By Omer Colakoglu - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, TurkeySaturday, January 12, 2008
Before Sept. 13, 1925, when all Sufi lodges, tekke or dergah in Turkish, were closed under a constitutional injunction, Sufi orders used to cook Noah’s pudding amid many beautiful ceremonies.
Each order would do it on a certain day of the month so all people, and particularly dervishes, could visit different tekkes and eat ashure, the Arabic name for Noah’s pudding, all through the month.
This is believed to be the meal Noah cooked when the ark safely landed. It was made with all the leftover bits and pieces in the ark.
In İstanbul, for instance, the Asitane (the head tekke of a Sufi order) of the Sufi orders, after the 10th of the month, would cook it on certain days in order that each could be visited by all.
The preparation of the ashure (Noah’s pudding) would take one day, and during the cooking phase, dervishes would sing special hymns commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson Hussain, as well as 72 other members of the Prophet’s family.
Also during the month of Muharram, remembrance ceremonies would not be accompanied with rhythm instruments in any of the Sufi order, but particularly in the Mevlevi Order, founded by Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi, there would be no whirling ceremonies until the month ended.
In lamentation of the martyred descendants of the Prophet, Muslims, all over the Ottoman lands, particularly those who had affiliations with Sufis, would not undertake long journeys unless obligatory.
What Muharram means today
Today, the month of Muharram unfortunately doesn’t mean much to a major part of the Muslims since most of them, particularly those living under secular regimes, do not use the lunar calendar and are therefore not even aware of the month’s arrival.
Most of those who are aware celebrate the month only by cooking Noah’s pudding and distributing it to neighbors, and still a much smaller portion of those who follow the Arabic months first welcome the month by, so to say, making a balance sheet of the past year, contemplating the good and bad deeds they have committed, and cherish the arrival of the new year by asking forgiveness for the sins committed.
They also, as a symbolic act, buy a pack of salt, sugar, flour and a bottle of oil, praying that the new year will bless the kitchens and bring prosperity.
Compared to only 100 years ago, we have lost very many beautiful customs and traditions in line with the pillars of the religion to time, and most importantly, to our ignorance.
Anyways, here is a short recipe for cooking Noah’s pudding.
Ashure recipe
Ingredients
225g/8 oz barley
55g/2 oz dried haricot beans
55g/2 oz dried lima beans
55g/2 oz dried chickpeas
1.2 liters/2 pints milk
570ml/1 pint water
55g/2 oz pudding rice
110g/4 oz dried apricots
110g/4 oz sultanas
55g/2 oz currants
1 lemon, zest only
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
450g/1 lb caster sugar
2 tbsp corn flour, mixed with 1 tbsp milk
125ml/4 fl oz rosewater
double cream, to serve
For the topping
55g/2 oz dried figs
55g/2 oz dried apricots
55g/2 oz walnuts
1 tbsp pine nuts
55g/2 oz pistachio nuts
1 tbsp currants
Method
1. Place the barley and the other dried pulses in a bowl and soak overnight in plenty of water.
2. Strain, and then simmer the barley and pulses in the milk and 570ml/1 pint of water until tender.
3. Add the rice, apricots, sultanas and currants and cook for 5 minutes, then add the lemon zest, cinnamon and allspice. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the sugar, and then add the corn flour and milk mixture. The mixture will now start to thicken.
5. Pour in the rosewater and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is tender. Tip into a large serving bowl and leave to cool. Mix all the topping ingredients together.
6. Scatter the nutty fruity topping over the pudding and serve with double cream.
[Picture from: Rumi Forum - Story of Ashura http://www.rumiforum.org/server/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=35].
Each order would do it on a certain day of the month so all people, and particularly dervishes, could visit different tekkes and eat ashure, the Arabic name for Noah’s pudding, all through the month.
This is believed to be the meal Noah cooked when the ark safely landed. It was made with all the leftover bits and pieces in the ark.
In İstanbul, for instance, the Asitane (the head tekke of a Sufi order) of the Sufi orders, after the 10th of the month, would cook it on certain days in order that each could be visited by all.
The preparation of the ashure (Noah’s pudding) would take one day, and during the cooking phase, dervishes would sing special hymns commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson Hussain, as well as 72 other members of the Prophet’s family.
Also during the month of Muharram, remembrance ceremonies would not be accompanied with rhythm instruments in any of the Sufi order, but particularly in the Mevlevi Order, founded by Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi, there would be no whirling ceremonies until the month ended.
In lamentation of the martyred descendants of the Prophet, Muslims, all over the Ottoman lands, particularly those who had affiliations with Sufis, would not undertake long journeys unless obligatory.
What Muharram means today
Today, the month of Muharram unfortunately doesn’t mean much to a major part of the Muslims since most of them, particularly those living under secular regimes, do not use the lunar calendar and are therefore not even aware of the month’s arrival.
Most of those who are aware celebrate the month only by cooking Noah’s pudding and distributing it to neighbors, and still a much smaller portion of those who follow the Arabic months first welcome the month by, so to say, making a balance sheet of the past year, contemplating the good and bad deeds they have committed, and cherish the arrival of the new year by asking forgiveness for the sins committed.
They also, as a symbolic act, buy a pack of salt, sugar, flour and a bottle of oil, praying that the new year will bless the kitchens and bring prosperity.
Compared to only 100 years ago, we have lost very many beautiful customs and traditions in line with the pillars of the religion to time, and most importantly, to our ignorance.
Anyways, here is a short recipe for cooking Noah’s pudding.
Ashure recipe
Ingredients
225g/8 oz barley
55g/2 oz dried haricot beans
55g/2 oz dried lima beans
55g/2 oz dried chickpeas
1.2 liters/2 pints milk
570ml/1 pint water
55g/2 oz pudding rice
110g/4 oz dried apricots
110g/4 oz sultanas
55g/2 oz currants
1 lemon, zest only
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
450g/1 lb caster sugar
2 tbsp corn flour, mixed with 1 tbsp milk
125ml/4 fl oz rosewater
double cream, to serve
For the topping
55g/2 oz dried figs
55g/2 oz dried apricots
55g/2 oz walnuts
1 tbsp pine nuts
55g/2 oz pistachio nuts
1 tbsp currants
Method
1. Place the barley and the other dried pulses in a bowl and soak overnight in plenty of water.
2. Strain, and then simmer the barley and pulses in the milk and 570ml/1 pint of water until tender.
3. Add the rice, apricots, sultanas and currants and cook for 5 minutes, then add the lemon zest, cinnamon and allspice. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the sugar, and then add the corn flour and milk mixture. The mixture will now start to thicken.
5. Pour in the rosewater and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is tender. Tip into a large serving bowl and leave to cool. Mix all the topping ingredients together.
6. Scatter the nutty fruity topping over the pudding and serve with double cream.
[Picture from: Rumi Forum - Story of Ashura http://www.rumiforum.org/server/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=35].
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