A Bowl of Sholeh Zard for My Valentine

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A Bowl of Sholeh Zard for My Valentine
by Faramarz
17-Feb-2010
 

When I left my friend’s house last week, her mom insisted that I take a plate of Sholeh Zard (Persian rice pudding) home with me. Her mom is a great cook and I always look forward to going to their house for dinner. And at the end of the night, when I am ready to leave, her mom always insists that I take some food home. I love her mom’s Persian cooking, and she appreciates the fact that I promptly return her Pyrex dish and the plastic food containers. That keeps me in good relationship with her!

Last week on the occasion of Arba’een, the fortieth day after Ashura, she made a big pot of Sholeh Zard. In Iran it is customary to make a lot of Sholeh Zard and distribute it to the neighbors and the relatives to commemorate the 40th day after the death of the third Emam in Karbala. It is also customary for the young women to help stir the big pot of rice and make wishes (Nazr). They say that the longer one stirs the pot, the better are the chances of getting your wish! I think that it is a trick by the chef to keep the young women busy in the kitchen!

I looked at the plate of Sholeh Zard in my refrigerator for a couple days and then came up with a brilliant idea! “Why don’t I give it to my date as a Valentine present?” It is sweet, like chocolate. It is a dessert. It is exotic and it has flower decorations. I could do no wrong, I thought!

Over the years, I have given my dates, or the women that I had affection for, long stem red roses, fancy chocolate, Swedish Princess Cake with pink frosting and other things for Valentine. And it is all because of my first girlfriend in college. She drilled the Valentine concept into my head. “Women in this country expect men to give them flowers, chocolate and other things on Valentine’s Day. If you like someone you should give them a present on Valentine’s Day, and heaven forbid if you forget!”

Growing up in Iran, I never realized how serious Valentine was until a few years later when I gave my date a plastic, decorative plant with red flowers. It looked real to me and the florist didn’t say anything. But, my date was really mad at me! I tried to explain to her that being a math major, I was not good at botany at high school. But, she never talked to me again!

On the way to my date’s house on Sunday, I convinced myself that the Sholeh Zard is going to be a winner. She opened the door and looked surprised as she examined the plate of Sholeh Zard and the decorations. She politely thanked me and then asked if it was a Persian custom to give out Sheleh Zard on the Valentine’s Day. I told her the complete story of Emam Hosain, Karbala, Ashura, Arba’een, stirring the pot and making wishes. She did not seem too impressed! Maybe she was expecting a more romantic story about a Persian princess or something out of Shahrzad and the 1001 Nights. But I could not lie. That was the story of Sholeh Zard from Iran.

It’s been a couple of days and she has not called to thank me for the Sholeh Zard and the fancy dinner. I think that I will call her today. I need to get the Pyrex back!

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more from Faramarz
 
MM

PS, pour into disposable cups/bowls for ease

by MM on

this way, you can take the food to work or give it out to freinds/family without worrying about cleanup or the recovery of dishes.


Latina

fine then.........

by Latina on

I will eat it out of the can. If I like it then I will make it. Now to find a store that sells it. mmmmmmm I think I know which store might sell it.

You actually liked canned beans. How interesting. I will stick to making my own beans.

Thanks for your advice........


Anonymouse

Natalie what part of shole zard being complicated dont you get?!

by Anonymouse on

They don't serve sholeh zard because it is kinda ethnic and also some religious stuff attached to it.  You either like it or don't.  Faramarz thought his date would like it and if I were you I'd take his date's response as an honest response!

So take my advice and use a can and see if you like it. Take it out of the can into a cereal bowl and chill it in frig for couple of hours.  If you like it then try the recipe.  It can be hard to make and some end up with a soup instead of the real thing which is well like rice pudding.  BTW the can is not cheap like $4 or $5.  I always use beans in cans and use the real ones every once in a while. 

Everything is sacred.


MM

Anahid, you r welcome - Anonymouse, follow recipe, be OK

by MM on

.


Latina

Aye! but out of a can

by Latina on

I would prefer to have some at a restaurant instead. There are several excellent Persian restaurants in my area.

Let me see:

This one doesn't serve it cafecaspian.com

This one doesn't have it either garsonhouston.com

Kasra Persian Grill does not have their desserts listed in their Menu

Now Julio likes the Bijan because of the hookah but I don't see the rice pudding on the menu www.restaurantpartycatering.com

There is also the Saffron Persian Cafe. They have a new owner and chef. I could not find their web site to check.

I can not believe it. Why don't they have this dessert listed?


Anonymouse

Natalie at least get the can to compare your "soup" w/ it!

by Anonymouse on

Some of the best chefs have fumbled sholeh zard. It's like boiling chicken broth, add tortilla strips and call it tortilla soup! NOT! 

Everything is sacred.


Anahid Hojjati

Dear MM, thanks for recipes. Khameh in Sheer Berenj, new to me

by Anahid Hojjati on

 

Thanks MM for recipes.  When I was very young and in Abadan, I used to like Sheer Berenj but I don't remember khame in it. It should be interesting to make it and see how it will be with khame.


