Mixed Pulses and Herb Soup |
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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 90 Minutes |
Ready In: 150 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Aash-e sholleh ghalamkar One of the most delicious and nutritious aashes; serve with hot bread for a substantial meal. Aash-e sholleh ghalamkar goes very well with yogurt as a side dish. In Iran it is often served with kashk. Kashk is sold in liquid or powered form in Middle Eastern stores. My recipe uses chicken (or vegetable) stock, which allows the flavour of the herbs to shine through. In Iran the soup is made from cuts of rib, shoulder or neck of lamb, giving it a viscous consistency and a more meaty flavour. The types of herbs - and their proportions - vary between different recipes. This version favours the aromatic dominance of tarragon, and also includes spinach or beetroot/beet leaves. Most traditional recipes use marzeh (summer savory), a popular herb in Iran. It is not essential, but if you can find the fresh herb it adds to the aroma. Aash-e sholleh ghalamkar takes time to prepare and cook, but the result is well worth it. You can make this aash a couple of days in advance, keep it in the fridge and reheat it gently before serving. Ingredients:
50 g/2 oz mung beans |
50 g/2 oz split peas |
50 g/2 oz green lentils |
50 g/2 oz red kidney beans |
50 g/2 oz black-eyed beans (or white beans such as cannellini) |
50 g/2 oz chick peas |
50 g/2 oz rice (any variety) |
salt and black pepper |
1 large onion |
150 g/5 oz spinach or (beetroot/beet leaves) |
100 g/ 3 1/2 oz fresh dill |
100 g/ 3 1/2 oz fresh coriander/cilantro |
100 g/ 3 1/2 oz fresh parsley |
100 g/ 3 1/2 oz fresh chives (or green parts of spring onions/scallions) |
50 g/2 oz fresh tarragon (or 2 tablespoons dried) |
30 g/ 1 oz fresh marzeh (summer savory) (optional) |
50 g/2 oz butter |
4 tablespoons sunflower oil |
2 litres/3 1/2 pints boiling water |
3 chicken/vegetable stock cubes |
1 teaspoon turmeric |
4 tablespoons sunflower oil |
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced |
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped |
20 g/ 3/4 oz butter |
1 tablespoon dried mint |
Directions:
1. Wash all the pulses in cold water, then soak them in cold water overnight.
2. Wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water remains reasonably clear. Drain the rice, tip into a bowl and add enough cold water to cover the rice. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave to soak for 2 hours.
3. Peel and chop the onion.
4. Spread out the herbs and pinch off the leaves and tender stalks to separate them from the tougher stalks, discarding wilting and yellowing leaves. Wash them in plenty of cold water and use a salad spinner or shake well to get rid of excess water. Chop the herbs finely with a sharp, wide-bladed knife, reducing the mountain of leaves you started off with to a small mound. Set aside. If you chop the herbs in advance, keep them fresh by covering with a damp tea towel in the fridge.
5. Cooking Use a large, heavy-based saucepan (pulses expand considerably when cooked, so be sure your pan is big enough). Put the pan on a medium to high heat, add the butter, then add the oil and fry the chopped onion until soft and golden.
6. Drain the pulses and add them to the pan. Stir to coat the pulses thoroughly in oil. Add 1 litre/1 3/4 pints of the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Do not add salt at this stage. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat. Simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours until all the pulses are very tender. You should be able to squash any of the beans of peas between your thumb and forefinger.
7. Drain the rice and add to the pan. Crumble the stock cubes and add to the pan with the rest of the water. Simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is completely cooked (you should not be able to see whole grains of rice), stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the herbs and the turmeric. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Simmer gently on a low heat for a further 30 minutes, stirring frequently. It is important to cook this aash slowly so that the herbs' aroma can develop and diffuse into the mixture.
9. Garnish Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a small frying pan/skillet, add the sliced onion and fry until light brown. Add the chopped garlic, stir and set aside. Heat the butter with the remaining oil in a separate small pan. Add the dried mint, stir and remove from the heat immediately.
10. Pour the aash into a large soup bowl and garnish with the fried onion and mint.
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