Aseed

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Aseed

July 25, 2010 by lamyaalmas

This is a dish that requires lots of muscle. If you make it for two or three people you might be able to manage on your own–if it is your first time–but for more than that you will need some extra muscles to help you make it. Make use of your husband or brother, or idle male in your household.

For the Aseed (the dough) will need:

1) 3 tblsp of yoghurt [optional]

2) 3 cups of white flour (I used Organic all purpose)

3) 2 cups of wheat flour (I also used Organic)

4) salt to taste

5) 3 tablespoons of olive oil (traditionally we use vegetable oil)

6) boiling water. Amount is as needed.

For the soup in the middle:

1) a whole chicken quartered (more chicken if you like–i usually roast the rest of the chicken, depending on t number of guesys I have)

2) 2 medium onions

3) a green jalapeno (or less if you do not like spicy food)

4) 2 cloves of garlic

5) half a bunch of cilantro

6) 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin

7) a tsp of ground coriander

8) 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

9) salt to taste

10) 1 tsp of concentrated tamarind ( you can get this from any East Asian or Middle Eastern store)

11) 1 tsp of tomato paste

For the Aseed:

Place a big pot on high heat and fill it with 5 cups of water. Let boil.SALT WELL, this is the only chance for you to add salt to the mixture. So, salt it well so that the dough has enough salt in it, or else it will taste very bland.

At the same time fill another medium sized pot with 1 cup of water, JUST WATER, and let it boil as well. Add the yoghurt and put in ALL the flour while mixing at the same time with a wooden rod (you can get this from Yemen for the purpose, they call it Mu’sod), if you do not have one you can use a STURDY wide but thick wooden spoon. It has to be sturdy so it does not break. Keep on mixing in a circular motion, and vertical motion. It will be easier for you if you bring the pot down to the floor, get on your knees, and lean it against a corner of your kitchen and steady it by pushing your knees against the pot. Hold it firmly in place. But make sure to place a pot holder between your knees and the pot and make sure you put a pot holder underneath so you don’t burn your kitchen floor. Mix for a good 5 minutes. Keep on adding a little water from the salty boiling water (1/4 cup at a time) from the other pot and continue to mix. You want it to be a thick dough, but manageable in the sense that you can mix it with the wooden spoon. It should not be soupy, or too soft.

After five minutes of mixing add a little more water to it (1/4 cup at a time), mix it in and then place it back on the stove on medium heat and let it cook.It will start to bubble. Keep on mixing and mixing and mixing for about half an hour–either on the stove or take it down to the floor. In Yemen we take down to the floor. Add a little water as you go by, and mix again. Then stop adding any water, and let it cook for another 15 minutes until it bubbles with difficulty, because it remember it is nice and thick but silky smooth. When it is done it will start to pull from the side of the pot, that means it is ready.

Grease a big serving plate and arrange in in the same shape as the picture above. Make sure to grease your hands with the olive oil as you arrange it on the plate, otherwise it will stick to your fingers. Make a hole in the middle for the special sauce .

This is how you make the sauce:

In a medium sized pot add 2 tblsp of oilive oil. Add the chicken and fry briefly. While the chicken is frying, in a blender place the vegetable with half a cup of water and blend well. Basically liquidize. Pour into pot onto the chicken and let boil for about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind and spices and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of water, cover and let boil for about 10 minutes on simmer. Then add the tomato paste and cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve immediately with hot Aseed.

Note: we also serve fenugreek (Hulba) traditionally with this dish. We spoon it in the middle. For the recipe please go to the following link: Hulbah

Enjoy making it and eating it. It’s a winner in

Posted in Yemeni Dishes | 49 Comments

49 Responses

on October 20, 2010 at 3:22 am | Reply aaisha

I love this stuff! And you are the only one online with it! All the others are a different type. Anyways I tried to make it and I failed=( it tasted like really gross flour and yuk! Also it didnt have the same texture as it should..not sure what happened
- on October 20, 2010 at 7:39 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Did you let it cook enough aasiha? What i mean is that did you add water, mix in well, and then leave on the stove to cook. You keep on doing that, until the flour is cooked and the texture is as you want it to be. Let me know if if you need more help okay–i can explain it some more. I know it is DELICIOUS :) In fact i am thinking of making it today, you got me in the mood.
  - on October 20, 2010 at 9:41 am aaisha
    
    not exactly sure. I did do as the directions said stirred for half hour and then left it for 15 minutes. Although it wasnt completely pulling from the pot as you said. I just wasnt sure. Also I think it was more runny then it should have been. But it seemed the longer it cooked the thinnner it got! I dont know exactly what part I messed up on to ask for help hehe=(
    But jazak Allah khair for helping I dont know of any yemeni women who share recipes;) It always ends up in endless internet searches.
  - on October 20, 2010 at 1:19 pm Dr. Lamya Almas
    
