Aush

Ingredients

Pulses

• 100 gdried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 100 gdried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 100 gbrown or green lentils

Soup base

• 1large onion, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tspground coriander
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 2 tspsalt
• 2 litreswater

Qeema (optional but usual)

• 250 gminced lamb or beef
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tbspoil

Noodles

• 250 gflat wheat noodles, or fresh tagliatelle broken into 5 cm lengths

To finish

• 300 gchaka or thick strained yoghurt beaten with 1 crushed garlic clove
• 2 tbspdried mint
• 1 tspchilli flakes

Directions

1. Drain the soaked beans and chickpeas, cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer 50 to 60 minutes until tender to the bite; discard that water.
2. Fry the onion in the oil in a large pot over medium heat for 10 minutes, until deep golden, which is where the soup gets its sweetness.
3. Add the garlic, turmeric, coriander and pepper and fry 1 minute until fragrant, then the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes until the puree turns brick red.
4. In a separate pan brown the mince in its oil with the cumin for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp at the edges, then set it aside as the qeema topping.
5. Add the 2 litres of water and the salt to the pot, bring to a simmer, then add the cooked beans, chickpeas and the raw lentils, and cook 25 minutes until the lentils are collapsing and thickening the broth.
6. Break the noodles into the pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until soft; Afghan aush is not an al dente soup, and the starch is meant to thicken it to a stew.
7. Check the consistency. It should be thick enough that a spoon leaves a track, so add water if it has gone claggy or simmer it down if it is thin.
8. Ladle into bowls, spoon the qeema over the middle and swirl a large spoonful of garlicky chaka on top so it streaks white through the red.
9. Crush the dried mint between your palms over each bowl, add chilli flakes, and serve very hot with naan.

Technique

• Dried mint, not fresh, is not a substitution but a defining flavour of Afghan cooking. Crushing it to powder over the hot surface releases its oil in a way stirring it in does not.
• Aush is a winter dish and thickens as it stands. Afghan households make it in a huge pot and reheat it for days, loosening with water each time.
• Chaka goes on at the table, never boiled into the soup, or it will split and go grainy.

Substitutions

• No chaka: use full-fat Greek yoghurt beaten smooth with a little salt and garlic. Tinned beans and chickpeas save an hour, and are what most Kabul households abroad now use.

Variations

• Aush-e shorba is the soupier Herati version with more broth and less noodle.
• A meatless aush is standard on fasting days, with extra pulses in place of the qeema.
• Some cooks add chopped spinach or dill in the last five minutes for colour.

History

Noodle and bean soup of the Persian ash family, finished with qurut; eaten by Afghan and Hazara communities in Iran and Pakistan too.

Frequently asked questions

What is Aush?

Aush is a soup & stew from Afghanistan: noodle soup with beans, yogurt and dried mint. Noodle and bean soup of the Persian ash family, finished with qurut; eaten by Afghan and Hazara communities in Iran and Pakistan too.

How long does Aush take to make?

Aush takes 25 min plus overnight bean soak of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Aush?

Yes, within limits. No chaka: use full-fat Greek yoghurt beaten smooth with a little salt and garlic. Tinned beans and chickpeas save an hour, and are what most Kabul households abroad now use.

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

Chaka goes on at the table, never boiled into the soup, or it will split and go grainy.