Dishes made with saffron
28 dishes from around the world that list saffron as a main ingredient.
Paella
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreRice cooked with meat, seafood or vegetables in a wide shallow pan from Valencia
Main dish, Lunch
JalebiVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 6 moreDeep-fried spirals of batter soaked in syrup, enjoyed across Asia and Africa
Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks
Zereshk poloMeatزرشکپلو
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 morePersian rice with tart barberries, often served with saffron chicken
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
ShrikhandVegetarian
🇮🇳 IndiaSweetened strained yogurt with cardamom and saffron, served chilled
Sweet or dessert
KahwahVegan
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA spiced green tea from Kashmir, often served with saffron and nuts
Drink
KhabeesVeganالخبيص
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 5 moreA sweet breakfast dish of flour, oil, cardamom and saffron from the Gulf region
Sweet or dessert, Breakfast
Khoresh bademjanخورش بادمجان
🇮🇷 IranPersian stew of eggplant, tomato, lamb, and tart fruit, served with rice
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Kabab Bargکباب برگ
🇮🇷 IranPersian skewered meat marinated and grilled over open fire
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Gulab jamunVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDeep-fried milk dough balls soaked in rose-scented sugar syrup
Sweet or dessert
KheerVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreA sweet pudding of rice, milk and sugar, flavoured with cardamom and nuts
Sweet or dessert
BouillabaisseFish or seafood
🇫🇷 FranceA Marseille fish stew with local seafood, herbs, and saffron broth
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
UkhaFish or seafoodуха
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreClear Russian fish soup with root vegetables and herbs
Soup
Ras malaiVegetarian
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 moreSoft chhena discs soaked in sweet, creamy milk and flavoured with cardamom and saffron
Sweet or dessert
Kabuli pulaoMeatقابلی پلو
🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 5 moreAfghan rice pilaf with caramelized carrots, raisins, and meat
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
PitiMeat
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 3 moreMutton and chickpea stew slow-cooked in a sealed crock
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
FaloodehVeganفالوده
🇮🇷 IranIcy Persian dessert of starch noodles in sweet rose water syrup
Sweet or dessert, Lunch, Dinner
PedaVegetarian
🇮🇳 IndiaThick, sweet milk fudge balls flavoured with cardamom
Sweet or dessert, Snacks
SheermalVegetarianشیرمال
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreA sweet, saffron-scented flatbread made with milk and cardamom
Bread, Breakfast, Lunch
TaftanVegetarianتافتان
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreLeavened Iranian bread baked in a clay oven, sometimes scented with saffron
Bread
ImartiVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDeep-fried black gram batter shaped into spirals and soaked in scented sugar syrup
Sweet or dessert, Snacks
Tahchinتهچین
🇮🇷 IranIranian rice baked with yogurt, saffron, egg and meat in a golden crust
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pasta con le sardeFish or seafood
🇮🇹 ItalySicilian pasta with sardines, anchovies, wild fennel and breadcrumbs
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Kaju katliVegan
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian sweet made from ground cashews and sugar, cut into diamond shapes
Sweet or dessert
ZerdeVeganزرده
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreA golden rice pudding with saffron, rose water and dried fruit, served cold
Sweet or dessert
Kashk bademjanVegetarianکشک بادمجان
🇮🇷 IranEggplant and kashk dip from Iran, often served with bread
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Shirin poloVegetarian
🇮🇷 IranPersian rice pilaf with saffron, nuts, and dried fruits for festive occasions
Main dish, Dinner, Lunch
ZardaVegetarianزردہ
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSweet rice cooked with saffron, dried fruit and nuts, often served at celebrations
Sweet or dessert
KourdassMeat
🇲🇦 Morocco and 1 moreLamb offal sausage, salted, spiced, sun-dried and boiled for festivals and weddings
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Ukha: Pannet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sheermal: Pranaykuma12, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jalebi: Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kahwah: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Paella: Jebulon, CC0, source
- Gulab jamun: Cabeza2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kheer: stu spivack, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Khabees: Fabiorahamim, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bouillabaisse: Slastic, CC BY 3.0, source
- Khoresh bademjan: مانفی, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ras malai: Subhransuphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Piti: Tərxan Paşazadə, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kourdass: مصطفى ملو, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shrikhand: Secretlondon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kabab Barg: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Faloodeh: Rka11111, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Peda: Prashant Sahu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pasta con le sarde: Adriao, CC BY 3.0, source
- Imarti: TAPAS KUMAR HALDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kaju katli: Unknomics, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zerde: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kashk bademjan: Rka11111, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zarda: Miansari66, CC0, source
- Shirin polo: Yallayallaletsgo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source