Traditional Turkish Recipes

Noah's Dessert Holiday Recipe, Asure or Ashura Traditional Turkish Food Recipe for a Special Dinner Serve this Turkish recipe to large gatherings of family and friends during Special Dinner. Start a new tradition with ethnic gourmet desserts. Asure (also known as ashura, ashure, Noah's Dessert, or Noah's Pudding) is a regular Special tradition in most of the households. The porridge-like consistency and beautiful presentation of this mildly sweet fruit dessert consistently pleases. Tradition holds that asure is the meal Noah made from all the stored fruits and grains on the Ark after the Great Flood subsided. The multitude of ingredients symbolize gratitude and sharing of life’s bounty. Cook Noah’s Pudding dessert in large quantities and enjoy with loved ones, neighbors, and acquaintances this holiday season. Noah’s Pudding Dessert Recipe Don’t be deterred by the abundance of ingredients. The dish is simple to make with a bit of advanced planning. Asure is traditionally made with walnuts and barley in Istanbul; cooks in eastern Anatolia including Adana often use bulgur and pistachios. Asure Ingredients Beans and Grains  8 oz Coarse wheat bulgur (substitute barley for Istanbul version)  2 oz Dried cranberry beans, also called saluggia, barlotti, shell, or Roman beans (substitute Great Northern beans)  2 oz Dried Special lima bean; substitute regular lima beans  2 oz Dried chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans (substitute canned version)  2 oz Western Family Blue Rose rice or other preferably short-grain variety Fruits  4 oz Dried, chopped unsulfured apricots  4 oz Large golden raisins (substitute standard raisins for all or half)  2 oz Currants  2 oz Dried, chopped cherries (optional) Other Ingredients

 1 lb Sugar  2 tbsp Corn flour (substitute rice flour) to thicken  4 oz Rose water (optional) For Ashura Garnish  2 oz Diced dried figs  2 oz Chopped walnuts (substitute pistachios)  1 Tb Pine nuts  1 Tb Currants  1 Tb Pomegranate seeds (optional) Method 1. Combine all dried beans, bulgur (or barley), and chickpeas. 2. Cover with water in large saucepan with room for water at least 1/3 volume above beans. 3. In the morning, add rice and bring to a boil over medium heat adding additional water when necessary. Substitute milk for creamier version. 4. Simmer ten to fifteen minutes. 5. While heating beans, rice, and bulgur mixture: soak apricots, raisins, and currants in water in hot water for five minutes and then drain. 6. Add soaked fruits to cooking porridge and cook another ten minutes or until fruit and beans soften (add chickpeas now if using canned variety). 7. Slowly add sugar while stirring. 8. Add a few teaspoons of warm water to cornmeal, stir to dissolve, and then add to asure. 9. Bring to slow boil and then remove from heat. 10. Stir in rose water and garnish. 11. Serve warm or chilled. Add Noah’s Dessert to Your Favorite Special Food Recipes While the ingredients of Noah’s Pudding sound a bit unusual, don’t hesitate to try this delicious holiday recipe. One wonderful aspect of asure is a forgiving flexibility when substituting ingredients. If you have a different dried fruit or mild bean in your cupboard, add it to the mix of grains, fruits, and legumes. Toss in dried cranberries, hazelnuts, or pecans, or your favorite addition from the bulk section of the grocery store in the spirit of Noah’s first meal off the Ark.

Classic White Beans Ingredients: 1 pound dried white beans 1 onion, peeled and quartered 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 carrots, cut into thirds and then halved lengthwise 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds and then halved lengthwise 2 bay leaves 1 ham bone 1/8 teaspoon thyme 1/8 teaspoon savory 2 (14.5 ounce) cans to 1 quart low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth water to cover 1. Rinse the beans in a colander in the sink. Pick out any gravel or other debris. 2a. Nonsoaking method: After rinsing the beans, place them in a large pot. Continue with Step 3. 2b. Soaking method: Place the beans in a large pot. Fill the pot with water to cover by at least 4 inches. Soak the beans overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans in a colander in the sink. Return the beans to the pot. Continue with Step 3. 3. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, pork, thyme, savory and broth to the pot. 4. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. 5. Slowly bring the beans to a boil. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer the beans slowly. Check the beans about 5 minutes after you reduce the heat—they should maintain a constant simmer without boiling. 6. Check the beans as they cook to make sure that they remain covered with liquid. If the liquid level goes below the beans, add more water. 7. Cook the beans until they're tender, but not mushy. Most soaked beans take 1 to 2 hours to cook. Unsoaked beans take longer, from 2 to 3 hours. Test the beans for doneness periodically to prevent overcooking. They should not be crunchy, but they should have some body. The actual cooking time depends on the variety of bean used, the age of the bean (older beans take longer to cook), and whether they were soaked. 8. Serve the beans plain, with some of the flavorful broth or "bean liquor," or adapt them to a favorite recipe.

Traditional Turkish Recipes

by Tiina Sarisalmi on Nov 20, 2010

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