Name: Noah’s Dessert (Aşure)
Yield: Serves 10 or more
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 8 oz/225 g barley, soaked for 24 hours in 4 pints of water; 4 oz/120 g dried apricots, halved, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained; 2 oz/60 g haricot beans, soaked for 8 hours, cooked and drained; 2 oz/60 g short-grain rice, washed and drained; 2 oz/60 g lima beans, soaked for 8 hours, cooked and drained; 4 oz/120 g sultanas or raisins, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained; 1 tablespoon pine nuts; 1 tablespoon currants; 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional); 2 oz/60 g dried apricots, sliced; 2 oz/60 g chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours, cooked and drained; 2 oz/60 g currants, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained; 2 oz/60 g walnuts, sliced; 1 lb/450 g sugar; 2 oz/60 g dried figs, sliced; 2 tablespoons cornflour, slaked with a little milk; 4 fl oz/125 ml rose-water

Preparation info

Serves
10
or more

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Classic Turkish Cooking

By Ghillie Basan

Published 1995

About

It is said that when the Flood subsided, Noah created aşure by using up all the stores of grains and dried fruit in the Ark. Following tradition, it is always made in vast quantities and distributed to neighbours, friends and relatives. In parts of Anatolia aşure is made with bulgur or döğme, a recycled wheat flour made from soaked grains that have been pounded and dried, and barley is used in Istanbul. To make beyaz aşure, a wh