Aseeda

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain white flour
• 1 litrewater
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To serve

• 150 gghee or clarified butter, melted
• 200 mldate syrup, dibs
• 150 mlrunny honey
• ground cardamom, optional

Equipment

• a heavy deep pot
• a strong wooden stick or spoon
• a wide shallow serving dish

Directions

1. Flour is beaten into boiling water rather than mixed cold. It thickens almost immediately into a very stiff mass. Put the water and salt into a heavy deep pot. Bring it to a rolling boil over a high heat. Set aside a mug of boiling water before you begin. You may need it later to loosen the dough.
2. Take about a quarter of the flour to begin with. Rain it into the boiling water in a thin steady stream. Whisk hard the whole time you are pouring it in.
3. Let that first addition boil for two or three minutes. It should thicken into a loose paste at this stage. Beat vigorously after each one before adding the next. Beating it smooth is the hard physical work.
4. Turn the heat right down to the lowest setting. Press it flat and then fold it back over itself. Keep pressing and folding without stopping. Work it for a full fifteen to twenty minutes. It goes from lumpy and dull to smooth and glossy. Add a splash of the reserved water if it becomes unworkable. Work that water in fully before adding any more.
5. Taste a small piece once it looks smooth. It should taste of cooked wheat rather than raw flour. Keep working it if any rawness remains. Shaping it is done immediately while it is hot.
6. Scoop the hot dough into the middle of the dish. Wet your hands and shape it into a smooth dome. Work quickly, since it stiffens as it cools. Now press a deep hollow into the top with a wet fist.
7. Pour the melted ghee into the hollow first. Add the date syrup and then the honey over it. Dust a little ground cardamom over the top if you like. Serving it is done hot and always shared. Pinch off a piece of the dough with your fingers. Eat it straight away while it is still warm.

Technique

• Aseeda and asida describe a whole family of beaten flour doughs eaten from Oman across to Sudan, Libya and West Africa.
• Some regional versions are savoury and eaten with meat stew, while the Omani Eid version is sweet.

Substitutions

• Wholemeal flour can be used for a darker, nuttier aseeda.
• Butter can replace ghee, though ghee is what is used and gives the correct flavour.

Variations

• Savoury versions across Sudan and Libya are served under a meat or okra stew.
• Some Omani households flavour the dough itself with cardamom or saffron.
• A version made with dates cooked into the dough is eaten in parts of the Gulf.

History

Served at Eid al-Adha mornings in Oman, dented in the middle so the honey and butter pool.

Frequently asked questions

What is Aseeda?

Aseeda is a dessert from Oman: stiff wheat dough beaten smooth and eaten with date syrup, honey and ghee. Served at Eid al-Adha mornings in Oman, dented in the middle so the honey and butter pool.

How long does Aseeda take to make?

Aseeda takes 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Aseeda?

Yes, within limits. Wholemeal flour can be used for a darker, nuttier aseeda. Butter can replace ghee, though ghee is what is used and gives the correct flavour.

What is the most important thing to get right in Aseeda?

Flour is beaten into boiling water rather than mixed cold. It thickens almost immediately into a very stiff mass. Put the water and salt into a heavy deep pot. Bring it to a rolling boil over a high heat. Set aside a mug of boiling water before you begin. You may need it later to loosen the dough.