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Aşure
Aşure: Noah's pudding of wheat, beans, dried fruit and nuts, shared with neighbours
In the month of Muharram, kitchens all over Anatolia, especially in conservative Konya and Sivas, boil great pots of aşure and send bowls to every neighbour, regardless of faith, so the sweet is as much about sharing as eating. Legend says it was cooked on Noah's ark from the last of the stores, which is why it combines whole wheat, chickpeas, white beans, dried apricots, figs and raisins in a thick, gently sweet pudding. It's topped with walnuts, pomegranate and cinnamon. Common mistake: adding sugar before the wheat is fully tender; sugar firms the grains and they never soften. Chef's tip: soak the wheat and pulses overnight and cook the wheat in its soaking water for the creamiest result.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
To decorate
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz whole wheat berries (aşurelik buğday) and put it in a large heavy pot with 12 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently, half covered, for 1½ hours, stirring now and then, until the grains have burst and the liquid is starchy.
90 minStep 2: Add 7 oz cooked chickpeas, 7 oz cooked white beans, 3 ½ oz dried apricots, 3 ½ oz dried figs and 2 ⅞ oz raisins and simmer 15 minutes, stirring more often as it thickens.
15 minStep 3: Only now stir in 14 oz sugar and 1 tbsp orange zest. Simmer 10–15 minutes more, stirring constantly from the bottom, until it coats the back of a spoon thickly; it sets more as it cools.
15 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp rosewater, ladle into bowls and leave to cool, then chill.
Step 5: Top each bowl with 2 ⅞ oz walnuts, 3 ½ oz pomegranate seeds and a pinch of 1 tsp ground cinnamon before serving. It keeps 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aşure take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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