AŞURE (NOAH'S PUDDING)

The month of Muharrem is also called Aşure month, after the dish aşure, a special wheat pudding, which is cooked without fail during the month. It is customary to cook aşure on the 10th or 11th day of Muharrem, and distribute to friends and neighbors, and served to the guests.

It is said that the first aşure have been made by Noah and his family with the last of all the provisions on the ark after the big flood.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups Hulled wheat berry
¼ cup Short grain rice
1.8 oz.  White kidney beans
1.8 oz. Chickpeas
3.5 oz.  Walnuts, coarsely chopped
3.5 oz. Hazelnuts, skins removed
2.5 oz. Pistachios, skins removed
100 gr. Almonds, skins removed
3.5 oz. Dried apricots, cut into cubes
3.5 oz. Dried figs, cut into cubes
3.5 oz. Raisins
1 oz.  Pine nuts
1 oz. Currants
2 tbsp. Rose water
7 qt. Water
1 qt. Milk
3 cups Caster sugar
2 tbsp. Orange zest
1 pinch saffron

To decorate the top
Currants
Pomegranate kernels
Dried figs, cut into strips

Instructions
Soak the wheat berries, chickpeas and white kidney beans in separate bowls over night. The next day, boil the soaked ingredients separately until slightly softened. Then strain and peel off the skin form the beans and the chickpeas.  In a large pot, combine the water, sugar, saffron and milk and heat until the sugar is dissolved over medium heat.  To this sherbet add the boiled wheat, beans and chickpeas cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the nuts, cook for another 10 minutes then add all the dried fruits. Cook until the legumes are softened and the mixture becomes sort of jelly like. Finally add the rose water and take off from the heat.  Divide the aşure into bowls, and let them cool completely. Decorate the aşure bowls with figs, currants and pomegranate kernels.