Sweet Endings

Ashure (Noah’s Pudding)

From our 25^th Anniversary Issue, here’s a recipe of ‘the world's oldest dessert’, originating from Turkey. Ashure is a celebratory dish, going back to the time of the Great Flood

Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat berries

• 1/2 cup chickpeas

• 1 and 3/4 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup white beans

• 1/4 cup rice

• 1 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup dried fig & dried apricot, diced

• 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest

Garnish

• 1 tsp cinnamon powder

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

• 6 fresh figs

• 1 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Method

Soak wheat berries, beans, chickpeas and raisins in separate bowls overnight (at least 8 hours before cooking).

Drain wheat and put it in a pot, fill it with water (about 6 cups) and bring it to boil. Take out the foams with a sieve and let it simmer for 40 minutes or until very tender. Strain beans and chickpeas and cook them in another pot until tender.

Wash and drain rice. Add it in the simmering wheat. Cook it over medium low heat until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. When water in wheat and rice mixture is about to get thicker (like creamy soup), add sugar, chickpeas and beans. You might need to add extra (hot) water if too thick.

Slice orange zest in small pieces or just grate it and add into the pot.

Lastly, add in raisins, chopped apricots and dried figs into the mixture. Keep stirring. Cook it for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Pour it into small bowls, let them cool completely and chill.

Garnish with cinnamon powder, pomegranate seeds, fresh figs
and pepitas.

Note

You can sprinkle some crumbled walnut or almond on it before serving.

Recipe by Give Recipe