MM

Anahid - recipes for sholeh-zard, fereni and shir-berenj

by MM on

 

with compliments of my sister, LM- bon appetit

 شله زرد

برنج ۱ کیلو                شکر ۲ تا ۲/۵ کیلو            روغن ۱۰۰ گرم  زعفران سابیده  ۱/۵ مثقال    گلاب  ۱ پیمانه           خلال بادام  ۱۵۰ گرم         خلال پسته برای دکور  ۵۰ گرم   دارچین برای دکور  ۲ تا ۳ قاشق چایخوری برنج را پیمانه میکنیم ، ۶ تا ۷ برابر ان آب در نظر میگیریم . مقدار آب بستگی به  جنس برنج دارد چون بعضی برنجها به آب کمتر یا بیشتری احتیاج دارند . چندین بر برنج را خوب با آب میشیم تا آب برنج زلال شود. ۶ تا ۷ برابر آب ریخته و روی آتش میگذریم تا جوش بیاید و گاهی کف برنج را میگیریم . وقتی مغز  برنج کاملا نرم شد ، شکر را داخل برنج ریخته ، مراتب هم میزنیم تا شله زرد جا بیفتد ، در صورتیکه شله زرد سفت شده بود ، یکی دو پیمانه آب گرم اضافه میکنیم . زعفران را در آب جوش حل کرده و داخل شله زرد میریزیم. روغن را داغ و صاف میکنیم و به شله زرد اضافه میکنیم . کمی از بادام را کنار گذشته و بقیه را داخل شله زرد میریزیم و گلاب را نیز اضافه میکنیم . وقتی همه مواد خوب قاطی شدند زیر اجاق را خاموش و شله زرد را به ظرف ها منتقل و پس از کمی سرد شدن شله زرد رویه ان را با پسته و بادام تزیین میکنیم

 

.پیشنهاد من : من به جای روغن از کره به اندازه ۳۰ تا ۵۰ گرم استفاده میکنم.                

برای اینکه ببینی شله زرد آماده شده به اندازه ۲ قاشق را در ظرف کوچکی بریز ، اگر سرد شد حالت سفت داشت ، بقیه را برای سرو کردن توی ظروف بکش 
----------------------------

 

 شیر برنج

برنج ۱ پیمانه یا ۲۰۰ گرم                شیر ۲ لیتر یا ۸ لیوان              گلاب نصفه پیمانه   میتوان برای خوشمزه شدن شیر برنج ۱۵۰ گرم خامه مصرف کرد برنج را خوب میشویم . ممکن است که برنج را ۲ ساعت قابل خیس کرد تا زودتر بپزد . بعد آب برنج را خالی میکنیم و با ۲ لیوان آب میگذریم بپزد و نرم شهر. بعد شیر را اضافه میکنیم و حرارت را ملایم کرده تا شیر برنج آهسته  بجوشد ، کاملم پخته و غلیظ شهر. گلاب را اضافه  میکنیم  و بعد از ۲ هت ۳ جوش در صورت مصرف خامه آنرا در شیر برنج میریزیم و بلافاصله از روی آتش برمیداریم و در ظرف نقره یا دیس میکشیم ، با شکر یا شیره یا  مرباجات  مصرف میکنیم .

 

راستی من یادم رفت که من همیشه برای شعله زرد برنج را شبه قبل شسته ، خیس میکنم (آب باید روی برنج را پوشانده و کامی از سطح برنج بیشتر باشد

  
------------------------

 

طرز تهیه فرنی

شیر نیم لیتر                    ارده برنج ۵۰ گرم        شکر ۱۰۰ گرم   گلاب  یک تا دو قاشق سوپخوری

ارد برنج را در شیر حل میکنیم و شکر و گلاب را اضافه میکنیم ، مایه را در ظرف لعابی یا پیرکس میریزیم  و روی حرارت ملایم قرار میدهیم و مرتب هم میزنیم تا جوش آمده  تا کمی غلیظ شود بعد در ظرف میکشیم و وقتی سرد شد صرف مینماییم  


Latina

Merci beaucoup.....Souri

by Latina on

:o)


Anahid Hojjati

Dear Faramarz, your story cheered me up on this gloomy morning.

by Anahid Hojjati on

 

Dear Faramarz, your story was hilarious and then the commentators have come up with some very funny comments on this thread.  I am  glad to have read your story.  It cheered me up on this gloomy Sunday morning.

Dear MM: Please let us have the three recipes that you mentioned. I am interested.


Souri

Dear Latina

by Souri on

Personally, I always use the "round rice" for the pudding.

but in the first link they suggest Basmati rice! So, yes, you can do it as well .

Good luck


Latina

Souri

by Latina on

Thank you for the recipe. Can I  use Basmati rice for the recipe?


