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Ash-e kashk
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Ash-e kashk

Wheat, bean and herb soup

Ash-e kashk is the winter ash of Khorasan and the central plateau, simmered in big pots in Mashhad and Neyshabur homes and served from the pot for long Friday lunches. Cracked wheat, chickpeas, beans and lentils cook down with a mountain of herbs until creamy and thick, then each bowl gets a swirl of kashk, crisp fried onion and sizzling mint oil. Kashk is fermented dried whey, made without rennet, so it is vegetarian. A common mistake is adding the herbs too early, which turns them grey and muddy; stir them in for the last 30 minutes only. Chef's tip: stir the kashk in a little hot broth before swirling, so it blends smoothly rather than splitting.

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