Ashura

Directions

1. 1
   Simmer the drained barley or wheat in plenty of fresh water for about 1 hour, or until the grain is very tender.
2. 2
   Barley takes 2030 minutes, wheat 12 hours.
3. 3
   Drain, and pour into a large serving bowl or individual bowls.
4. 4
   Boil the sugar with the milk until the sugar has dissolved.
5. 5
   Stir in the flower water.
6. 6
   Pour over the grain, and serve, hot or cold, garnished with the nuts and with raisins if you like, and dusted with cinnamon.
7. 7
   The Turkish asure, prepared on the first day of Moharram, is an extraordinary dish in the number of its ingredients.
8. 8
   In Turkey it also commemorates Noahs salvation from the Flood.
9. 9
   According to legend, Noah made asure when the Flood subsided from everything that remained of foodstuffs at the bottom of sacks.
10. 10
    The usual ingredients today are chickpeas, haricot beans, fava beans, whole wheat, black and golden raisins, dried figs, dried apricots, dates, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, and pomegranate seeds.
11. 11
    Asure is a pudding with a creamy base of milk and sugar thickened with cornstarch and flavored with rose water and cinnamon.
12. 12
    I have eaten it, but I have never made it myself.