AI-generated image
Ash-e mash
Mung bean and herb soup
آش ماش (ash-e mash): thick mung bean, rice and herb soup with fried onion and mint oil
Ash-e mash is the soup Iranian mothers make when someone in the house has a cold, and in Tehran and the southern provinces it is sold from big pots on winter mornings. Mung beans and rice cook down with turmeric into a thick, earthy porridge, then a mountain of chopped herbs goes in and it is crowned with crisp fried onion and sizzling mint oil. Serve it in deep bowls with bread and lemon wedges. People often rush the beans, and the soup ends up thin with hard beans floating in it; they need to burst before the herbs go in. Chef's tip: stir from the bottom every few minutes once the rice is in, because ash catches quickly as it thickens.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 7 oz mung beansrinsed and soaked for 2 hours
- 2 ⅞ oz short-grain ricerinsed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 litres water
- 7 oz mixed parsley, coriander, dill and spring onionfinely chopped
- 5 ½ oz spinachchopped
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the toppings
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 ½ tbsp dried mint
- 1 lemon (optional)in wedges
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz mung beans and put them in a large pot with 2 litres water and 1 tsp ground turmeric. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer until the beans have burst and are soft.
40 minStep 2: Add 2 ⅞ oz short-grain rice and simmer, stirring from the bottom now and then, until the rice is very soft and the soup has thickened.
15 minStep 3: Stir in 7 oz mixed parsley, coriander, dill and spring onion, 5 ½ oz spinach, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer until the herbs are dark and the soup is thick enough to coat a spoon. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too stiff.
15 minStep 4: Meanwhile heat 4 tablespoons of 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 2 onions until deep golden and crisp. Lift out onto paper, then fry 3 cloves garlic in the same oil for 1 minute until pale gold and lift out.
15 minStep 5: Warm the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan, take it off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tbsp dried mint. It should sizzle and darken for a few seconds only, or it turns bitter.
1 minStep 6: Ladle the ash into bowls and top with the onion, garlic and mint oil. Serve with 1 lemon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ash-e mash take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Filipino
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Egyptian
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.
JapanesePerfect for:Winter warmers