Samanu Recipe: Authentic Persian Wheat Pudding (For Nowruz)

Save

Samanu is a traditional Iranian dessert that is served in a special place on the Haft Sin table during Nowruz.
A dark brown dessert made by cooking wheat germ for hours in special large containers.
Semno is a sweet dessert that is prepared without sugar and other sweeteners and is very useful for the body.

Some of the benefits of Samanu include increasing energy, increasing breastfeeding in pregnant women, being beneficial for skin and hair, and preventing osteoporosis.
Due to the time-consuming preparation of this dessert at home, Samanoo is usually bought ready-made.
But today, I have brought you a recipe you can prepare and enjoy at home quickly.

Today in Meals Cook, we will teach you how to prepare this Persian dessert with wheat simply. Stay with us.

How to make samanu?

It can be said that we have a hard and long way to go to prepare this, but in the end, when it is ready, and you eat it, all the fatigue and hard work will be forgotten.

Samanu is one of the best and most memorable desserts of Nowruz Eid, which is usually found during Nowruz in most Iranian houses.

Save

Ingredient:

Save

Sangak bread flour	4 Cups
Wheat with skin	2.2 pound
Boiling water	2 glasses
Lukewarm water	4 glasses

Instruction:

1. First, I put the whole wheat with the skin on it in a container full of water. I let it soak for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the type of wheat, and then I changed the water.

2. After this, our wheat starts sprouting. Then, I drain the wheat and place it on a clean cloth. I have to visit this wheat and wet the cloth regularly.

Save

 

3. After two days, the roots of the wheat will come out, and it is ready to use. I put the wheat in the tray, and every once in a while, I wet the wheat with the spray.

Be careful not to collect water between the wheat and the tray; this will cause the wheat to sour. After two days, the wheat sprouts and turns green, and is ready to use.

Save

 

4. Then, we cut the wheat into pieces by hand and wash them. We put them in a mixer or meat grinder and grind them.

After that, I add water to this amount. I pass the wheat through a sieve and keep the wheat juice.

After taking completely strained wheat juice, we add about 7 liters of water to the pot containing the wheat juice.

 

Save

5. In this step, I mix wheat water and flour. I do this slowly and patiently so that the flour does not form balls. In the end, I have a smooth liquid without lumps of flour.

Save

6. At this stage, we put the ingredients in a large pot, put it on the heat, and start stirring for 1.5 hours. The heat should be high enough to boil, and then I reduce the heat.

Save

7. After 4 hours of cooking, this turns pale brown. There is still work to be done, and for another 4 hours, we have to heat and stir this so that the bottom doesn’t burn.

Save

8. Our samanoo is getting ready and thickening slowly. I add the almonds with skin to this.

Save

9. Almost 10 hours have passed since our cooking, and at this stage, we put a steamer or a cloth on the pot to let the samanoo brew. I put it on a very low heat for half an hour.

Save

10. After almost 11 hours, my Samanu is ready to be served. I pour this into another and decorate it with almond kernels.

Save

How do you eat samanu?

I usually eat it when it cools and hardens. If I’m very hungry, I eat it with stone bread or lavash bread. Overall, it is an excellent diet meal for weight gain.

This is a very tasty and nutritious dessert without sugar. If you have a sports diet, you can easily eat this nutritious dessert before training.

Samanoo is usually eaten for breakfast and dinner.
It is also one of the main elements of the Haft Sin table during Nowruz. It is the decoration of the Iranian Haft Sin table.

Save

My experience table:

Benefits:

Save

Golden tips :

Save

• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of roghan heyvani three hours before brewing Persian sweet paste to make this more colorful. This will make the color of this dessert good.
• The flame for cooking the Persian sweet paste must be gentle. You have to be patient to cook this dessert.
• In response to the question of how long this dessert should be on the gas, you should know that it needs a lot of time to cook and should stay on the gas for at least 8 to 10 hours.
• The reason for the elasticity of this dessert is the presence of wheat germ in it, which is rich in vitamins and has many properties for the health of the body.
• After cooking, it is time to decorate it. You can decorate this dessert with chopped walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
• If the thickness of the homemade dessert is too high, you can add some water to it and then let the dessert boil again.
• Only wheat germ is used to cook this homemade dessert without wheat flour.

 

The nutritional composition of the wheat grain varies somewhat with differences in climate and soil. On an average, the kernel contains 12 percent water, 70 percent carbohydrates, 12 percent protein, 2 percent fat, 1.8 percent minerals, and 2.2 percent crude fibres.

Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and small amounts of vitamin A are present, but the milling processes removes most of those nutrients with the bran and germ.

Sourced: britannica.com

 FAQ

1. How do I achieve the traditional reddish-brown color?

The secret lies in the cookware. Using a copper pot is the traditional method to give the pudding its signature dark, reddish hue (walnut color) and improve the final consistency. The copper reacts favorably with the ingredients during the long cooking process.

2. How long does the cooking process take?

This recipe requires patience. Once the mixture is placed on the heat, it typically needs to simmer and thicken for at least 3 to 4 hours to reach the perfect texture. Continuous stirring is key to preventing it from burning.

3. What type of flour is best for this recipe?

Authenticity requires whole wheat flour. In Iran, “Sangak bread flour” is the preferred choice because it adds the right texture and nuttiness to the dish. Avoid using highly processed white cake flour if you want the traditional taste.

4. Is there an English name for this dish?

It is often described as “Persian Wheat Germ Pudding”. It is a thick, brown paste that is naturally sweet, vitamin-rich, and serves as a vital centerpiece for the Haft-Sin table during the Persian New Year (Nowruz).

5. Why is this pudding considered a symbol of patience?

This ancient treat is made entirely from wheat germ without added sugar. The long stirring and cooking process symbolizes endurance and integrity, teaching that patience and hard work eventually lead to “sweet” results in life and culture.

Did you like this recipe?

• If you have experience eating this Persian dessert, please share your comments.
• If you are looking for a vegetarian dessert, I suggest this.
  
• You can ask me questions about Persian sweet paste in the comments. I will answer your questions as soon as possible.
• If you make this dessert and love the taste of it, please share your pic with us on Facebook & email.