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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
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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).
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