My recipe is an ancient one that goes back several thousand years ago, to the time of the Persian Empire. It is a rice pudding that contains saffron. Saffron is the most expensive spices in the world, due to its rarity, intense flavour, and the excessive work that is required to make a bit of saffron: exactly 225,000 hand-picked stigmas of the saffron crocus (flower) to obtain a pound of saffron. You can imagine why this dessert was only served during special events and consumed by the aristocracy. To this day, sholeh zard is prepared for special events, such as the Persian New Year or for the end of the Ramadan. Sholeh zard is also prepared in the memoir of the death of the third imam, on the 40th day.
This dessert marked my childhood for many reasons. I remember when my grandma would spend hours preparing around ten plates for the family, friends, and neighbours. It is a tradition for all Persian families to share with others when there is a celebration. My favourite part of the preparation of the rice pudding is the ultimate part, when you decorate the dessert by writing messages in Persian with the ground cinnamon. It requires a lot of patience and delicacy, which I admire a lot. One last memory of this dessert during my childhood is definitely how it glows!
Recipe
Ingredients
– 1 cup white rice
– 6 cups lukewarm water
– ½ tsp salt
– 2 cups white sugar
– ½ cup unsalted butter
– ½ cup almonds, sliced
– 1 tsp saffron*, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water
– 1 tsp ground cardamom
– ½ cup rose water**
– ground cinnamon
– 2 tsp unsalted almonds, sliced (optional)
– ground cinnamon
– 2 tsp unsalted almonds, sliced (optional)
*saffron can be found in Middle-Eastern grocery stores, such as Marché Akhava.
**rose water can be found in Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern grocery stores, such as
Marché Adonis.
Marché Adonis.
Procedure
- Rinse rice multiple times in cold water until the water becomes clear.
- In a big pot, mix the rice, 4 cups of water, and salt.
- Boil the large pot and remove the uprising foam. Cover the pot and let it boil at low temperature, preferably at medium heat, for 35 minutes or until the rice becomes smooth and plump.
- Combine the sugar and the remaining cups of water. Add to the large pot.
- Let the pot containing water, rice, sugar, and salt cook for an additional twenty minutes and stir it when it is necessary.
- Combine the remaining ingredients (butter, almonds, cardamom, rose water, and dissolved saffron in hot water). Adequately stir it.
- Cover the pot and let it boil at low temperature until there is evaporation of the water and the dessert becomes plumper, into the same texture as pudding.
- Separate the rice pudding into several portions in different bowls. Avoid serving the hot cooked food in plastic bowls.
- Let the dessert cool down in the refrigerator.
- Garnish the rice pudding with the ground cinnamon and slivered almonds once it has cooled down.
Photo source: http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2009/01/persian-saffron-rice-pudding-sholeh.html