    Yeah, i know. Most Yemeni food is learned better through SIGHT–flours differ from one country to another, brand to another, and we use A LOT of flour. But listen, you probably added too much water and if that happens then leave it on the stove more and let it bubble, and for the water to evaporate. Maybe i should make it and take pictures of the process, so you can all follow better. Just know my dear, that Aseeda is just something that gets better as you make it time after time. Not one of the things that you get right from the first time. So, don’t be discouraged. If there is another Yemeni recipe you would like, let me know insha Allah okay :)
on October 21, 2010 at 8:25 pm | Reply aaisha

ok jazak Allah khair!You have been so helpful! I will try it again inshaAllah and see what happens. I do know some yemeni food is something you seem to get better at over time. Maybe a different flour may help I will let you know of any recipes in the future and also if I ever get it right=P. inshaAllah
on January 4, 2011 at 11:33 am | Reply nado

jazak Allah khair for the recipe . Worked out great .
on March 18, 2011 at 9:22 pm | Reply Tonight’s Dinner News – Yemen « Dinner Table Diplomacy

[…] Aseed – Dumpling in tamarind and tomato gravy with a warning to have strong helpers. […]
on July 3, 2011 at 12:51 pm | Reply Ashley

do you add gravy to the soup? also do you add flour to it to make it thick?
- on July 3, 2011 at 5:45 pm | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  I don’t add flour– but some do to thicken the soup. I changes the flavor somewhat — hence i leave it out.
on July 28, 2011 at 3:06 am | Reply indah alwahdy

assalammualikum sister…ilove ur blog, i am indonnesian and my husband is yemeni from aden, so i love to learn about the yemeni food, thank you for sharing the recipe, btw i was looking aseeda recipe but what my mother in law made was sweet one , do you have the recipe for that , because i love it and my mother in law lives far away from me so i coldnt ask her as well, thank you , wish you ramadhan mubarak
- on July 28, 2011 at 9:42 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Wa Alaikum Assalaam Indah :) Nice to hear from you. Can you describe your mother-in-laws Aseeda to me? Was it white, made with milk and eaten with honey. Or did it have dates? Ramadan Mubarak to you as well, may it be a blessed month for you and your family Insha Allah.
- on October 14, 2012 at 4:57 pm | Reply naplesyafa
  
  yummy! i know what you’re talking about. my mom use to make it for supper in the winter months. it’s super-dooper easy! very few ingredients & steps. do you still want the recipe? i can maybe make a video of it for you if you’d like :)
on July 31, 2011 at 2:38 pm | Reply indah alwahdy

Dear sister, yes it was white but i am not sure if its made with milk but i think she put ghee on it , yes it was eating with honey in the middle,if i am not mistake, first she roasted the flour until it is cook then she added sugar , water, something like that but i totally did not pay attention that time so just forget what was the inggridients of that, so maybe you know about that and can give me the recipe and how to do it, thank you very much for your kind, i am really happy i found your blog :)
- on July 31, 2011 at 11:52 pm | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Will try and find out insha Allah–i have had the same but with some Ethiopian sisters. But i am sure it’s also made SOMEWHERE in Yemen. Do you know where your mother in law is originally from, that is where from Yemen exactly? That should help Insha Allah.
on August 1, 2011 at 6:22 am | Reply indah alwahdy

dear sister thank you for your quick response, my husband family is from aden, i think it’s south yemen, i will wait for your another recipe , thanks again…
on August 8, 2011 at 3:36 pm | Reply aaisha

@indah alwahdy and Dr. Lamya Almas I think it may be called Shuraba. Spelling is off I am sure. It is like milky with chunks in it and you put semn over it. Hope this helps, if I am correct anyways.
- on August 8, 2011 at 9:35 pm | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Yes, I know it. Will make sure I have it on here insha Allah soon :D
  - on July 5, 2012 at 11:01 pm gege
    
    sounds like mashadakha or is tht another name for shuraba?
  - on July 6, 2012 at 7:23 am Dr. Lamya Almas
    
