Noah’s Pudding: Aşure For Sharing

Sharing is caring!

Noah’s Pudding, known as Aşure in Turkish, has undoubtedly secured a spot among my top dessert picks. Oddly enough, I used to turn my nose up at aşure until I hit the age of 23. Then, one day, a dear friend surprised me with a bowl of it at the office. Reluctantly, I took a bite and was astounded by the flavors. I mean, who’d have thought “beans in dessert”? But trust me, the taste is an absolute revelation.

Noah Pudding garnish

What is Asure Pudding About?

Aşure isn’t just a scrumptious treat; it’s a celebration of community. It’s a dish meant for sharing. Once it’s divvied up into petite bowls, it becomes an offering to neighbors and friends. In return, they contribute their own portions of aşure or other delectable goodies. It’s a delightful exchange that extends beyond just flavors.

Asure
Asure

What sets aşure apart and makes it truly remarkable? Well, it’s a tapestry woven with a multitude of significances. It’s tied to diverse narratives: a commemoration of God’s forgiveness for Adam’s transgressions, a connection to Christ’s resurrection from the ashes of death, a thread linking to Moses’ journey across the Red Sea, and a recognition of Noah’s discovery of land after the great flood. Each layer adds to its depth.

Annually in Turkey, during the month of Muharrem, aşure is prepared to honor sharing and usher prosperity into households. It’s not just a dessert; it’s a vessel for narratives, traditions, and the spirit of abundance.

Asure
Asure Pudding

Pulses and wheat barley in the Asure

The preparation begins by soaking the legumes and wheat barley separately the night before. When the new day dawns, you set them to boil individually once more. To expedite the process, canned chickpeas and beans can be employed. Yet, a vital step is not to overlook: rinsing them thoroughly, lest they impart an unintended saltiness to your pudding.

Grains
Soaked Chickpeas and Beans

Should you find yourself with a surplus of time and a touch of patience, consider peeling the chickpeas. It’s a task that might sound more daunting than it is. Simply apply gentle pressure, and you’ll discover the peel easily slips away. This could even be a fun task for the kids to help with, though a watchful eye might be needed to ensure they don’t consume all the chickpeas in the process! Opting not to peel them might result in the peels lingering in the pot, detracting from the final presentation.

Peeling Chickpeas
Peeling Chickpeas

Main Pot and Ingredients

Your primary attention should consistently be directed to the main pot. Maintain a watchful eye on the water level, ensuring there’s ample liquid, and intermittently give it a gentle stir to prevent any sticking at the base. While tending to the pot, also take the time to ready the figs, apricots, and raisins.

Traditionally, the recipes call for a significant quantity of sugar—1.5 kg, to be precise. However, I personally lean towards a more modest 300 grams. Tailor this component to your individual taste preferences, finding the sweetness that resonates best with you.

Dry fruits

Carefully slice the figs and apricots into slender julienne strips. Half of the raisins and apricots should be reserved for the main pot, while the remainder will be employed for garnishing purposes. A noteworthy tip: I opt to exclude figs from the main pot, as their presence tends to darken the overall hue of the aşure.

Sliced dry fruits
Sliced dry fruits

In Turkey, a multitude of approaches to crafting aşure exist. Personally, I favor the inclusion of an apple and an orange in my rendition. Incorporating the zest of an orange is a prevalent practice as well. You have a couple of options: either utilize the zest of the orange or, alternatively, slice the orange peel, taking care to omit the white segments. Boil the sliced peel in water for approximately 5 minutes, then drain and introduce the orange peel into the main pot of your creation.

As your aşure transforms into a delightful pudding consistency, turn off the heat and allow it to cool off. During this interval, focus on assembling the garnishes. On my end, I’ve assembled a tray brimming with delightful embellishments for each bowl of aşure. My personal inclination leans towards a lavish and plentiful garnish. Yet, you’re at liberty to opt for a more restrained approach if you wish. Above, you’ll find images showcasing diverse garnishing styles. Ultimately, the choice rests entirely with you.

The garnish holds a significance on par with the aşure pudding itself. This is where your creativity can flourish, incorporating a range of nutritious elements. Think along the lines of raisins, figs, apricots, walnuts, various nuts, sesame seeds, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes, pistachios, almond flakes, and similar wholesome ingredients. This array of choices allows you to infuse your creation with both flavor and visual appeal.

By the way, the tray holds special significance as a handmade gift from a cherished late friend of mine. I’m certain you’ll concur that it’s a genuine work of art she’s left behind, embodying both her memory and creativity.

