Aşure, Turkish Noah's Pudding
Aşure is often called the oldest dessert still eaten, tied to the story of Noah emptying the last of the ship's stores, whatever grains and beans and dried fruit remained, into one final pot. Turkish families still make it by the vat during the month of Muharrem and carry bowls to the neighbors. It is a genuine whole-food sweet: barley, chickpeas, and white beans simmered until creamy, then sweetened entirely by apricots, figs, raisins, and dates rather than sugar. The starch from the grain thickens it, no dairy or flour required. Make it a day ahead, serve it cold, and crown each bowl with walnuts and pomegranate at the last minute.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Hulled barley, soaked overnight, drained
- 3/4 cup Chickpeas, cooked, or one 15 oz can, no-salt-added, drained
- 1/2 cup Navy beans, cooked, or from a can, no-salt-added, drained
- 1/2 cup Dried apricots, chopped
- 1/2 cup Dried figs, stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup Raisins
- 4 wholes Medjool dates, pitted and blended with 0.5 cup water into a paste
- 1 whole Oranges, zested, then juiced
- 1 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped, to garnish
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate, seeds, to garnish
Method
- Simmer the soaked barley in 6 cups (1.4 liters) water until very tender and the water has turned starchy and cloudy, about 45 minutes. That released starch is what thickens aşure into a pudding, so do not drain it.
- Add the chickpeas, navy beans, apricots, figs, raisins, and cinnamon and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring often as it thickens. Cooking the dried fruit into the pot lets it swell and give up its sugar, which is the only sweetness the pudding gets besides the dates.
- Stir in the date paste and the orange juice and zest and cook 5 minutes more. Taste and add a splash of water if it has gone stiffer than a loose porridge; it firms further as it cools.
- Spoon into small bowls or a wide dish and cool to room temperature, then chill. Aşure is traditionally served cold, and resting overnight lets the flavors settle and the pudding set to a spoonable thickness.
- Just before serving, cover the top with the toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds. The crunch and the tart seeds are the classic contrast to the soft, sweet base.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 240 calories, 6 g protein, 8 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
