Ashure (Turkish Noah's Pudding)
Ashure, also known as Noah's Pudding, is a unique Turkish dessert made with wheat berries, chickpeas, beans, dried fruits, nuts, and sugar. This hearty dessert is commonly made during Muharram and shared with loved ones.
Video
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g wheat berries see Note 1
- 100 g dried chickpeas or 220g cooked and drained chickpeas, see Note 2
- 75 g dried white beans or 175g cooked and drained beans, see Note 2
- 2.75 liters water
- 100 g raw almonds
- 75 g sultana raisins
- 30 g currants
- 150 g dried apricots diced
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 apples peeled (we use Granny Smith, but any variety works)
- 1 teaspoon zest of 1 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 50 g raw hazelnuts
- 500 g granulated sugar
For Garnish (Optional, see Note 3)
- Pomegranate seeds
- Ground or whole pistachios
- Blueberries or other berries
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the wheat berries, chickpeas, and beans in separate bowls. Cover each with cold water and soak overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse the wheat berries well under running water. Transfer them to a large pot. Add 2.75 liters water and bring to a boil.
- Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas and beans. Place them in separate pots and cover with water. Bring both to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. The chickpeas and beans take about 30–35 minutes. The wheat berries take about 50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the almonds in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then peel off the skins.
- Put the raisins, currants, and diced apricots into separate bowls. Cover with hot water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and set aside.
- When the chickpeas and beans are cooked, drain them and set aside.
- Dice one peeled apple and set aside.
- Push the cloves into the second peeled apple and set aside.
- When the wheat berries are tender, add the cooked chickpeas and beans to the pot. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the apple with the cloves to the pot along with the orange zest. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove and discard the apple.
- Add the diced apple, cinnamon stick, apricots, raisins, currants, almonds, and hazelnuts. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved.
- Check the consistency. The mixture should still look fairly loose and not too thick.
- Cook for another 10 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, then divide it among serving bowls.
- Let the bowls cool for 10–15 minutes. Garnish with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, berries, or any toppings you like.
- Once completely cooled, refrigerate for several hours before serving. You can also serve ashure warm if preferred.
NOTES
- Make sure to use whole wheat berries for this recipe. They are sold as wheat berries for ashure, aşurelik bugday. Cracked wheat or any type of bulgur won't work here. We usually buy it from Turkish grocery stores, but you can also find it at many Middle Eastern markets.
- Cooked canned chickpeas and beans can be used instead of dried ones. If using canned, skip the soaking and cooking steps for them.
- The garnishes are completely optional. We often use pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and blueberries, but you can use any nuts, dried fruits, coconut flakes, or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
- Ashure keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
NUTRITION
Calories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.002gSodium: 15mgPotassium: 439mgFiber: 8gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 387IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ADDITIONAL INFO
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