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Persian

Sholeh Zard (Persian Saffron Rice Pudding)

A fragrant Persian saffron rice pudding flavored with rose water, cardamom, and nuts.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Sholeh Zard (Persian Saffron Rice Pudding)

1 hr 5 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 55 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
None
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

About an hour. The rice needs to break down completely, and that cannot be hurried without scorching the base.

Method

  1. Add rinsed rice and measured water to a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rice becomes very soft.

  2. Stir often and lightly mash some of the grains with the spoon to thicken the pudding.

  3. Add sugar and continue cooking until it dissolves fully and the mixture becomes glossy.

  4. Stir in saffron water, rose water, cardamom powder, and butter.

  5. Simmer gently until the pudding is thick but still softly flowing. It will thicken more as it cools.

  6. Pour into serving bowls and garnish with pistachios, almonds, and a light dusting of cinnamon.

  7. Serve warm or chilled, depending on preference.

How to tell it's done

The pudding should be smooth, glossy, and spoonable, with very soft rice grains and a deep saffron color.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the pudding slightly looser than the final texture you want; it thickens noticeably as it cools.

What to serve it with

Serve in small bowls after a Persian meal or as a festive saffron dessert.

Common mistakes

The pudding is thin even after long cooking.
Remember it sets considerably as it cools, so stop while it still flows easily. If it is genuinely thin when hot, mash more of the grains against the side rather than boiling it harder.
It catches and tastes scorched.
Sugar goes in only after the rice is soft, and the pot needs stirring more often once it does. Sugar on the base of a heavy pot burns long before you can smell it.

Substitutions

  • Use short-grain rice for a softer pudding texture if Basmati Rice is unavailable.
  • Skip Pistachios and Almonds for a nut-free version, but then remove the tree-nut allergen in your local variant.
  • Rose Water is traditional; reduce it rather than increasing it because too much can taste perfumed.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and is traditionally eaten cold, set firm in shallow bowls. Add the nuts and cinnamon at serving rather than storing them on top, where they go soft. It does not freeze.