Hello Foodies!

How are you all? I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your day.Winter has a special kind of charm. The cold weather makes us want to stay warm, enjoy cozy evenings with our family, and of course, eat something hot and delicious. During winter, I especially enjoy making traditional homemade dishes because they are not only tasty but also very comforting. A hot bowl of homemade food feels so satisfying when the weather outside is cold.

Today I am here with a traditional recipe that is perfect for winter. It is served hot and has a delicious combination of homemade noodles, lentils, chickpeas and flavorful spices. In our language, we call this dish Ash. It looks a little like noodles, but the way we prepare it is quite different.This is one of those dishes that reminds me of homemade food and family gatherings. When the Ash is cooking and the aroma of the spices fills the kitchen, you already know that something delicious is coming.

So, without taking more time, let’s start making this delicious traditional Ash.First, we will prepare the chickpeas and lentils. I had soaked the chickpeas beforehand, so I will boil them in a pressure cooker until they become completely soft. You can also cook them in a normal pot, but using a pressure cooker makes the process much easier and faster.

After that, I will wash the adas lentils properly and boil them separately until they become soft. You can also add red beans or lobia to this recipe if you like. Some people prefer adding different types of beans and lentils to Ash, but I did not use red beans this time.

Once the chickpeas and lentils are cooked and soft, keep them aside while we prepare the masala.Now heat some oil in a large pot and add finely sliced onions. Fry the onions nicely until they become light golden brown. Make sure not to burn them because nicely fried onions give a beautiful flavor to the whole dish.

When the onions become lightly brown, add about five crushed garlic cloves. Fry the garlic together with the onions until it becomes fragrant and slightly golden.Now we will add our spices. I am using a little mixed spice, a small amount of salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and dried dill.Be careful with the salt because we don't need too much in this recipe. Add only a small amount and you can adjust it later if needed.

Fry the spices with the onion and garlic for a short time. This helps release their aroma and gives the masala a much better taste.Now add five blended tomatoes. If you like your food spicy, you can also add a few green chilies at this stage.
Cook everything together nicely. Keep stirring occasionally and allow the tomatoes to cook until the oil starts separating from the masala. This step is very important because well-cooked tomato masala gives Ash a rich and delicious flavor.

Once the oil starts separating and the masala is nicely cooked, add water. I used about four glasses of water, but you can adjust the amount according to the quantity of Ash you are making.Bring the water to a good boil. Once it starts boiling, add the Ash pieces to the pot.

After adding the Ash pieces, add the boiled chickpeas and the cooked adas lentils as well. Mix everything gently so that the ingredients are evenly distributed.Now let everything cook together. As the Ash starts becoming soft, reduce the heat and put the pot on dum. Cover it properly and let it cook on low heat for around 30 minutes.

Cooking it slowly on dum allows the Ash pieces to become soft and also gives all the spices, lentils and chickpeas enough time to come together.After about half an hour, check the Ash. If everything is soft and properly cooked, you can add some yogurt if you like.Some people also add kashk to Ash. We also like adding kashk because it gives the dish a lovely tangy flavor and makes it even more delicious.

And finally, our homemade Ash is ready!
Serve it hot with fresh roti and enjoy it with your family. It is especially delicious during cold winter days when you want something warm, filling and comforting.I hope you enjoyed this traditional recipe and that you will try making it at home. If you try it, I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

Thank you so much for reading my recipe. I hope you all enjoyed it and I will see you again with another delicious recipe.