How to Make Delicious and Special Shole Zard for Ramadan

To make Shole Zard as a religious offering, first, soak the rice in water and rosewater. Soak the almonds as well to remove their skin. Then, bring the soaked rice with water to a boil in a pot, skim off the foam, and reduce the heat to allow it to cook. After the rice is half-cooked, add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, ensuring the Shole Zard does not stick to the pot. Add the sliced almonds, saffron, and salt, and stir until it reaches the desired consistency. If needed, add butter, then allow it to cool before decorating and serving.

How to Prepare Shole Zard:

1. Preparing the Rice: Start by cleaning the rice and placing it in a large bowl. Pour water over the rice, gently rub the rice with your hand, and drain the water. Repeat this process until the water runs clear, and then pour in 1 cup of rosewater and 1 cup of water. Let the rice soak for 30 minutes.

2. Soaking the Almonds: Place the almonds in a bowl with water to allow them to soak and easily remove their skin. After 30 minutes, drain the rice-water mixture, and add 8 cups of water to a pot for cooking.

3. Boiling the Water: Bring the water to a boil on high heat, then add the rice mixture. Once the water starts to boil again, skim off any foam and reduce the heat so the rice can cook.

4. Adding Sugar: Once the rice is soft, add the saffron and mix well to release the full color of the saffron. Then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves, ensuring that the Shole Zard doesn’t stick to the pot.

5. Adding Almonds and Saffron: Once the sugar dissolves, continue to stir the Shole Zard to avoid it sticking. Peel and slice the almonds, reserving a few for decoration, and then add them to the dish along with a pinch of salt.

6. Reaching the Desired Consistency: Continue stirring until the Shole Zard thickens to your preferred consistency. Once you’re happy with the texture, test it by spooning some into a bowl and letting it cool slightly to taste.

7. Adjusting Consistency: If the Shole Zard is too thin, allow it to cook further. Once it reaches the desired consistency, add the butter, stir for another 5 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Let the Shole Zard cool down.

8. Decoration and Serving: Be aware that Shole Zard, like other desserts, will thicken as it cools. Finally, transfer it to a serving dish and garnish with cinnamon, coconut powder, sliced almonds, or pistachios. Enjoy!

   

   

   

   

Tips for Making Shole Zard:

1. Important Key Tips: To make a delicious Shole Zard, it's important to follow the key tips. Use consistent measurements, soak the rice and almonds well, add sugar only after the rice is cooked, and brew the saffron for better color. Make sure the rice is fully cooked, and avoid adding water in the later stages to prevent it from becoming too watery. Stir continuously after adding the sugar to allow the excess water to evaporate.

2. Calories in Shole Zard: Shole Zard, a popular dish for religious offerings, has a relatively high calorie content. For instance, each tablespoon of this traditional dessert contains about 49 calories, along with 9 grams of carbohydrates, 64 grams of sugar, and 2.1 grams of fat. Therefore, overeating Shole Zard can lead to weight gain.

3. Shole Zard Becoming Watery: One issue people face when refrigerating Shole Zard is that it can become watery, affecting both its appearance and taste. This occurs because the water in Shole Zard has not evaporated properly. To avoid this, after the Shole Zard is fully cooked, place it on low heat for another hour to allow the excess water to evaporate.

4. Rice, Sugar, and Water Ratio: To make a perfect festive Shole Zard, it's essential to use the correct ratios. The sugar should be twice the amount of rice, and the water should be five times the amount of rice. For example, if you have 1 cup of rice, use 2 cups of sugar and 5 cups of water. By following this ratio, you can be sure that your Shole Zard will turn out perfectly.

5. Shole Zard Decoration: For decoration, cinnamon, sliced almonds, pistachios, and dried rose petals are commonly used. You can create beautiful designs on the surface, like flowers, stars, or even names, by sprinkling cinnamon. Almond and pistachio slivers add a luxurious touch. Dried rose petals or thick saffron can be used as colorful accents. For more intricate decorations, you can use special molds or paper stencils.

   

6. Molded Shole Zard: For a molded saffron Shole Zard, first, clean and wash the rice and soak it in water and rosewater for 3 hours. Discard the soaking water, then add 10 cups of boiling water to the rice in a pot. After the rice is cooked, add the saffron tea and mix well. Gradually add sugar, ground cardamom or cardamom water, butter, rosewater, and sliced almonds. Dissolve gelatin in cold water, dissolve it in a double boiler, and add it to the mixture. Once it boils and cooks, pour the Shole Zard into a mold and refrigerate. Once set, garnish with cinnamon and pistachio powder.

7. Buttery Shole Zard: To make buttery Shole Zard, soak the rice for 6 hours, then cook it with 12 cups of water. After one hour, add sugar and cardamom, followed by soaked almonds. After another hour, add saffron, ground cardamom, butter, and oil. Let the excess water evaporate, then serve the Shole Zard in a dish, decorated with nuts.