Today at Takrecipe, we want to make another authentic Persian dish. If you have any Persian friends or have gone to any Iranian restaurant, you are familiar with the Ash. This is a thick soup that is made with various recipes. This recipe is Ash Abas Ali which is a traditional pottage from Kermanshah. This dish is usually served on special occasions, like Ramadan, and is so hearty since it consists of different types of beans, wheat, rice, and red meat. If you have any plans to travel to Iran and visit Kermanshah, we recommend tasting their delicious dishes like Kebabs, cookies, and this Ash. Stay with us to learn how to make this delicious Ash in your kitchen.
Ingredients for four people
Lamb’s ribs 400 g
Wheat 1 ½ cup
Rice ½ cup
Lentils ½ cup
Chickpeas ½ cup
Pinto beans ½ cup
White beans ½ cup
Large onion 4
Garlic 10
Dried mint 2 tbsp
Salt To taste
Black pepper To taste
Turmeric To taste
Ground chili pepper To taste
Ash Abas Ali Recipe
Step 1
Firstly, you need to soak the wheat, chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans, and lentils in separate bowls filled with water over a night, or at least for 6 hours, so that they puff up and cook more easily. You should change the water once or twice to make them more digestible.
Step 2
Then drain and rinse the legumes and set them aside. You need to employ three pots for cooking the ingredients. Add pinto beans, chickpeas, and white beans to the first pot with 4 cups of water. Put the pot on medium heat and let it simmer for an hour or until it becomes soft outside but uncooked in the center.
Step 3
After an hour, you should add the lentils. Lentils take less cooking time, so you should not parboil them with other legumes. Otherwise, they will become mushy, which is far from tasty.
Step 4
Meanwhile, fill another pot with two cups of water, put it on heat, and bring the water to a boil. Add the rinsed wheat and rice to the pot. You can parboil the barley and rice together since they cook almost simultaneously. Check it constantly to remove the foam from it.
Step 5
Now peel and wash one of the onions and chop it finely. Then coat the third pot with liquid oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Then add black pepper and turmeric, and sauté for a minute to give a golden hue to the onion.
Step 6
Next, add the ribs to the onion, and after sautéing a little, pour three cups of water and let the meat simmer for about two to three hours. After the meat is thoroughly cooked, take it out of the pot, remove the bones and shred them by pulling them apart into small bite pieces. It works best if the meat is warm. Keep the meat broth in the pot.
Step 7
After all the ingredients are cooked, transfer them to a large pot, add a few cups of hot water and meat broth, and put the pot on low heat.
Step 8
Add the salt, ground chili pepper, and black pepper to the pot put the lid on, and let the Ash cook for about an hour on low heat to get a nice thickness. Stir the Ash while coking to mix the ingredients well and get a nice consistency. Cook the Ash until rice and wheat are overcooked and not visible anymore.
Step 9
Meanwhile, fry the dried mint, sliced garlic, and remaining onions separately with a bit of oil. Add half of the fried mint, onion, and garlic into the Ash while cooking.
Step 10
In the last minutes, you can add a tablespoon of ghee or fat to the Ash. The consistency of Abbas Ali Ash is ready when it sticks to your spoon. Pour it into a suitable dish, garnish it with the remaining fried mint, garlic, and onion, and serve it with fresh herbs and a cold drink. Enjoy your meal!
