Aşure

Name: Aşure
Cook time: 200 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 400g Hulled Wheat, aşurelik buğday, rinsed and soaked overnight; 100g Dried Chickpeas, soaked overnight, then cooked until tender; 100g Dried White Beans, soaked overnight, then cooked until tender; 75g Short-Grain Rice, rinsed; 3.5 l Water, plus a little extra as needed; 700g Granulated Sugar; 150g Dried Apricot, diced; 150g Golden Raisins, sultanas; 150g Dried Fig, diced; 50g Currants; 1 medium Apple, peeled and small-diced; 1 Orange, peel (zest in wide strips); 6 Cloves, to infuse, then remove; 100g Walnuts, coarsely chopped; 80g Hazelnuts, toasted and chopped; 50g Pistachios, chopped; 2 tbsp Pine Nuts; 1 Pomegranate Seeds; 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Aşure is a fragrant, jewel-like Turkish pudding made from a comforting medley of grains, legumes, dried fruits and nuts. Sweet, textured and warmly spiced, it’s traditionally shared as a celebratory dish — each spoonful combines chewy wheat and rice with plump fruits, crunchy nuts and a hint of citrus and cinnamon.

Aşure is a fragrant, jewel-like Turkish pudding made from a comforting medley of grains, legumes, dried fruits and nuts. Sweet, te... Show more

Traditional Turkish Recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Time

3 hrs

Price

1,47 €

Calories

661 kcal

vegan

meal prep

low sodium

comfort food

potluck

holiday/special occasion

Method

Soak the grains

Rinse the hulled wheat, dried chickpeas, and dried white beans well under cool water, keeping each in a separate bowl. Cover each with plenty of fresh water by several inches, since they will all expand as they soak, and leave them to soak overnight.

Cook the legumes

Drain the soaked chickpeas and white beans, then put them into separate saucepans and cover each with fresh water. Bring both to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer, and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 45 to 60 minutes for the chickpeas and 30 to 45 minutes for the beans. Skim off any foam and add more hot water if the pots start looking dry, then drain and set both aside.

Toast the nuts

Set a dry skillet over medium heat and add the hazelnuts and pine nuts. Toast, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden; the pine nuts will usually be ready in 3 to 5 minutes, while the hazelnuts may take a little longer. Transfer them to a plate to cool so they do not keep darkening in the hot pan.

Prep fruit and garnish

Peel and small-dice the apple. Dice the dried apricots and dried figs into small, even pieces, and check the golden raisins and currants for any stems; if they seem dusty, give them a quick rinse and pat them dry. Use a peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange, avoiding as much white pith as you can, and measure out the cloves. Coarsely chop the walnuts, pistachios, and the cooled hazelnuts, then cut open the pomegranate and loosen the seeds into a bowl.

Cook the wheat

Drain the soaked wheat and transfer it to a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the fresh soaking water amount for the recipe, bring it to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook until the grains begin to open and soften, about 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the short-grain rice, the orange peel strips, and the cloves, then continue simmering until the rice is very soft and the broth looks slightly starchy, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing catches on the bottom.

Add fruit and sugar

Stir the cooked chickpeas and white beans into the pot along with the diced apricots, raisins, figs, currants, apple, and granulated sugar. Simmer gently until the dried fruit plumps up, the sugar fully dissolves, and the mixture becomes glossy and lightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often, and if it becomes thicker than a loose porridge, add a little hot water to loosen it. Fish out and discard the orange peel and cloves before serving.

Let it settle

Take the pot off the heat and let the aşure rest for 20 minutes. Give it a good stir and check the consistency; it should be creamy and spoonable, not stiff, because it will continue to thicken as it cools. Add another splash of hot water if you want it a bit looser.

Garnish and serve

Ladle the aşure into bowls, either warm or at room temperature. Finish each bowl with the chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and a light dusting of ground cinnamon. Serve right away, or chill it and enjoy it cold later.