Samanu Recipe (Persian Sweet Paste)

Samanu, also known as Samanak, Saman, and Samenobova, is a traditional Persian sweet food made from germinated wheat.

Although many other traditional foods are prepared during Nowruz, we will focus on how to cook Samanu.

Before diving into the instructions for cooking Samanu, it’s important to note that it is a time-consuming dessert that requires patience.

Due to this, many people prefer to buy Samanu from stores. If you are enthusiastic about making Samanu yourself, stay with us to learn how you can do it.

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Samanu Recipe

In the recipe of Samanu, there is no sugar, and it has a sweet taste. How it becomes sweet? The sweetness of Samanu comes from the germination of wheat.

During germination, wheat starches convert into sugar, giving it a unique flavor.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: iran

Ingredients

• 500 grams wheat                 
• 2 kg flour
• 3-4 liters water
• Nuts such as almonds (if you like)

Instructions

• Soak the wheat in cold water for 24-48 hours and change the water in the container thrice during soaking.
• Drain the water and wrap the wheat in a damp cloth. Keep the cloth moist for two days, allowing the wheat to sprout.
• Spread the sprouted wheat on a tray and cover it with a cloth. Allow it to grow for two or three days, ensuring the cloth remains damp. Please only leave them briefly because their color changes to dark and gives a bitter taste to Samanu.
• Once the wheat has grown, break off the sprouts and roots and squash them in the food processor. Use a filter to pour the squashed wheat and separate large wheat grains.
• In a large pot, mix the wheat puree with flour and water. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Continue cooking and stirring the mixture for approximately 3 to 4 hours or until it reaches a thick, paste-like consistency. It would help if you stirred continuously to avoid stick of it to the pot. The color of the Samanu will darken as it cooks.
• Then reduce the heat and allow the Samanu to lose water and reach its desired texture. In this step, you do not need to stir it frequently since it no longer sticks to the pot.
• Once the Samanu has reached the desired consistency, place a thick piece of cloth on the pot, allowing Samanu to gain darker color in low heat.
• After one hour, once its color becomes darker, please remove it from the heat and let it cool. Add almonds, walnuts, or pistachios as a garnish before serving.

Notes

Tips for a Perfect Samanu

• Before soaking wheat in cold water, clean them to make them pure and make the taste of Samanu delicious.
• Use cotton cloth while you want to keep wheat wet for a few days by sprinkling water on it until the wheat germinates. Green stems don't allow them to grow more, as it makes the taste of Samanu bitter.
• To enhance the color of your Samanu, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of animal fat (roghan heyvani) three hours before it finishes cooking.
• Be patient while cooking Samanu, as it requires a gentle flame and constant stirring.
• To decorate the Samanu and add some colors to the dessert, you can put some chopped walnut, pistachio, or almond once you want to serve it.

The Best way to serve Samanu

Samanu is a valuable and delicious dessert served in small bowls and garnished with nuts such as almonds and pistachios. Depending on how you want to design your dessert, you can use whole nuts or chop them up and sprinkle them on top. The dessert can be served either hot or cold.

If you prefer hot, heat it in the oven or on a gas stove before serving. If you prefer cold, you can refrigerate it after cooking and enjoy it whenever you like.

Health benefits of Samanu

Samanu dish is rich in valuable nutrients such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, etc., offering many health benefits for consumers.

Conclusion:

Samanu is a delicious and traditional Persian dish with tremendous cultural and historical significance. Although baking Samanu is simple, and you can make it with a few ingredients, it is time-consuming.

The result of patients brings you a unique and flavorful dessert perfect for celebrating Nowruz or enjoying any time of the year.

We hope you read this article helpful in the case of learning what Samanu dish is and how you can make it.

Have you eaten Samanu dish? If yes, did you like it?

Let us know in the comment section.