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Sholeh Zard (Saffron Rice Pudding)

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Here's a quick and easy recipe for making Persian Sholehzard, a rich and creamy rice pudding with a fragrant saffron and rosewater flavor:


Ingredients

  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup saffron threads, dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
  • cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
  • Cinnamon powder for sprinkling

Directions

Instructions:

  • Drain the soaked rice and discard the soaking water.
  • In a medium pot, combine the rice, water, sugar, saffron water, rose water, cinnamon stick, and almonds. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pistachios. Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes to thicken further.
  • Fluff the rice pudding with a fork and divide it among serving bowls. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve warm or cold.

Tips:

  • For a richer flavor, you can use whole milk instead of water.
  • If you don't have saffron, you can substitute turmeric for the saffron water.
  • You can also add other dried fruits to the pudding, such as dried cranberries, raisins, or apricots.

Enjoy this delicious and comforting dessert!

How to use saffron:

The Powered Saffron
Use a mortar and pestle to grind your saffron into powder. In Persian, we use one sugar cube while grinding the saffron.
The powdered saffron has less shelf life than the saffron threads, so the Persian housewife prefers to keep her magic spice in liquid.
The Liquid Saffron
After grinding the saffron in powder, add warm water (2 to 4 tablespoons) and leave it for five minutes. Then keep the saffron in a glass jar inside the fridge. Don’t forget to keep the lid closed. 
By making the saffron in liquid, you can get most of it, and it’s more economical than using the threads.

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