Persian Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard)!

[ Servings: 6 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 45 mins | Chill: 60 mins | Total: 115 mins | Calories: 340 kcal per serving ]

Persian Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard)!Hello, and welcome to YumsJunction! In this post, I am going to show you how to make an amazing Sholeh Zard, which is a traditional Persian saffron rice pudding. It is comforting, and incredibly aromatic. Let’s get going!

And if you love nostalgic, holiday-style desserts, you’ll also be obsessed with my The Pistachio Pudding Dessert You NEED For The Holidays! and Easter Lamb Cake—they have that same cozy, celebratory vibe.

Why You’ll Love This

You are going to be obsessed with this express recipe! Traditionally, Sholeh Zard can take a really long time to simmer away on the stove, but this is a quick-fix version that still delivers all that gorgeous, vibrant “yellow flame” color and rich flavor. It’s sweet, floral, and sets up like an absolute dream.

Plus, half the fun is getting creative with the toppings at the end. Whether you’re making this for a festive occasion or just to cozy up on a cold night, it’s the ultimate comfort dessert.

If pistachios and floral flavors are your thing, definitely check out my Pistachio Coconut Macaroons too—they pair so nicely with a chilled bowl of Sholeh Zard on a dessert platter.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment:

• Fine mesh sieve (for washing rice)
• Large heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Heat-proof spatula
• Small bowl or glass (for blooming saffron)
• Individual serving pots or ramekins (4–6 depending on size)

The Ingredients:

• 1 cup Regular White Rice (Jasmine or Basmati work great)
• 8 cups Water
• 2 tablespoons Rose Water (gently warmed helps the saffron bloom even better)
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Saffron
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• Garnishes: Ground cinnamon, slivered nuts (almonds/pistachios), and crushed dried rose petals

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. The Great Rice Wash

The base of this is super simple. First, you have to place your rice in a fine mesh sieve and wash it thoroughly in the sink until the water runs completely clear. You are basically eliminating a lot of the starch right off the bat so the texture is perfect.

2. Bloom the Saffron

In a small bowl or glass, dissolve the ¼ teaspoon of ground saffron directly into the 2 tablespoons of rose water (warm or room temperature). Set aside.

3. The Great Boiling Water Debate

Bring a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to high heat and fill it with the 8 cups of water. Now, wait for it to boil. And by boil, I mean actually boil. Be patient, wait for the actual rolling bubbles.

4. Cook the Rice

Once it’s boiling—and you’re getting a fabulous free steam facial in the process—go in with your cleaned rice. Turn it down to a simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes.

5. Spicing It Up

After 15 minutes, it’s time to go in with the rest of our ingredients. We will be talking ground cardamom, the saffron-infused rose water, regular granulated sugar, and a little bit of butter for richness.

6. Simmer and Thicken

Stir everything together until that butter is completely dissolved and the mixture is evenly combined. Let that simmer for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Crucial Tip: I say “up to” because you need to keep an eye on it! If you start to notice that the rice is catching on the bottom of the pan, just take it off the heat early. You’re looking for a consistency where there is no free liquid left in the pan, but the rice itself is still nice and wet and creamy.

7. Potting It Up!

Once it’s done simmering, turn the heat off. You need to pour or ladle the hot pudding straight into the individual pots or ramekins you plan to serve it in. This is super important because Sholeh Zard sets almost like a jelly. You can’t let it cool in the pan and then try to scoop it out to make it look pretty later. Now’s the time to make it look good!

Use your spatula to press it down and make the top super compact and smooth. You want a perfectly flat base to decorate.

8. Getting Crafty with Decorations

Once the tops are smooth, get creative! It’s really common for people to write beautiful things in Farsi or create intricate patterns with nuts and cinnamon. This is your opportunity to be creative and crafty in the kitchen!

A quick warning on the cinnamon: People love to pile it on, but when you go to eat it, it’s like… ugh, powder! So, just tap your little spoon really, really lightly so it’s not overpowering to eat. Do it tiny bit by tiny bit. You can always add more, but it’s impossible to remove! Finish it off with some crushed rose petals and maybe some slivered nuts.

9. Chill and Serve

Pop the decorated pots into the fridge to chill for up to 1 hour so everything sets super firm, and then you can dig in!

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you give this a go. Let me know if Persian Saffron Rice Pudding is your favorite in the comments.

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Express Sholeh Zard (Persian Saffron Rice Pudding)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DessertCuisine: PersianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Chill Time

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

55

minutes

A vibrant, cozy, and express version of traditional Persian saffron rice pudding! Infused with fragrant rose water, saffron, and cardamom, this beautiful golden dessert sets perfectly and is incredibly fun to decorate.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Fine mesh sieve

• Large heavy-bottomed saucepan

• Heat-proof spatula

• 6 individual serving pots or ramekins

• Ingredients:

• 1 cup Regular white rice (Jasmine or Basmati) (200g)

• 8 cups Water (1900ml)

• 2 tbsp Rose water (30ml), warm or room temperature

• ¼ tsp Ground saffron (0.5g)

• ¼ tsp Ground cardamom (0.5g)

• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter (28g)

• 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar (300g)

• Ground cinnamon (for garnish)

• Slivered almonds or pistachios (for garnish)

• Crushed dried rose petals (for garnish)

Directions

• Wash your rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs perfectly clear to remove excess starch.
• In a small glass, dissolve the ground saffron into the rose water to bloom. Set aside.
• Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the 8 cups of water. Bring to a full, rolling boil.
• Carefully add the washed rice to the boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the ground cardamom, saffron-infused rose water, granulated sugar, and unsalted butter.
• Stir well until the butter dissolves. Continue simmering for up to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn’t catch or burn. Take it off the heat when the rice is thick and wet, with no thin liquid pooling in the pan.
• Immediately portion the hot pudding into 6 serving pots. Use a spatula to smooth and flatten the tops so they are perfectly compact.
• Decorate the flat tops with very light dustings of cinnamon, slivered nuts, and crushed rose petals.
• Transfer the pots to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour until the pudding is set firm like a jelly.

Notes

• Vegan Swap: You can easily make this dairy-free and vegan by completely omitting the butter. It will still taste fantastic!
• The Jelly Set: You must pour the pudding into your serving pots while it is still piping hot. As it cools, the starches firm up like a jelly. If you let it cool in the saucepan, you won’t get that beautiful, smooth top.
• Cinnamon Warning: Go easy on the cinnamon garnish! It looks beautiful, but eating a massive spoonful of dry cinnamon powder isn’t fun. Tap your spoon very lightly.