Aşure Noah's Pudding / Ashure(Featured Chef Christa Eker)
A rich, comforting porridge-like desert full of a variety of beans and pulses with tonnes of mahlep, cinnamon and cloves and a zesty kick brought together in (an optional) saffron-infused milk.
Prep
Cook
| Category: | Beans & Peas Desserts, Drinks & Sweet Treats Store-cupboard Cooking |
| Seasons | All |
| Cuisine Type | Turkish |
Ingredients
Ashure Dessert
| 1 Cup Peeled Wheat 'Aşurelik buğday' |
| 1/2 Cup Dried Chickpeas |
| 1/3 Cup Dried White beans |
| 1/4 Cup Dried fava beans |
| 1/4 Cup Broken rice 'Kirik pirinç' / Baldo |
| Peel of 1/2 lemon, white pith removed |
| 2 Teaspoons Ground Mahlep (Optional) |
| 3 Whole Cloves |
| 1 Cinnamon Stick |
| 1 Cups Sugar |
| 1 Cup Chopped Dried Apricots |
| 1 Cup Golden / Light Sultanas |
| 1/4 Cup Whole hazlenuts |
| 1/4 Cup Blanched Almonds |
| 1 Cup Milk |
| Saffron strands |
Optional For Garnish / Serving
| 1 Cup Dried figs |
| Handful of mixed nuts, chopped |
| Sesame seeds |
| Pomegranate seeds |
| Seasonal fresh fruit |
| Ground Cinnamon |
| Ground Nutmeg |
| Drizzle of Honey |
Aşure Noah's Pudding / Ashure Directions
- One night before cooking wash and then place the beans & grains in separate bowls and soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place in a medium saucepan with enough fresh water to cover and then place on the lid but use a wooden spoon or lid holder to enable it to stay slightly open.
- With the saucepan on the medium ring, bring the water to boil before reducing to simmer for around 50 minutes removing any foam that arises when cooking.
- Drain and rinse the white beans and place in a medium-sized saucepan with fresh water, cover leaving the lid to this saucepan also ajar and bring to the boil before reducing to simmer for around 1 hour.
- Remove any foam that arises when cooking.
- Once cooked, drain both saucepans and place to beans and chickpeas the side for later.
- Place the wheat into a large saucepan with around three times the volume of water.
- Add in the mahlep, cinnamon sticks and cloves and bring to the boil while stirring.
- Reduce to simmer and stirring at regular intervals cook for one hour.
- At any point, if the water level starts to get low top up again with hot water. It is likely to need at least more water once during the cooking time.
- After the 1 hour simmer add to the wheat the previously cooked chickpeas and beans and simmer for a further 30 -40 minutes.
- In a small saucepan or cezve heat, the milk and saffron threads (If using) heat to hot but do not boil.
- Remove from the heat and leave the saffron to steep in the milk for 30 minutes.
Wash the apricots and sultanas several times. - Add them into the saucepan along with the sugar, fava beans, rice and hazelnuts.
- Stirring frequently, continue to cook on simmer for a further 30 minutes.
- Using a small sieve drain the milk from the saffron threads into the pudding saucepan and continue to stir for around ten minutes.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Divide into serving bowls/portions
- Decorate with the garnishing ingredients.
Steps 2 and 4 can be done at the same time.
(For a lighter dessert drain and cook the wheat in new water)
(Whilst the wheat-beans-chickpeas are simmering)
Recipe notes
- What is Aşurelik buğday? - Translated as peeled or cracked wheat it the whole wheat kernel with the bran rubbed off it. If you can't find peeled wheat you can substitute pearl barley.
- If you don't have dried ingredient in or would like to speed up the making you can use tinned versions of the chickpeas and white beans but as you need to soak the wheat from the night before you may as well save those pennies.
- The chickpeas and beans can be cooked together in a large saucepan if you prefer but I believe the key to a great ashure dessert is to be able to get a bite of all the different pulses and to swap out the water for each of them.
- The volume of sugar can be increased/reduced or completely removed should you wish.
- The pudding thickens up as it cools so don't be concerned if it feels a littler watery when cooked, ıf it significantly thickens simply loosen it up with a little water before placing in the serving dishes.
- Alternative, ıf you Noah's pudding feels way too thin (Unusual) or you wish for a very thick pudding, when everything is cooked mix together a teaspoon of cornstarch with a little cold water in a glass and mix until all the lumps have gone. Add this to the ashure and stir over the heat for 5 to 10 minutes. This is unlikely.
- Dark fruits such as figs and raisins or sulphur-free apricots can cause the dessert to take on a dark murky colour to avoid this add them at the last moments or as a topping.
- Look out for dried fruits especially pre-cut ones that have been coated in rice flour 'Pirinç unu' , this can cause your Noah's Ark pudding to thicken too much. To prevent it pre-soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes are add more water to the pot.
- Citrus fruit rind offers a refreshing hit in the Asure dessert, I favour orange if I can get it but it's not always in season. Alternatively rose water is a very popular addition.
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