Samanak is the Nowruz pudding made from sprouted wheat, and in Afghanistan making it is a gathering more than a recipe. The wheat is soaked, then spread on trays to sprout for days and watered every morning; the sprouts are ground, cooked with flour and stirred for hours over a fire lit before dawn, by women who take turns at the ladle and sing the samanak song while children dance around the pot. A few washed pebbles or walnuts go in, and each stirrer listens for the ladle knocking against them before passing it on. No sugar is added. As the wheat sprouts its starch turns to sugar, and the long, slow cooking darkens the pudding to a deep brown sweetness. Bowls go out to the neighbours.
Zone: Silk Road Table
INGREDIENTS
- 550 g whole wheat berries
- water (for soaking and sprouting)
- 1.4 litres water (for blending)
- 625 g plain flour
- a few walnuts in their shells (washed)
METHOD
- Cover the wheat berries with water and leave to soak for two days, changing the water each day.
- Drain, spread the grains on a tray and cover with a damp cloth. Keep them moist but not wet, sprinkling with water each morning, for about four days, until the shoots are about 1cm long and pale green.
- Blend the sprouts with the 1.4 litres of water in batches, then strain through a cloth into a large heavy pot, squeezing out as much liquid as you can.
- Whisk the flour into the liquid until smooth, add the walnuts and bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer for 8 to 9 hours, stirring from the bottom every 15 to 20 minutes and adding a splash of water if it becomes too thick, until the pudding is thick, dark brown and sweet.
- Leave to cool, then serve in small bowls.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Whole wheat berries (wheat grain) from health food shops, Middle Eastern grocers or online. Plain flour. A large heavy-based pot and a long wooden spoon. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Hard or soft wheat berries from Whole Foods, bulk bins or Persian grocers. All-purpose flour. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: Stir from the bottom every 15 to 20 minutes for the whole cook. Samanak catches easily, and a scorched base turns the whole pot bitter.
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