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MULTIMEDIA
May 27, 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 

The sweetest common value in these lands is Aşure

Making aşure is a tradition peculiar to Muslim Turks and began during the time of the Ottoman Empire.
4 January 2010 / GÜLIZAR BAKI, İSTANBUL
Pomegranate, blackcurrants, slices of dried fig, a couple of pieces of apricot, a handful of wheat and a few haricot beans and chickpeas and plenty of hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts, all in the same dish.

For most Turks, a wonderful flavor comes to mind when we hear the word aşure. But neither the flavor nor the significance of this dessert can be confined to a single dish. Just like Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, the day of Ashura, or Aşure in Turkish, is a shared value for all people living in this land, regardless of their ideas or ideology. Even though the ingredients used to make aşure vary a little from region to region, it always reminds us of friendship and brotherhood. Sunnis, Alevis and Mevlevis all cook aşure.

For most Turks, a wonderful flavor comes to mind when we hear the word aşure. But neither the flavor nor the significance of this dessert can be confined to a single dish. Just like Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, the day of Ashura, or Aşure in Turkish, is a shared value for all people living in this land, regardless of their ideas or ideology

Everyone who makes it shares it with their neighbors. This tradition has continued with the same level of excitement for centuries. Aşure is a concept inspired by the 10th day of the month of Muharram, because it means 10 in Arabic. In Turkey, the day of Ashura has both a religious and cultural meaning. Making aşure is a tradition peculiar to Muslim Turks, something which began during the time of the Ottoman Empire. Aşure represents the blessings and gratitude of the people in these lands. It is for this reason that in the past, prominent people would cook large quantities of aşure and distribute it to others to give thanks.

Aşure delight

Ingredients: 500 grams of wheat, One cup of chickpeas, One cup of haricot beans, One teaglass of rice, 100 grams of dried, washed and finely chopped apricots, 50 grams of blackcurrants, 100 grams of seedless raisins or, if preferred, a finely chopped dried fig (fig will result in a darker colored aşure), One kilogram of sugar, Cinnamon, walnuts, pistachios, pomegranate and orange peel, for garnish

Preparation:
1.Cover the top of the wheat with purified water eight to nine hours before cooking the aşure. The level of the water should be four to five fingers above the wheat. Boil the water.
2. Soak the chickpeas and haricot beans eight to nine hours in advance and boil.
3. Cook the wheat, chickpeas and beans on low heat eight hours later. Mix occasionally until the wheat becomes mushy and the chickpeas and beans soften (this takes about two-and-a-half to three hours). Add boiled water as needed.
4. Add the thoroughly rinsed rice to the pot when wheat is almost cooked. Cook together for a while.
5. After everything is cooked, combine the chickpeas and haricot beans with the cooked wheat and rice. Cook together for another 10 to 15 minutes on a low heat.
6. Add the seedless raisins, blackcurrants and apricots. Cook for 15 minutes, add the sugar and then bring to the boil before removing from the heat.
7. Pour the aşure into small bowls after it cools and garnish with cinnamon, walnuts, pistachios, pomegranate and orange peel.

Milky aşure soup

1. Follow steps 1 to 5 of the aşure delight recipe and then put six to seven scoops of the cooked legumes into a saucepan.
2. Add 1.5 liters of cold milk. Stir and bring to the boil. Then add salt to taste.
3. Prepare a sauce in a separate pan by frying a small, finely chopped onion and red pepper flakes in two tablespoons of butter.
4. Pour the soup into bowl and garnish with mint and the sauce.

Curative Mevlevi aşure

Afyonkarahisar Mevlevihane Museum Director Lokman Derya Solmaz gave us the recipe for their curative aşure made with rosewater.

Ingredients: 1 liter of water, 100 grams of chickpeas, 100 grams of haricot beans, 50 grams coarsely ground wheat, 50 grams of walnuts, 20 grams of rice, 40 grams of nutmeat, 40 grams of pistachios, 20 grams of raisins, 40 grams of dried apricot, 40 grams of dried fig, 20 grams of poppy, 10 grams of blackcurrants, 20 grams of dried mulberries, 10 grams of sesame, 30 grams of orange extract, 50 grams of rosewater, 10 grams of powdered cloves, 2 packets of vanilla, 10 grams of powdered cinnamon, 20 grams of nutmeg, 5 grams of nigella sativa, 10 grams of powdered ginger, 400 grams of sugar, 100 grams of wheat starch

Preparation:

1. Soak the chickpeas and beans in water for about 12 hours before cooking.
2. Wash and boil the chickpeas and beans.
3. Wash and boil the coarsely ground wheat, then mix it in with the chickpeas and beans.
4. Add walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Add raisins, dried apricots, dried figs, poppy, dried mulberry, sesame, orange extract and rosewater and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Add cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, nigella sativa and ginger and cook for another five minutes.
7. Add sugar and wheat starch if needed and cook for five more minutes.
It can be served hot or cold.

Although the ingredients used to make aşure vary slightly from region to region, for the most part, it is made the same way. For example, at the Afyonkarahisar Mevlevi Dervish lodge, which is now a museum in Afyon, they make aşure while saying 40 prayers. The aşure there, believed to have many health benefits, contains a type of poppy peculiar to the region, ginger and rosewater. According to this tradition, which dates back to the 16th century, 40 people who know the Quran by heart, each recite the prayer read after completing the Quran while the aşure is cooked. On Dec. 25, 40 pots of aşure were cooked with the support of the Afyonkarahisar Municipality and distributed by 40 people who know the Quran by heart after the Friday prayer ended. Many foundations and associations in Konya, İstanbul and Anatolia continue to cook and share aşure. We put together three different aşure recipes for those who would like to make it at home.

Aşure delight and milky aşure soup

Food author Hatice Özdemir’s aşure recipe is below. Özdemir also gave us the recipe for a milky aşure soup that we can make with wheat and chickpeas.

Alevi-Bektaşi aşure

Alevis and members of the Bektaşi order fast on the day of Ashura because it is an important day for many prophets and because it was on that day that Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was martyred. Noting that Alevis and Bektaşi’s fast during the first 12 days of the month of Muharram to mourn and read passages from the poet Fuzuli’s “Hadikatü’s-Süeda” (Garden of the Fortunate), Professor İlyas Üzüm said, “The work by Fuzuli provides a description of the challenges faced by prophets in the past and the killing of Hussein in Karbala.” They start to cook the aşure on the 12th day of Muharram. They make aşure with chickpeas, haricot beans, raisins, dried figs, chestnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios and decorate it with sesame seeds, pomegranate, walnuts and cinnamon. The aşure is distributed on the 13th day with the prayers of Alevi and Bektaşi leaders.
 
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