Ash-E Haft Daneh - Persian 7 Edible Bean Hearty Soup - Mehregan Festival Recipe

Mehregan/Mehr is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating the start of the beautiful autumn season. With its vibrant foliage, crisp days, as well as harvesting of crops, مهرگان (Mehregan) is traditionally celebrated a few days later on the get-go hateful solar daytime of autumn (Autumnal Equinox) on the tenth hateful solar daytime of  (Mehr) (the 7th calendar month of the Iranian calendar). In the past, festivities would final for several days. Opinions nearly the exact engagement of Mehregan may differ since the historical records present that the engagement has been changed a few times throughout history. The wordمهر "Mehr" inwards Mehregan agency 'sun, kindness, dearest as well as friendship' inwards Persian. جشن مهرگان Jashn-e Mehregan is attributed to Mithra/Mehr, the goddess of the Sun as well as brightness as well as also the angelic divinity of friendship, judge as well as oath dating dorsum to the ancient organized faith of Zoroastrianism. One of the most valuable lessons of prophet Zartosht (Zoroaster), that is yet cherished today, is his teachings of expert thoughts, expert words as well as expert deeds.

Mithra Slaying the bull, Metropolitan Museum of Art

It's also believed that Mehregan marks the triumph of Kaveh Ahangar, the blacksmith who fought the tyrant virile somebody monarch Zahak as well as defeated him, saving the people from his cruel reign which resulted inwards the crowning of Fereydun every bit virile somebody monarch inwards the epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings), written yesteryear the nifty Western Farsi poet Ferdowsi. Therefore, Mehregan is also considered a hateful solar daytime when expert destroys evil, a mutual thread inwards many sometime Iranian fables.

 Freydun defeats Zahak

Growing up, my work solid unit of measurement celebrated Nowruz (Persian New Year) as well as Yalda (the longest night) every yr to a greater extent than grand than the yr before. However, I don't pick out whatsoever recollection of whatsoever Mehregan celebrations. I can't think of a item argue why nosotros didn't celebrate Mehregan at domicile other than maybe the timing of it beingness inconvenient for my parents. The get-go hateful solar daytime of autumn is the get-go hateful solar daytime of schoolhouse inwards Iran. My approximate is that for my parents having to bargain amongst a bunch of kids as well as getting each of us ready for schoolhouse must pick out been overwhelming plenty simply about that fourth dimension of year! And then when the dust was settled Mehregan had come upwardly as well as went. Now, to a greater extent than than ever, I'm passionate nearly paying a long overdue ode to this centuries-old Iranian festival for the purpose of introducing it to my children every bit good every bit others as well as preserving it for time to come generations. Plus, nosotros tin ever exercise a fiddling to a greater extent than mehr, calorie-free as well as expert cheer inwards our lives. This festival also serves every bit a necessary reminder that similar to how the struggles as well as efforts of Kaveh Ahangar came to fruition beautifully, nosotros besides tin overcome our personal challenges as well as obstacles.

Food is an integral exercise of most celebrations as well as Mehregan is no exception. On this date, fresh fruits such every bit grapes, pomegranate, apples, quince, figs as well as persimmon were served along amongst an assortment of nuts, dried fruits, sweets as well as rosewater. In my interrogation for a Mehregan principal dish I came across the  آش هفت غله - Ash-e Haft Daneh (seven edible bean soup) inwards a few written records of a typical mehregan feast. And inwards my bespeak for preserving traditions I decided to recreate this recipe which was maybe i time served on our ancestral sofreh (spread).

I chose to telephone yell upwardly it a vii edible bean soup but this is to a greater extent than than simply a soup as well as it's to a greater extent than than simply beans.
آش هفت دانه - Ash-e haft daneh is a combination of beans, seeds, whole wheat as well as some vegetables. The principal ingredients inwards the master copy recipe were listed every bit wheat, barley, rice, chickpeas, lentils, mung beans as well as millet. There are many dissimilar variations of this traditional ash (stew/soup). You tin brand this soup amongst lamb shank or lamb/beef stock as well as add together vegetables such every bit parsley, cilantro, chives/leeks, spinach as well as dill. However, since this is a hearty as well as flavor-packed soup I didn't think adding whatsoever sort of meat was necessary. Also, it is not loaded amongst vegetables similar ash-e reshteh as well as it does non pick out noodles either. I replaced millet as well as mung beans amongst ii other kinds of beans as well as used tomatoes for added flavor.