    I have no clue. I am from Aden. Maybe in another location in Yemen they call it that.
on September 28, 2011 at 2:16 pm | Reply RACHAEL

outstanding the best food i’ve tasted in my life. bravo!
on March 4, 2012 at 9:23 am | Reply ameerah

my husband loves making Aseed it taste amazing i have been trying to find a website with a clear image of Aseed and finally i was able to find it! thank you!
- on March 4, 2012 at 9:24 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Glad I could help Sister Ameerah. Let me know how it turns out. Once I make it again, will try and take pictures of the process insha Allah and post for you all.
on May 29, 2012 at 1:19 am | Reply sarah

I will have to try this recipe, we don’t add yogurt when making the aseed or many of the spices you added but I will definitely try, the spices would make it very flavorful but I never tried the yogurt, is this plain yogurt? It looks really delish.
- on May 30, 2012 at 6:02 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  We don’t add yogurt except to the Luqmah which is Yaf3ee Asseda. You will find it among the other Aseed that I made.
on July 5, 2012 at 9:25 pm | Reply gege

you blend the onions in the mixer?
- on July 6, 2012 at 7:22 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Yes I do.
on October 14, 2012 at 5:21 pm | Reply naplesyafa

thanks :) we had this at a north yemen restaurant here, my dad loved it. my moms from the south so she doesn’t know how to make it, neither does anyone in her family.

it’s a lot of work, but we used the dough base of the yafa one that my mother makes, my dad just wanted the dark soup & white sauce (he said the base tastes the same as the one my mom makes for another recipe – much quicker/simpler). it went well together! he said it tasted no different. his family comes over sundays for a late lunch/early dinner & some of them really enjoyed it (some because we didn’t make a lot, we already had a lot of Italian food, my dads side is italian)

thank you :) i had a great time making and tweaking this with my dad. he’s an amazing cook. and he loves the soup part the most. he said its different (the coriander, cinnamon and tamarind, we don’t usually use those in soups lol)
- on October 15, 2012 at 11:50 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Yes i know you don’t. This is the North Yemeni style. I have the Yaf’ee one somewhere on the blog that my best friend, who is from Yaf’ee taught me. They don’t use the tamarind you are right.
  But i REALLY love this one , and my husband does too even though he is 100% Yaf’ee.
  
  Lamya
on November 17, 2012 at 11:10 am | Reply bella

Whenever they made this dish when I was visiting folks while I stayed in Yemen I’d immediately take a small tea spoon and begin scooping off pieces of the wheaty dough (like making a Quenelle: a culinary term for using two spoons that are rolled under each other to create an oblong shape for a dumpling or ice cream) I them threw them into my warm beef broth “Shorba” before everyone dug their fingers into it.

Everyone did look at me with an odd expression, that’s for sure.
- on November 17, 2012 at 11:14 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  I am sure they did!
  I like being huddled around it with family. It’s one of my favorites as long as every one keeps to their spot.
  
  Lamya
on December 2, 2012 at 8:19 am | Reply susan

Anyone know how to make the zoum for aseeda
- on October 14, 2013 at 1:18 am | Reply Tikra dahan
  
  Susan the zoum we make in ibb is we take Laban (7aqen) put it in a pot in med heat with a whisk take flour a whisk it in u start by hand full depending how much 7aqen u have
  U will see it thicken a lil add salt to ur taste let it come to boil n let it cook for about 2 mins some ppl like to add shathab for a flavor in the end add lil samen balady.
on May 25, 2013 at 6:54 pm | Reply kitty

Napleyafa. Do have that recipe that you can post here for your mother’s dough base recipe that is easier? I would sure appreciate it. Thank You.
- on May 26, 2013 at 12:29 pm | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Sure. But I don’t know what dough recipe are you talking about? Or maybe you meant this message for someone who commented on the recipe. Let me know.
  
  Lamya
on June 25, 2013 at 11:18 pm | Reply Shaima

The way I was taught to do aseeda I feel is actually simple the only ingredients are salt white flour and wheat flour is what I use healthier I feel. And boil water with about a cup of white flour let it bubble stirring it with a whisk every 30 sec. then I add both flour and start stirring it . Till it gets to hard then I add water and let it bubble then I stir agian. This time till it cooks. And yes it is a thing the one must see how its done to fully understand how to make it. But that is how my family in Sanaa make it and I like it better this way my preference.
- on July 8, 2013 at 10:48 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  I make the Yaf3ee Aseed that way. Exactly as you described. Only the types of flour are different.
  