And now, my bowls brim with aşure, ready to be shared with neighbors and savored by those in my household.

If you’re drawn to authentic Turkish dessert recipes, I’d be delighted to provide you with a list of a few more:

  1. Baklava: A flaky pastry layered with nuts and soaked in syrup.
  2. Künefe: A sweet treat made with shredded dough, cheese, and sugar syrup.
  3. Revani: A semolina cake soaked in simple syrup, often flavored with lemon.
  4. Sütlaç: Creamy rice pudding with a hint of vanilla and a caramelized top.
  5. Lokma: Deep-fried dough soaked in syrup, similar to doughnuts.
  6. Kadayıf: A dessert made from thin strands of dough soaked in syrup and layered with nuts.
  7. Güllaç: A delicate dessert consisting of layers of starch wafers soaked in milk and rose water.

Feel free to explore these delectable options for a taste of authentic Turkish sweets.

Noah’s Pudding / Asure

Asure is not just a delicious pudding but also a social event.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Turkish
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 20 servings
Calories 350kcal

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 2 cups wheat berries
  • 1 cup chick peas
  • 1 cup dry beans
  • 3 tablespoons rice
  • 1 apple
  • 1 orange
  • 200 millilitres milk optional
  • 1 tablespoon honey optional
  • 100 grams dry apricots
  • 400 grams sugar
  • 100 grams raisins
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 6 cloves

To garnish

  • 100 grams dry apricots
  • 100 grams dry figs
  • 1 pomogranate
  • 100 grams almond peeled
  • 100 grams walnuts coarsely chopped
  • 100 grams nuts coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon currants

Instructions

The night before

  • Rinse the wheat berries until the water running under the colander turns clear. Cover with exceeding water and set aside.
  • Each separately; the chickpeas and dry beans should be rinsed and then covered with water and set aside the night before.
  • Canned chickpeas and dry beans can be used, but these must be rinsed to get rid of their salty water before adding to the pudding.

On the day

  • Choose your biggest pot and put the wheat berries and the water it was in (if any left). Add hot water to cover. Start boiling. Once it boils reduce the heat to simmer.
  • Cook the beans in a separate pot/pressure cooker until they are edible. When cooked drain and set aside.
  • In a separate pot cook the chickpeas until they are soft. If foams appear on top of the water, skim these foams and discard them. When cooked drain the water. As an option peel the skins of the chickpeas by gently squeezing each one.
  • Add the beans and the chickpeas to the main pot with the wheat berries.
  • Rinse and add 3 tablespoons (50 grams) rice to the main pot.
  • The main pot should be your main focus. You can add warm water if necessary. You should occasionally stir, so the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pot and does the ingredients are well blended.
  • Take out the rind of an orange, peel the white part out and then cut to small pieces. Cook for 5 minutes in a separate saucepan, drain and add the orange peels to the main pot.
  • Peel the remaining orange. Cut to small cubes and add to the main pot. Make sure to discard the seeds first.
  • Peel an apple. Cut to small cubes, discard the seeds and add to the main pot.
  • Heat the milk if you choose to and add to the main pot.
  • Add a tablespoon of honey if you choose to add.
  • Add a pinch of salt, black pepper.
  • When main pot starts to look like a watery pudding add 350 grams of sugar and cook for another 20 minutes.
  • Cut 100 grams of dried apricots to small pieces and add to the main pot.
  • Add 1 stick of cinnamon to the pot, later discard before serving.
  • Rinse and add half 100 grams of raisins to the main pot.
  • In a small saucepan, put 6 cloves and add water to cover. Boil, drain and add the water of the cloves to the main pot. Discard the cloves.
  • Cook for 5 more minutes. Close the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Garnish

  • Put the Noah's pudding to small bowls once it cools slightly and garnish with all or some of the items listed under "garnish".
  • It is believed that the asure must have 40 ingredients. So it is actually up to you the way you garnish it. You can either keep it simple or you can use all that comes to your mind and that is available in your kitchen pantry.
  • Cut the dried apricots to small pieces.
  • Cut the figs to small pieces.

Notes

Share with neighbours and friends. 
Feel free about the garnish; you can add less or more of the listed garnish ingredients.
Keep a kettle with boiling water handy and add to the main pot as necessary. Make sure to mix occasionally and make sure the ingredients do not stick to the bottom. 
Once the asure is ready transfer to individual portion bowls immediately and once cools, transfer to the fridge. Keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days, but finishes quickly before 3-4 days for sure.

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