Ash-e Haft Daneh

Ingredients:
Serves 8

1/2 loving cup chickpeas
1/2 loving cup pinto beans
1/2 loving cup white beans
1/2 loving cup lentils
1/2 loving cup pearl barley
1/2 loving cup bulgur
1/3 loving cup rice
2 large tomatoes, grated
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch chives or scallions/leeks, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Juice of a lemon
Water

For Topping:

Piaz Dagh:
1 large onion, thinly sliced
iii large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Oil

Liquid kashk (whey) or yogurt

Method:

1. Place the chickpeas, pinto beans, white beans as well as barley inwards a large bowl, rinse, add together a quart of water, soak for 6 hours.
2. Drain as well as house inwards a large pot.
3. Rinse the rice, lentils as well as bulgur as well as add together to the pot.
4. Add H2O to comprehend yesteryear at to the lowest degree ii inches, convey to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, attain for i lx minutes over medium-low heat.
5. Add the grated tomatoes amongst their juices to the pot. 
6. Heat 1/4 loving cup vegetable fossil oil inwards a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions, saute for xx minutes until golden, add together the garlic as well as turmeric as well as saute for some other 2-3 minutes. Add the dried mint, saute for an additional infinitesimal or two. 
7. Add parsley, chives as well as 1/2 of the sauteed onions to the pot. Add tabular array salt as well as pepper. Cover as well as attain for some other 45-50 minutes on depression rut or until the beans are all rattling tender. Add lemon juice toward the halt of cooking. Add to a greater extent than H2O if needed as well as adapt the seasoning.

Ladle ash into a serving bowl as well as top amongst kashk as well as fried onion. Serve hot amongst warm breadstuff as well as yogurt.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grouping of Iranian nutrient bloggers pick out prepared delicious recipes to celebrate the ancient Western Farsi Festival of Mehregan. Please depository fiscal establishment jibe out the next links:

Mehregan 2014 Round Up:

Ahu Eats: Badoom Sookhte Torsh
All Kinds of Yum: Jeweled Carrot Salad
Bottom of the Pot: Broccoli Koo Koo
Cafe Leilee: Northern Iranian Pomegranate Garlic as well as Chicken Stew
Coco inwards the Kitchen: Zeytoon Parvardeh
Della Cucina Povera: Ghormeh Sabzi
Family Spice: Khoreshteh Kadoo | Butternut Squash Stew
Fig & Quince: Festive Western Farsi Noodle Rice & Roasted Chicken Stuffed amongst Yummies 
for Mehregan
Honest as well as Tasty: Loobia Polo | Beef as well as Green Bean Rice
Lab Noon: Adas Polo Risotto
Lucid Food: Sambuseh
Marjan Kamali: Persian Ice Cream amongst Rosewater as well as Saffron
My Caldron: Anaar-Daneh Mosamma | Pomegranate Stew
My Western Farsi Kitchen: Keshmesh Polow | Western Farsi Raisin Rice
Noghlemey: Parsi Dal Rice Pie
Parisa's Kitchen: Morasa Polow | Jeweled Rice
Sabzi: Ash-e Mast, Yogurt Soup amongst Meatballs
The saffron Tales: Khoresht-e Gheimeh
Simi's Kitchen: Lita Turshisi | Torshi-e Liteh | Tangy aubergine pickle
Spice Spoon: Khoresht-e-bademjaan
The Unmanly Chef: Baghali Polow ba Mahicheh 
ZoZoBaking: Masghati

روز مهر  و ماه مهر و جشن فرخ مهرگان 

مهر بفزا ای نگارماه چهر مهربان 

مهربانی کن به جشن مهرگان و روز مهر

مهربانی کن به روز مهر و جشن مهرگان  

  

مسعود سعد سلمان

Happy Mehr & Happy Mehregan!

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