Ash-e Doogh

Ash-e Doogh is a type of stew (Aush) and it is impossible to taste Persian Ash, and not like it! Ash is a food similar to soup, but thicker and usually with more ingredients. There is a great diversity in the kinds of Persian Ashs. Today, we want to introduce one of the most favorite ones: Ash-e-Doogh.

Ash-e Doogh

Ashe-e-Doogh is a very traditional Persian food that is locally cooked in many different cities of Iran including: Kurdestan, Shiraz, Ardebil, Hamedan. But it is originally believed to be from west and northwest parts of Iran (Azerbayjan province). Like many other Persian foods, the recipe and instructions for cooking this food, depends on the region.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine persian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup rice
• 1 egg
• 2 kilos sour yogurt
• ⅕ cup chickpeas
• 200 grams minced meat
• 1 onion
• 2 to 3 liters water
• 500 grams vegetables for Ash (coriander, dill, Persian leek, fresh mint, green shoots of scallion)
• 3 big cloves of garlic
• salt as much as required
• fried mint powder as much as required, used for topping the dish

Instructions

 

• Soak chickpeas in water for at least 8 hours. (Chickpeas are better to be soaked a whole day before cooking Ash.) Discard its water everyone hour and soak again.
• Drain the chickpeas and add them to a pot. Add some glasses of water and let it cook for almost two hours (and not more, because we don’t want them to be overcooked at this stage.)
• Wash rice as many times as the water becomes clear. In a big pot, put rice. Add egg and yogurt to rice and stir gently because otherwise, yogurt turns in to small balls. (better to use a wooden spatula for stirring). Add water and put the pot on heat.  Constantly stir until yogurt and water (Doogh) start bubbling, then stir again for 2 or 3 minute. You don’t need to stir afterwards, but it is important to stir up to 3 minutes after bubbling.
• Lower the heat and let Doogh boil gently. You don’t need to put the pot lid.
• Put mince beef, grated onion and some salt in a bowl and mix them with your hand. Make hazelnut sized meatballs and add them to the pot. Don’t stir Ash for 1 minute after adding the meatballs. Let meatballs get cooked a little bit and then stir again. (you can sauté meatballs a little beforehand and then add them to Ash. In this case, you can immediately start stirring after adding the meatballs.
• 6 minutes after adding meatballs, when the meatballs are visible on the surface of Ash, add garlic. Let garlic combine with other ingredients for one moment, then add Ash herbs. (Go to tips and read more about Ash herbs.)
• Lower the heat and let herbs boil and cook. After boiling, add salt and wait 20 more minutes for Ash to get ready.

Useful tips for Cooking Ash-e Doogh

• The main ingredient in this Ash is Dugh. Which is actually the combination of yogurt and water. you can buy Dough from any Persian grocery store around you or make it yourself. For making Dooq, you mix yogurt, water and a big pinch of salt, until it reaches the consistency of milk. The best Doogh for making this Ash is sour one, but it also depends on your own taste. If Doogh seems too sour to you, add sweet yogurt and/or water to it. It is also highly recommended to use local Doogh of Ardebil for making this Ash.
• Garlic is a very important element in forming the taste of Ash-e-Doogh. But if you don’t like its smell or taste, you can omit it.
• If you are using dried garlic instead of fresh one, you need to grind it with salt before using.
• If you like garlic taste, in addition to the garlic used in making Ash, you can mix some grated garlic cloves in a cup half full of hot water and add it to the Ash when serving.
• The main herbs used in Ash-e-Doogh is Persian leek and coriander. But you can also add leek, spinach and purslane. Mountain herbs can also be used in this Ash.
• Herbs used in Ash-e-Doogh are better to be fresh. Ash-e-Doogh has a special white color which can’t be achieved if the Herbs are not fresh. We also don’t add turmeric or other spices (except black pepper) to this food, in order to maintain its white color.
• Persian rice is the best kind of rice to be used in Persian foods, but for Ash, you are better to use crushed rice than standard rice. Because we don’t want the rice grinds to be obvious in Ash. Smoked rice, which makes the taste so special and delicious, can also be used in this Ash.
• Stirring is very important when you add Doogh. You need to do it constantly until Doogh boils.
• If you want to use meat, make the meatballs very small. You can also omit meat from this recipe.
• Ash-e-Doogh is usually more watery than other Persian Ashs, but if it seems too watery for you, you can thicken it by adding some flour.
• You can reduce the calorie of this food by using low fat Doogh or yogurt.
• Topping, Garnishing and Serving Ash-e Doogh

Some grated garlic cloves are usually added to Ash when serving. Ash is served in bowls and it is garnished with fried mint powder (Nana Dagh), fried chopped onion (Piaz Dagh) and some black pepper.

Easy, At hand, Yet Healthy!

One special reason that makes a dish lovely at any time is being one-pot. That is right, if you do not need to dirty many plates or pots and bowls, you will have peace of mind! Making Persian Aush is like that! You just grab the ingredients and put them in a suitable pot and you wait until they cook. When they are cooked, you serve it in bowls and that is all.

Without spending much energy and time, you have made a healthy and filling meal. If you are interested in such dishes, you’d better visit Best One-Pot Persian Recipes Ever.