Best 3 Sholeh Zard Persian Rice Pudding Recipes

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SHOLEH ZARD (PERSIAN RICE PUDDING)



Sholeh Zard (Persian Rice Pudding) image

This cozy dessert from Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico, the owners of Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas, is a take on sholeh zard, a loose, heavily spiced Persian rice pudding Ms. Mardanbigi grew up eating. It also borrows influence from the Mexican arroz con leche of Mr. Rico's childhood. Their take is warm and smoky with black cardamom and saffron, velvety from egg yolks and butter, and has a savory finish. It calls for arborio rice instead of the usual basmati to add a slight chew, and strawberry powder instead of rosewater to provide similar floral notes with a punch of acid.

Provided by Priya Krishna

Categories     custards and puddings, dessert

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 cup arborio rice, unrinsed
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean (see Notes)
1 cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom pod (see Notes)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 saffron threads, preferably Persian, ground then stirred into 1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted pistachios
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Steps:

  • Bring 4 cups of water to a hard boil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over high heat. Add the rice and let it boil, stirring regularly, until the grains begin to soften around the edges but are still crunchy in the center, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the rice, but do not rinse it. Rinse the pot with cold water to cool it down, then return it to the stove.
  • To the rinsed pot, add the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick, cardamom, turmeric, saffron water and kosher salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You may be tempted to turn the heat up to make it boil faster - resist this urge. The goal is to let the spices slowly infuse the milk and cream, like a tea, for deep flavor.
  • Slowly stir in the rice, making sure the grains are all well coated. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, stirring a few times to make sure the grains don't stick to the bottom, until the mixture has the consistency of a loose pudding, 35 to 45 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, with the rice maintaining a slight chew.
  • Add the cubes of butter a few at a time, stirring to incorporate fully between each addition. Remove from the heat and let cool until warm, stirring regularly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time. The consistency should be velvety.
  • Divide the sholeh zard among bowls, and divide the ground cinnamon, strawberry powder and pistachios - in that order - over the top of each one. The strawberry powder should be the thickest layer, covering the entire surface. Crown the bowls with a light sprinkling of flaky salt and serve.

IRANIAN SAFFRON RICE PUDDING (SHOLEH ZARD) (DAIRY FREE & GLU



Iranian Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard) (Dairy Free & Glu image

This beautiful traditional Persian dessert is now a favorite of ours. This version is not overly sweet. Saffron, one of the most precious and most expensive spices in the world gives this pudding it's beautiful golden colour and rewarding flavour. Recipe by Nahal Lovessert, modified from http://www.lovescool.com. I never would have imagined a rice pudding without milk could be so good!

Provided by UmmBinat

Categories     Breakfast

Time 2h10m

Yield 6 , 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup white basmati rice
10 cups water, divided
1 cup white sugar (I use a bit less and add to taste, the fun part! lol)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup rose water
2 teaspoons powdered saffron (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds
2 tablespoons ground pistachios (garnish, it looks beautiful and tastes good with it)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (garnish)

Steps:

  • Wash rice. Rinse and drain the rice several times until the water runs clear. Add the rice to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  • Add 8 cups of water to the pot and partially cover with a lid. Bring the rice to a boil over medium heat, occasionally skimming the foam off the top.
  • Put saffron into 2 tbs warm water and set aside.
  • Once rice is soft and boiling (approximately 30 minutes), add sugar and stir gently to dissolve. Add an additional 2 cups of water and stir to combine. Keep the rice partially covered and continue to cook over a medium-low heat for approximately 20 more minutes. Stiring occasionally.
  • Put canola oil, rose water and the ground saffron threads along with their water into the rice and stir thoroughly to combine. Continue to cook, partially-covered, for another 20 minutes over low heat.
  • Remove the lid and stir well. The mixture should start to look like a thick pudding-like cream; all the water should be boiled out at this point. Feel free to add more saffron to taste. The more saffron you add the richer the flavor and color of the pudding will be.
  • Add the blanched slivered almonds and continue cooking over medium-low heat until a pudding-like texture develops (approximately 30 more minutes).
  • Once thickened, remove the pot from the stove and pour the Sholeh Zard into a large, shallow plate and let it cool*. Once the top has dried into a thin, yet hard, layer you can decorate with the cinnamon and pistachios in a pretty pattern.
  • Once cool, place the plate, covered into the refrigerator and continue chilling until the pudding has transformed into a jello-like consistency.
  • *Optional serving styles: The pudding also tastes great warm (right after it's done cooking).
  • Which ever way you choose, we like both you may now serve the tastiest dessert along with a nice cup of tea.
  • Enjoy!

SHOLEH ZARD- SAFFRON RICE PUDDING



Sholeh Zard- Saffron Rice Pudding image

This Persian dessert is absolutely delicious! Although it takes awhile to cook, it is fairly low-maintenance. Adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij's "Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen".

Provided by Sephardi Kitchen

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h1m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup white rice
8 -10 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn oil or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup rose water
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons slivered pistachios

Steps:

  • Wash and rinse the rice several times.
  • In a large pot, bring the rice and 8 cups of water to a boil. Skim off the foam as it rises. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes until the rice is soft.
  • Add 2 more cups water, as well as the sugar. Simmer for 25 minutes longer, stirring occasionally (be careful to not over-stir).
  • Grind the saffron and dissolve in a couple tablespoons of hot water.
  • Add the saffron water, corn oil, almonds, cardamom and rose water. Mix well, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes longer, or until the rice has thickened to a pudding. Remove from heat.
  • Immediately spoon the Sholeh Zard into a large bowl or individual serving dishes.
  • Garnish with cinnamon, slivered almonds or slivered pistachios, if desired.
  • Chill and serve cold.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 529.3, Fat 10.7, SaturatedFat 1.2, Sodium 6.7, Carbohydrate 108.5, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 87.8, Protein 3.2

Tips:

  • For a richer flavor, use basmati rice that has been soaked for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  • If you don't have saffron, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
  • To make the sholeh zard even more festive, add some chopped nuts, dried fruits, or rose petals before serving.
  • Sholeh zard can be served warm or cold. It's also delicious the next day, so feel free to make a big batch and enjoy it all week long.

Conclusion:

Sholeh zard is a delicious and versatile Persian rice pudding that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's also a great way to use up leftover rice. With its sweet and creamy flavor, sholeh zard is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a new dessert to try, give sholeh zard a try. You won't be disappointed!

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