice
- 1.5 l water
- 200 g sugar
- ½ tsp saffron threads, ground and steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
- 60 ml rose water
- 20 g butter
- 30 g slivered almonds
- Ground cinnamon to decorate
Method
- Rinse the rice and simmer in the water for about 45 minutes, stirring often, until very soft.
- Add the sugar and stir until dissolved; cook 10 more minutes.
- Stir in the saffron water, rose water, butter and most of the almonds; cook on low 15–20 minutes until thick.
- Pour into bowls, decorate with cinnamon and the remaining almonds, and chill.
How to make it lighter
- Reduce the sugar by a quarter; saffron and rose water carry the flavour.
- Serve in small dessert cups of about 100 g.
- Leave out the butter at the end; the pudding stays creamy from the rice starch.
History
Sholeh zard means 'yellow pudding' in Persian. It is traditionally cooked in large pots and shared with neighbours as nazri, a votive offering, especially during Muharram and on religious occasions, and it is also served at Nowruz and other family gatherings.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →