Asure
Traditional sweet cereal
legume pudding Noach's pudding

Turkish cuisine

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Ingredients	Measure	Amount
Dovme (wurled wheat) Rice Beans (dried) Chickpeas Water Apricots (dried) Figs (dried) Raisins (seedless) Orange peel (or rind) Sugar Orange Rose Water Walnuts Pistachio nuts Pomegranate seeds	1 cup 1 ½ tablespoon 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 10 cups (2 ½ qt) 10 medium size 5 medium size ½ cup 1 tablespoon 1 ½ cups 1 small size 1 ½ tablespoons ½ cup ¼ cup ½ small size	180 g 15 g 60 g 60 g 2 ½ Lt. 60 g 60 g 50 g 10 g 300 g 120 g 20 g 60 g 30 g 50 g

Instructions - 10 servings

Soak dovme and rice in 3 cups of water in large saucepan; beans in 1 cup of water in small saucepan; chickpeas in 1 cup of water in a small saucepan separately overnight.

Add 3 cups of water to cereals, 1 cup of water to each legume. Cook over low heat separately for 1-1 ½ hours or until chickpeas are very tender, stirring occasionally.

Asure

Remove scum while simmering. Combine cereals and legumes in large saucepan. Reduce heat. Cut presoaked apricots and figs into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes. Combine with raisins and chopped orange peel. Stir in simmering cereal-legume mixture. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Nutritive value
( Approx. per serving
note: recipe for 10 servings)

Item Measure

Energy
Protein
Fat
Carbohydrate
Calcium
Iron
Phosphorus
Zinc
Sodium
Vitamin A
Thiamin B1
Riboflavin B2
Niacin
Vitamin C
Cholesterol

634 cal
15.0 g
8.9 g
133.2 g
150 mg
5.53 mg
318 mg
3 mg
21 mg
1164 iu
0.50 mg
0.12 mg
3.35 mg
11 mg
0 mg

Add sugar mixing thoroughly. Stir gently until sugar is dissolved. Add orange segments cut into 1 cm ( ½ inch) cubes; stir. Simmer for 1-3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Blend in rose water. Put into individual desserts bowls or custard cups. Cool. Garnish with nuts and pomegranate seeds. Serve cold or chilled.

Notes

Dried black-eyed peas and broad beans may be added.
Currants can be substituted or both can be used together.
Molasses is used instead of sugar in some regions and anise seeds or coriander added.
Almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts can be substituted.
Vanilla and cinnamon can be used instead of rose water for a different flavor.
Cereals and legumes can be soaked together if pressure is to be used.

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Regional characteristics

It is one of the oldest and most traditional desserts of Turkish Cuisine. 15 or more ingredients go into it while preparing “asure”. It is usually made and served during the religious month called “asure month” which follows the “fest of sacrifice”. All religious days and holidays are observed according to the Moslem calendar. Therefore these special days and holidays move 10 days forward each year.

During “asure month” the pudding is prepared in large amounts almost in every household, and offered for guests as well as sent over to relatives and to the neighbors.

There is a legend about the origin of this desert. It goes like this: “ When Noach’s ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in northeastern Turkey, they felt that a feast of celebration was called for. But their supplies were exhausted. However, they hunted through the ark and every little bit of food they could find, they put into the pudding and make themselves a splendid feast of Asure.

Biography

Samples of Turkish Cuisine, Ministry of Culture Publications of General Directorate of Folk Cultures Research and Development.