Sholeh zard

The golden ritual pudding of Iran

Origin: Iran

From the journey of Saffron.

Sholeh zard (literally 'yellow flame') is one of the most ancient and sacred dishes of Persian cuisine, made as a votive offering (nazri) at religious gatherings and distributed to neighbours as an act of blessing. The dish is scented with saffron, rosewater and cardamom, then decorated on its surface with cinnamon drawn into arabesques and geometric patterns. Cinnamon arrived in Persia via the spice routes from India and Arabia around the 10th century CE and was swiftly incorporated into the refined sweet cookery of the Persian court, where its warm sweetness complemented saffron's exotic richness.

Ingredients

Base

  • 200 g short-grain or pudding rice, rinsed
  • 1200 ml water

Sweetener

  • 150 g caster sugar

Flavour

  • 1 generous pinch saffron threads, dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water
  • 3 tbsp rosewater
  • 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
  • 50 g slivered almonds

Decoration

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon, for decorating
  • 30 g pistachios, finely chopped, for decorating

Method

  1. Place the rinsed rice and water in a large heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
  2. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the rice is very soft and swollen and beginning to dissolve into the water. The mixture should be thick and porridge-like.
  3. Add the sugar and stir continuously over medium-low heat until completely dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the saffron water, rosewater and ground cardamom. Stir well to combine: the mixture should turn a rich golden yellow.
  5. Continue stirring over low heat for 15-20 minutes until the pudding thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a brief shape when dropped from a spoon.
  6. Stir in the slivered almonds. Pour the pudding into a large shallow serving bowl or individual bowls. Smooth the surface.
  7. Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set and chilled.
  8. Before serving, decorate the surface with ground cinnamon, creating geometric patterns, lines or arabesques. Scatter chopped pistachios over the top.

Notes

Sholeh zard is always served cold. The cinnamon decoration is an integral part of the presentation, not merely garnish. It can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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