Ash Shole Ghalamkar

Ash Shole Ghalamkar is one of the most nutritious Iranian ash; especially in winter due to lots of side dishes, it is considered as a full meal. For becoming more familiar with preparing a tasty Ash Shole Ghalamkar, don’t lose this article.

More about Ash Shole Ghalamkar

Apparently, the antiquity of Ash Shole Ghalamkar returns to the period of King Naser Al-din and different kinds of ingredients are being used in preparing it, like vegetables, boneless meat, and beans.

It’s interesting to know that unlike traditional Ash Reshteh, meat is being used in preparation of Ash Shole Ghalamkar, in addition to beans and vegetables.

This ash is prevalent throughout Iran and every region, cook it in its special manner; so that Isfahani people use grass pea or people of the south of the country pour more aromatic vegetables in it.

Ash Shole Ghalamkar was always considered as a difficult food, due to a large number of raw materials and long cooking time.

This food is not placed as meals and it’s been more prepared as votive or Iftar table. This ash can be a full meal due to its high nutritional value; although some people use it as an appetizer.

Short History of Ash Shole Ghalamkar

“Nader Mirza Ghajar” talked about Ash Shole Ghalamkar in the book of “Iranian foods” that wrote it about 200 years ago:

“Ash Shole Ghalamkar is more cooked in Rey city. It called Ash Shole Ghalamkar because there are red and white grains in it and it’s like Indian Ghalamkar that it’s a good cloth and also famous in Iran.”

This ash was the favorite of the people of the capital in that period and according to the saying of Nader Mirza, Dehkhoda, etc has a colorful shape because of having a compound of vegetables, beans, and meat hence, it is called “Shole” or “Ash Ghalamkar”.

About 150 years ago in the Qajar period, Cholera is being spread in Tehran and king Naser Al- din also gets sick.

Ash is being prepared for him with different kinds of raw materials that he got well by eating.

King Naser Al- din commands to cook Ash Shole Ghalamkar yearly so that the event of that ash stays in mind forever.

According to his yearly vow, he went to Shahrestanak northwest of Tehran in spring that then because of the long distance, he selected Sorkhe Hesare village for this.

The cooking pot of ash was loaded with the meat of 14 sheep, vegetables and different kinds of foods. Nobles, gentlemen, and king’s wives were participating in this ceremony and all of them were cooking.

Since this ash consists of an inappropriate combination of foods, the proverb of Ash Shole Ghalamkar spreaded and every work that is without order and arrangement or with messiness or according to Dehkhoda “cho zanbil dar youze haftad rang bashad” is being similized to Ash Shole Ghalamkar.

Properties of Ash Shole Ghalamkar

Ash Shole Ghalamkar contains vitamins A, C, E and manganese and hence, it protects body against diseases due to antioxidant property.

This delicious ash is beneficial for nervous system activity and helps to memory strengthening.

Increase of muscle-building and body strength due to herbal and animal proteins used in Ash Shole Ghalamkar are the other benefits of it that it will be beneficial for bodybuilders and weight- lifters.

• Other properties of Ash Shole Ghalamkar includes:
• It’s appropriate for growing children and people with anemia
• helps to chondrosis in body
• strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis due to having manganese, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D
• Great effect in skin and hair health and its relief through zinc and vitamin B6
• Improving function of cardiovascular system
• decreasing of body inflammations and rheumatoid arthritis due to existence of copper
• increasing energy and strengthening of body during fasting.

Taste of Ash Shole Ghalamkar

Since preparing Ash Shole Ghalamkar is time-consuming, preparing it once in a while can be enjoyable;

especially since it is full of protein, due to having beans and meat and you can prepare a healthy and nourishing meal for family members.

In the cold weather of fall and winter, nothing can be appeal than a bowl of Ash; what if you have Ash Shole Ghalamkar.

So, if you have its raw materials, prepare and cook it that undoubtedly, it worth it. This ash is so tasty that every picky eater tempts to eat it.

Recipe of Ash Shole Ghalamkar

Raw materials for 20 people:

• 1 kilo rack (sheep’s meat)
• 2 onions
• 1 cup rice
• 1 kilo ash vegetable
• 1 cup wheat semolina (200 g)
• 1 cup pea
• 1 cup pinto beans
• Half a cup black- eyed cowpea
• Half a cup red beans
• Half a cup lentils
• Half a cup greenish-yellow
• 300 g fried onion
• Adequate salt and pepper
• A tablespoon turmeric
• A tablespoon cinnamon
• 50 g butter

How to prepare:

Cut racks into small pieces and fry in oil with two sliced onions and a little turmeric. Then, pour water on it and put it in the pot to get cooked.

When meat cooked, separate the bones and unbraid meat. Hence, the meat gets dark when exposed to air, so keep it in broth.

Clean and rinse rice and wheat semolina and soak in water with a little salt for an hour.

Fill the pot halfway with water and pour the combination of rice and wheat semolina into it to get cooked.

You shouldn’t put the spoon in it until the volume of rice gets double; because ash gets burned- on and you should stir till the end of cooking.

After rice and wheat semolina gets opened, you can stir it with a long handle spoon.

Add some broth to the combination of rice and wheat semolina to get cook altogether.

Soak pea and pinto beans from 12 hours ago and replace its water every few hours and cook all together.

Soak lentil and mung for an hour and cook together. Soak red beans and cowpeas separately and cook separately.

Set aside lentil and mung beans and also one-third of other beans, grind the remaining, and add all the ingredients to the mix of rice and wheat semolina that got cooked in the pot.

From now on, you should always stir Ash.

Pour fried onion in a pot and add black pepper and a little turmeric, black pepper and salt to it and put on oven. Then, add it to ash.

When the ingredients in port boiled and all the ingredients got mixed, add ash vegetable and sliced meat. Constantly, stir ash while it’s on a mild heat and add the remained broth.

Add cinnamon about the last 15 minutes. Cinnamon is the main spice of this ash, so don’t delete it.

Decorate ash with fried onion, sliced meat and a little cinnamon and also some melted butter. In addition, you can set aside some of the cooked beans and use them for decorating Ash Shole Ghalamkar.

FAQ

Conclusion

Local foods of every city and province may be cooked and used in other places and even undergo change.

Still, you should consider that every food has its own certificate and authenticity that always remains with it.

Ash Shole Ghalamkar is one of the local foods that you should try.

Have you ever eaten Ash Shole Ghalamkar?

Did you liked the taste? Did you ever cooked Ash Shole Ghalamkar yourself? Share your opinions with us…