Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1048) of Omar Khayyám; born Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Abu’l-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm al-Khayyām Nīshāpūrī (Persian: ‏غیاثالدینابوالفتحعمرابراهیمخیامنیشابورﻯ‎, ), Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, and Islamic theology. He was born in Nishapur, in northeastern Iran also known as Persia, and at a young age he moved to Samarkand and obtained his education there. Afterwards he moved to Bukhara and became established as one of the major mathematicians and astronomers of the medieval period. He is the author of one of the most important treatises on algebra written before modern times, the Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra, which includes a geometric method for solving cubic equations by intersecting a hyperbola with a circle. He also made major contributions to calendar reform which were more accurate than the Gregorian reform made centuries later. His significance as a philosopher and teacher, and his few extant philosophical works, have not received the same attention as his scientific and poetic writings. Al-Zamakhshari referred to him as “the philosopher of the world”. He taught the philosophy of Avicenna for decades in Nishapur.

Anything approximating a usable recipe from Khayyám’s era does not exist. Even recipes from as late as the 16^th century need heavy interpretation. So instead here is a recipe for ash reshteh a modern bean and noodle soup that has its roots in medieval Persia – and, yes, Persia had noodles centuries before Marco Polo supposedly brought them back from China.  Kashk is a fermented dairy product you will need to find online (Amazon has it as do other sites).

Ash Reshteh

Ingredients

125 gm chickpeas (soaked overnight in a bowl with the other beans and lentils plus tsp of salt)
125 gm red kidney beans (soaked overnight in a bowl with the other beans and lentils plus tsp of salt)
125 gm green lentils (soaked overnight in a bowl with the other beans and lentils plus tsp of salt)
1 large bunch fresh coriander (between 100 and 150 gm)
1 large bunch fresh parsley (between 100 and 150 gm)
1 large bunch fresh dill (between 100 and 150 gm)
1 bunch spring onions (green ends only)
200 gm fresh spinach
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
½ tsp turmeric
2 liters vegetable stock
150 gm Persian noodles – reshteh (you can use udon noodles, spaghetti or linguine as an alternative)
3 tbsp kashk
salt and pepper (to taste)

For the garnish

100 ml vegetable oil
1 to 2 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp kashk (diluted with some water to make it runny for drizzling on the ash)

Instructions

For the Ash (soup)

Soak your beans, lentils and chickpeas in a bowl of salted water overnight. The morning after, cook the beans and lentils in water by bringing it to the boil and then simmering for 30 mins (this aids with making them digestible). Drain and leave to one side until you are ready to cook the ash reshteh.

Wash all the herbs, spinach and spring onions. Remove all the tough woody stems from the herbs and spinach.

In batches, pulse the herbs, spinach and spring onion ends in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Place the greens in a bowl until you are ready to add to the ash.

Take a large stockpot or equivalent and place on a medium-high heat. Add 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. After a minute or so add the finely diced onion and fry until it is tender and turning golden brown.

Add the garlic and turmeric and stir until evenly distributed and you can smell the aroma.

Drain the bean and lentil mixture and add to the stockpot. Cook for about a minute, stirring gently to coat with the onions, oil, and spice.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to allow the beans to simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for approximately 30 mins to 1 hr. Skim off any foam which may rise to the top and stir now and again. To check if the bean mixture is cooked test a chickpea, as they take the longest to cook. The chickpea should be tender with no grainy or chalky texture to it.

Once the bean mixture is cooked, add the chopped greens and allow the ash to simmer for about 30 mins for the greens to wilt. If the ash is too thick after the greens have wilted, add some water. The texture of the Ash should be thicker than soup like a chili but not so thick it feels like there is no liquid in it.

Then add the noodles – you can snap these to the length you desire. Allow the ash to cook with the noodles for about 20 to 30 mins. Test a noodle to see if it is cooked to your preferred texture.

Then add the kashk 1 spoonful at a time and mix it fully into the Ash. Taste as you go along. Some put less kashk into their ash and add more to their liking by way of a garnish. As kashk is salty, only add any extra salt to your taste and a generous amount of pepper. Then give the ash a gentle stir and simmer on a low heat until it is evenly heated through.

For the Garnish

You can prepare the mint oil and fried onions in advance of or during the cooking of the ash.

 For the mint oil – place a frying pan on a low heat and add 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tsp of dried mint and let the mixture heat through for only 1 minute. Then pour it out into a bowl and set aside for when you are ready to garnish the ash.

For the fried onions – wipe the frying pan used to make the mint oil and place it on a medium heat. Add the remaining oil and let it heat through for about 1 minute. Then add the finely sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly until it turns golden brown and caramelized – about 20 minutes. Place the onions on a paper towel to absorb the oil and set aside for when you are ready to garnish the ash.

When you are ready to serve, ladle the ash into bowls, drizzle with some of the diluted kashk, the mint oil and a sprinkling of onions.