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Iranian

Sholeh zard

Vegetarian

شله‌زرد · Sholeh zard

A brilliant yellow rice pudding cooked in water rather than milk, perfumed with saffron, rose water and cardamom, decorated with cinnamon, almonds and pistachios.

Sholeh zard is an Iranian dessert, ready in about 3 hours 25 minutes and made with basmati rice, saffron and rose water. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Rest
2 h
Total
3 h 25 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
214

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the drained rice in the water, stirring occasionally, until the grains are completely soft and breaking down, about 40 minutes. Skim off any foam.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sugar (opens in a new tab) and stir until dissolved, then simmer gently 15 minutes until thickened.

    • 15 min
    • low heat

    Stir regularly; the pudding sticks once the sugar is in.

  3. Step 3

    Add the saffron (opens in a new tab) water, rose water (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), butter (opens in a new tab) and most of the almonds (opens in a new tab). Cover with a towel-wrapped lid and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes until glossy and thick.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Hot sugary pudding can spatter and burn; stir with a long spoon.

  4. Step 4

    Pour into a serving dish or bowls, cool, and decorate with lines of cinnamon (opens in a new tab), the remaining almonds (opens in a new tab) and pistachios (opens in a new tab). Chill at least 2 hours.

    • 120 min

About this dish

Origin
Iran · Well documentedAlso popular in AfghanistanMore food from Iran
Dish
Dessert · Desserts · Porridge & cereals
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, creamy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Basmati rice · Saffron · Rose water · Sugar · Cardamom · Butter
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stock making

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom almonds, pistachios

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

214 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 246 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 4%
  • Carbohydrate 75%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy214 kcal87 kcal
Protein2.2 g0.9 g
Carbohydrate40.9 g16.6 g
Net carbohydrate40.2 g16.3 g
Sugars25.1 g10.2 g
Added sugars25 g10.1 g
Fibre0.8 g0.3 g
Fat5 g2 g
Saturated fat2.1 g0.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol8 mg3 mg
Sodium29 mg12 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
53 mg
Calcium
37 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
19 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
26 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
74 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pistachios, cinnamon.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • Rose water: Water (FDC 174158); rose water is a distillate with negligible nutrients.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • It sets firmer as it cools, so stop cooking while it still flows slowly off a spoon.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the sugar before the rice is soft — sugar stops the grains softening further.

Serve with

  • Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days covered in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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