  I guess as long as the result comes out great, it doesn’t really matter what process you go through–in all cases the ingredients are pretty much the same and the tools but it is the process that is a little different. The outcome though is the same.
  
  Thanks for sharing.
  
  Lamya
on January 27, 2015 at 5:11 am | Reply Shubhra

Hi Dr. Lamya, I have been doing some research on Yemeni food one gets in Hyderabad, in India, among the Yemeni community settled here for almost 200 years. Here I found mention of an Aseed that is sweet and is made with dates (and jaggery – but that may be an Indian addition), it lasts for days and is more like a travelling food. Here is now made in some homes on Bakr Eid. Would you know of any such Aseed?
- on February 12, 2015 at 12:49 pm | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Hi –
  Yes, i have heard of it before. I think in Hadramawt they make it often. I’ve seen a few recipes of it, but i haven’t tried it. I hope to try in Insha Allah soon. Once i do i will post it.
  
  Lamya
on December 1, 2015 at 6:07 pm | Reply sarah

I need help my husband is yemni
- on January 14, 2016 at 11:41 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Hello Sarah,
  
  What do you need help with? A particular recipe?
  
  Lamya
on January 8, 2016 at 4:11 pm | Reply Sophia Baras

Hi Lamya ,,
there is also Hadrami Asseda ,which usually served with honey and sesame oil, i used to eat it when my mother do it particularly in Eid ,early morning and she prepares it then she dedicates it to all our beloved dead ones .
thanks a lot
- on January 14, 2016 at 11:38 am | Reply Dr. Lamya Almas
  
  Hi Sophia,
  Yes, i have seen it before but haven’t tasted it. I should get cracking in the kitchen and see if i can come up with it In Sha Allah.
  Thank you so much for writing in and for your continuous support and encouragement.
  
  Lamya
on January 17, 2016 at 7:57 pm | Reply Zhoum — زوم | A Yemeniyah's Recipes

[…] Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend well. Then take the small saucepan and place under high heat, and pour the blended ingredients and start vigorously whisking continuously. Do not stop or the contents might develop stubborn lumps that will be very hard to get rid of. Once it starts boiling and thickening then turn it off. It should coat a tablespoon. Serve hot over Aseed either alone or with the brown sauce detailed here. […]
on October 19, 2017 at 3:33 pm | Reply Jannat

I’m so glad I found your site. There are lots ideas for me to try. My husband is Yemeni, and I have learned to cook many dishes, including aseed, from his family. Alhamdulillah I. Found your site because I was looking for a way to cook the meroc (مرق) or broth without a key ingredient his family uses – basl aswad or black onion. Everyone in his family including their friends and family seem to use it. It is a black onion powder that I have only ever got from them, and they in turn got it from someone in Yemen. The only problem is, I no longer live near them and don’t have a resource for it when mine runs out. Have u tasted it? Does broth made your method taste similar? Thanks.
- on December 21, 2017 at 11:32 am | Reply lamyaalmas
  
  Hello Jannet,
  I don’t use the black onion. Simply because I can’t find it here. It tastes just as good without it.
  Lamya
on February 13, 2021 at 12:55 pm | Reply Nashwan

Shouldn’t Aseed be made of Sorghum flour white or red? only Jinn east wheat flour Aseed!
- on August 21, 2022 at 12:45 pm | Reply lamyaalmas
  
  Every read in Yemen use their own flour. It’s a preference. Some don’t like the texture of sorghum flour.
  I did not know that Jinn came from the east, or that they at wheat flour LOL !
on March 25, 2022 at 3:47 am | Reply Jordan

So I’m half Arabic and my father used to make this stuff all the time but now we don’t live with him anymore and I can’t make it because I can’t find a stick to stir anyone know a good site I can get one cause I really miss eating aseed it’s my favorite food in the world
- on August 21, 2022 at 12:40 pm | Reply lamyaalmas
  
  I would use a sturdy wooden spoon, or if you go to a Middle Eastern or Turkish store get a sturdy but thin rolling pin. A wooden one. Hope that helps. If I find any sites, I will let you know.