Latina

Rumble............

by Latina on

Let's get ready to RUMBLE.... //www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAIAET2e2y8

Raton doesn't have a prayer.........LOL

I will have to go hunting for the ingredients but I am up to the challenge.


Faramarz

A Sholeh Zard Throwdown

by Faramarz on

This looks like a challenge to me; Natalia "The Accomplished Ghormeh Sabzi Chef" vs. Anonymouse "The Legendary Food Critic!"

Let's get Bobby Flay of the Food Network and have a Sholeh Zard Throwdown!


Souri

Shole-E Zard (Rice Pudding)

by Souri on

//www.bigoven.com/52962-Sharifeh-Saees-Shole-E-Zard-(Rice-Pudding)-recipe.html

 

//www.grouprecipes.com/40383/sholeh-zard.html


Anonymouse

Natalie sholeh zard is complicated, can is good enough for now!

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Latina

Yuck!

by Latina on

I don't want it out of a can. It is like telling me to buy beans out of a can. Pleassssssssse. LOL

I don't like canned food. Why don't you give me a recipe instead?


Anonymouse

Natalie you can buy sholeh zard in a can at an Iranian store.

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Latina

How funny...........

by Latina on

You are hilarious!

You actually thought a plastic plant was real.

 The plant must have been very nice then. Actually, some of the very good fake plants and flowers are even more expensive than the real stuff........last way longer too.

Yes, Valentine's Day is a do or die thing for men in this country. Also, forgetting a woman's birthday or any type of anniversary (first kiss, first date, etc.)

Sholeh Zard.......I must find this dish in my area and have some.

Thank you for sharing such a delightful story. Sorry, it came at such a high price to you.

Hey! Like I always say "You live and you learn."  Wishing things go better for you.

 

PS: By the way some of us so called "Western women" not only appreciate Ghormeh Sabzi. We actually cook it. So there Mr. let's over generalize. :o)


default

Present for a female loved one

by Gavazn on

an ironing board or a hoover.


Faramarz

درست ِ شون ميكنيم

Faramarz


 

 

We will teach these western women how to appreciate Ghormeh Sabzi, Ghameh Zani and Sholeh Zard, one way or another

^  ^
0  0
ب     


persian westender

Very funny

by persian westender on


I guess your Sundaynight was pretty much like “Shaame Ghariban”. Thanks god you didn’t mention ‘ghameh zani’, ‘zanjir zani’, etc.. to your mate :-)

 

 


divaneh

Such creativity

by divaneh on

Dear Faramarz, thanks for the hilarious writing. I could not stop laughing for a while after I finished reading your story.

I tried to explain to her that being a math major, I was not good at botany at high school.

Have we not all miserably tried those types of lines? Your Sholeh Zard endevour reminded me of a friend of mine who invited a British girl to his flat for dinner and ignoring our suggestions for a light meal and wine, decided to cook Ghormeh Sabzi with Polo, and complement it with a 2 litre bottle of Coke (As she was introduced by a family friend, he did not want them to know that he drank whilst at the same time he was planning for all night sex with her). She got bloated and left, not to ever look back again. 


Faramarz

Funny, J.J.

by Faramarz on

What can I say JJ?

I am a hopeless romantic, deeply rooted in our traditions!


Jahanshah Javid

Karbala is a killer

by Jahanshah Javid on

Faramarz... Faramarz... Faramarz... how could you bring up Karbala on Valentine's Day? She must have seen red and it wasn't from roses! More like blood :)))

Great story.


Anonymouse

BTW you re-gifted the sholeh zard so your offense is twice bad!

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Faramarz

Sholeh Zard

by Faramarz on

Thanks for your comments dear friends.

They say, "you can take the man out of Iran, but you can never take Iran out of the man!"

This year, with Valentine, Chinese Year of the Tiger, and Arba'een happening at the same time, I was full of ideas. But I guess this one didn't quite work as planned. 


Souri

LOL, Faramarz

by Souri on

As always, you brought tears to my eyes so much I laughed! Where do you get these funny ideas. All your satires are wonderful. I loved that part, I laughed loud :

"She politely thanked me and then asked if it was a Persian custom to
give out Sheleh Zard on the Valentine’s Day. I told her the complete
story of Emam Hosain, Karbala, Ashura, Arba’een, stirring the pot and
making wishes. She did mot seem too impressed! Maybe she was expecting
a more romantic story about a Persian princess or something out of
Shahrzad and the 1001 Nights
"

More power to you.


MM

interested in recipes for sholehzard, fereni & shirberenj?

by MM on

I can post the recipes for all three sholehzard, fereni & shirberenj, if I see interest in IC readership.  They are all in the same family if rice pudding, delicious and very easy to prepare.


PERS66

Dear Faramarz,

by PERS66 on

Dear Faramarz,

Giving sholeh zard for V day is an original idea, but assuming your date was a not Persian it may have been a bit out of context “to ethnic”

 I have learned to keep things sweet and simple when dating American women, the traditional box of chocolate and roses may have done the trick.

When it comes to the ladies you can never go wrong with chocolate ;)