Noah's Pudding

Aşure

 

Every year as the weather starts to cool, Turkish housewives start to buy up their dried fruit and nuts for this dessert’s big night of the year: The night of Asure. Celebrated around the end of October, families will make generous quantities of this dessert and hand out portions to their neighbours and friends. The pudding comes with an interesting legend. It is said that when Noah and his family first left the ark after the flood, they wanted to make a special food to celebrate God’s faithfulness to them. But no living plants were growing yet. So, they gathered together all the leftover grains, legumes, dried fruit and nuts and made this pudding. Nowadays in Turkey, giving and receiving the pudding on that night is a symbol of friendship. But because it is so delicious, Noah’s pudding is also loved enjoyed  year-round for its own sake.

 

For the garnish, I’ve suggested sliced dried figs and pomegranate, but you can be creative and use other dried fruit and nuts to decorate. Just make sure you keep the pomegranate. The tart flavour and crunch of the pomegranate seeds contrasting with the soft sweetness of the pudding is what makes this desert special.

 

Note: this recipe involves prep the night before

 

1 cup pearl barley

½ cup chickpeas

½ cup dried white beans

½ tomato

5 cups water

6 dried figs, cut into small dice

12 dried apricots, cut into small dice

½ cup golden sultanas

¼ cup currants

½  cup hazelnuts

peel of ½ an orange, cut into thin strips, then cut into small dice

½  cup flour

1 cup cold water, extra

2 teaspoons rosewater

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

 

To Garnish:

seeds of 1 pomegranate

8-10 dried figs, sliced

 

the night before:

Soak the chickpeas, beans, pearl barley in water in separate containers. Put all the dried fruit in a large bowl (not including the orange peel), cover with water and leave to soak.

 

the next day:

Place chickpeas and beans in one saucepan, and bring to the boil. Place the pearl barely in a very  large pot, add 5 cups of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil both pots about 40 minutes. Toss half a tomato in with the beans and chickpeas to help soften the skins.

 

When the beans and chickpeas are soft, drain and dispose of the tomato. Add the legume mix to the simmering pot of barley, adding a more water if the mixture looks a little dry. Boil together for another 10 minutes, then add the pre-soaked dried fruit with its water, hazelnuts, and the fresh orange peel. Stir well.

 

Combine the flour with the 1 cup of water, stirring well until smooth. Add the cornflour mixture,  rosewater, sugar and salt to the pot, and stirring well, bring the mixture back to the boil.

 

Simmer 10 minutes more, then spoon into prepared containers. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and sliced figs. Serve warm or cold.

 

Makes around 14 servings, depending on serving container size

 

 

*Rosewater is typically only sold in Turkish supermarkets at Asure-making time, the end of October/beginning of November. If you want to buy rosewater at other times in Turkey, purchase from a spice shop (baharatçi).