Ash-e Jo - Persian Barley, Herb and Bean Pottage
Outdoor temperatures have dropped significantly and so it’s time I share a new Aash Recipe with you. Besides Ash-e Reshteh, Ash-e Jo is another much-loved pottage with herbs and beans. Another key ingredient in this ash is barley. If you are new to Persian cuisine, you may wonder what the difference between Ash-e Jo (Barley Pottage) and Soup-e Jo (Barley Soup) is. Apart from ash having a thicker consistency, it always features herbs and beans as key ingredients.
You can easily make this recipe vegan by not serving it with kashk (dehydrated yoghurt). You can add some vinegar instead to give it a hint of sourness.
Feel free to replace and substitute any of the beans and chickpeas in this recipe to your liking or depending on what you have available. You can significantly reduce the cooking time by using canned beans and chickpeas. They obviously don’t need soaking and also need much less time to cook, since they can be eaten as they are.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Prep: 1h
Soaking (only for beans and chickpeas): 2 to 12h
Cook: 2h 15min (cooking time can be reduced by using canned beans)
Total: 2h 15min (You can prep during cooking time)
Ingredients (serving 4)
1cup/200g Barley
200g/7oz spinach
80g/2.8oz fresh parsley (after removing the large stalks)
80/2.8oz fresh coriander (cilantro)
40g/1.4oz chives
4 tbsp dried mint
1/2 cup/100g canned chickpeas OR 3tbsp/35g dry chickpeas
1/2 cup/100g canned cannellini beans OR 3tbsp/35g dry cannellini beans
6 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions
1 bulb of garlic
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Water
1/8 tsp saffron and 1 ice cube to mix with kashk as a dressing (optional)
2 tbsp kashk for serving (drained yoghurt commonly used in Persian cuisine, also available at Middle Eastern shops or online) OR vinegar to serve (optional)
Method for preparing Ash-e Jo
Let the dry beans and chickpeas soak overnight
Let the dry beans and chickpeas soak for at least 12 hours before starting to cook. Change the soaking water twice during this time.
Bloom the saffron (optional)
If you are using saffron threads, grind them using a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle the ground saffron over the ice cube in a glass and set it aside to melt.
Cook the barley, dry beans and chickpeas
Transfer the barley to a pot.
If you are using dry, soaked beans and chickpeas, drain and rinse them and add them to the pot as well.
If you use canned beans and chickpeas, start cooking the barley only. adding approx.
Add approx. 1.5l / 6 1/4 US cups freshly boiled water and turn the stove on medium heat.
Season with turmeric, black pepper and salt. If you plan on serving the aash with kashk, be careful not to over-salt at this point, as kashk is very salty on its own. You can always salt more later.
Let the barley, (and dry beans and chickpeas, if using) simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes.
If you are using dry, soaked beans and chickpeas, add more boiled water, as needed.
Prep the herbs and veg
In the meantime wash the spinach and herbs.
Peel the onions and garlic. Finely slice the onions. Finely chop the garlic.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 3 tbsp of vegetable oil to it. Gently caramelise the sliced onions for about 10 to 15 minutes until they are golden brown. With this amount of onions, you will likely have to sauté them in several batches. This will ensure that they caramelise nicely. After each batch, you can add a bit more vegetable oil, if needed. Transfer the caramelised onions to a bowl and set them aside.
Add 2 tbsp more oil to the pan and gently caramelise the garlic over low temperature for about 3 minutes. Transfer it to a separate bowl and set it aside for later.
Now heat the remaining oil in the pan and briefly sauté the dried mint for around 30 seconds. You need to be quick so that it doesn’t burn. It’s best to have a small bowl nearby to which you can transfer the mint swiftly to remove it from the heat of the pan. Set it aside for later.
Chop the spinach, parsley, coriander and chives. Roughly chopping through them a couple of times is enough. The spinach can be roughly chopped, as the bigger leaves give the ash a nice texture. If you are using baby spinach, there’s no need for chopping.
Add the herbs, caramelised onions and garlic
Once the barley, dry beans and chickpeas have been simmering for 45 minutes, you can add the chopped herbs and spinach to your aash. Also, add about 2/3 of the caramelised onions and garlic and sautéed mint. Keep the rest as garnish. Add some boiled water to it, if needed.
If you use canned beans and chickpeas, you can add them to the barley now, together with the herbs.
Let the herbs cook for 30 minutes until they change colour to a deep, dark green. Keep in mind that aash is much thicker than most soups.
Serving Aash-e Jo
If you and your family really like kashk, you can add about 2 tbsp to the pot and stir it in until it’s dissolved. Then try the aash to decide whether it needs more salt or not.
If you have guests and you’re unsure if they tolerate lactose or if some of them are vegan, you can serve the kashk separately. Combine about 2 tbsp of kashk with a little water until it has a thick, creamy consistency. Serve it as a sauce that everyone can add to their liking.
If you’re sure that everyone eats kashk, you can combine 2 more tbsp with the saffron water and use both, the white and the yellow saffron-kashk as garnish. This adds another colour and flavour to the dish.
Those who don’t eat kashk may want to add a splash of vinegar to their aash. My Maman actually prefers it this way.
Transfer the Aash-e Jo to a serving bowl and garnish it with regular and saffron-kashk, as well as the remaining caramelised onions and garlic and the sautéed mint. Enjoy!
I’d love to see your Ash-e Jo! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
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