Sholeh Zard (Persian Rice Pudding)

Can ordinary cardamom be used as a substitute for black cardamom?

I live in Austin and eat at Nixta almost weekly. This is the best rice pudding I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to try making it myself. Wish you had more of their recipes. Best tacos in town and that’s a high bar.

Had no freeze-dried strawberries, but did have freeze-dried raspberry powder. Works great!

This looks amazing. Anybody have suggestions for a vegan version? Maybe it’s not possible to come close.

This looks good, but it’s far from sholeh zard. I see a few people asked about vegan/no egg options? Traditional sholeh zard doesn’t have any dairy or eggs. jasmine rice, salt, sugar, saffron, unsalted butter, cardamom, rose water, ground cinnamon and slivered almonds for topping. You can Google the recipe - so yummy and a more traditional texture (this one looks soupy).

I think the description freely admits it's a "take on sholeh zard" that borrows some Mexican influence and replaces the traditional ingredients with others. I'm sure both versions are delicious.

If I use rosewater instead of the strawberries, how much should I use?

Black cardamom is very different from green cardamom. Alton Brown describes the flavor as “Like somebody put a menthol cigarette out in a cup of dark, sweet coffee into which one drop of pine resin had fallen, and some dirt...only in a good way.” That said, subbing in green cardamom would likely be good. Just different.

Wow this was great! Due to my location and pandemic-related supply shortages, I could not find the black cardamom or the strawberry powder so that got left out. But incredibly I found fresh turmeric root, so I trimmed a knob of it and let it infuse along with the cinnamon stick. Like another, I had raspberry powder on hand, which worked wonderfully. I prepared layers of the rice pudding, raspberry powder, and chopped pistachios in a tall slender glass and it looked so lovely.

FYI, butter is a dairy product

This sounds delicious. The instructions don't indicate when the cinnamon stick and black cardamom pod are removed. Before the rice is added to the milk or does it all cook together and only removed before serving? I guess if the pod doesn't open up and release the seeds when cooking, it could be either.

Quite delicious, but: It doesn’t matter in how many cups of water you cook the rice. Use different/any pot for the rice while you start Step 2 in Dutch oven. No reason to use the same pot for two steps and make the whole procedure lengthier. Use more milk, more heavy cream and more sugar! Black cardamon? No, just cardamom. Even ground one is delicious. Strawberries powder: not great. I’ll use only cinnamon next time. Much tastier after refrigeration. Rice pudding ought to be eaten cold.

Hello, First of all, this looks delicious. Second, Arroz con Leche is not exclusively Mexican, I'm Venezuelan and I grew up eating it too and it is because it is a Hispanic recipe, and the original recipe is from Spain and France, it arrived to The Americas during the Colony.

Many rice puddings are made without the addition of eggs, egg yolks, or cornstarch. If the liquid is cooked down enough, and 45 minutes should certainly accomplish that, then I think you can leave out the egg yolks. They are probably mainly for richness and not a thickener.

I’m persian and for those asking yes you can use tapioca or barley or regular basmati (that’s been soaked). No eggs, the sugar and starch will set the pudding. You can use black or green cardamom. Every family makes Sholeh Zaard differently but the base concept is the same. And yes I get this is a riff. Always slivered almonds and pistachio dust on top with some cinnamon (light dusting).