Ladle ashure into bowls while it is hot and fluid, because it thickens as it cools and sets with a smooth, glossy surface; decorate each bowl after the ashure has cooled and its surface has firmed. Pomegranate sprinkled over hot ashure releases juice, and walnuts and hazelnuts sink. Cover bowls for sharing with neighbors after decorating them.
Ashure flows from the pot into a bowl and thickens there. The starch in the wheat passes into the water as it cooks and behaves like a liquid while hot; as it cools, the starch sets and the ashure becomes firm enough to cut with a spoon. That is why it is portioned while hot. Ashure spooned into bowls after cooling clumps, does not level out, and leaves marks stuck to the bowl’s rim even after they are wiped away. Fill the bowls as soon as the pot is taken off the heat. The ashure poured into a bowl spreads on its own and levels out; that smooth surface provides the base needed for decorating.
Wheat, chickpeas, and beans settle at the bottom of the pot, while the more watery part stays on top. Before filling each bowl, stir from the bottom of the pot upward so that each bowl gets the same proportion of grains. The dried fruit is distributed the same way; always scoop from the bottom so the first bowls are not watery and the last ones packed with grains. If the bowls are the same size, differences in portioning are less noticeable. Wipe ashure dripped on a bowl’s rim right away with a damp cloth, because it dries and leaves a mark as it cools.
Set the filled bowls side by side to cool, without stacking them. Leave them uncovered; a lid or plastic wrap over hot ashure traps steam and drips water onto the surface, dulling its glossy finish. As the ashure cools, a skin forms on the surface and then firms up. That is the cue to decorate: when a light touch with a fingertip leaves no mark, it is time. How and how long to store cooled ashure is the subject of a separate tip. The surface firms evenly if the bowls are kept in a cool, ventilated place. Refrigerate the ashure within 2 hours of cooking.
Choose toppings that contrast with the color of the ashure: pomegranate seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, crushed pistachios, coconut, and cinnamon. Add larger pieces such as pomegranate and walnuts first, and leave the finely sprinkled toppings until last. Add cinnamon last and sparingly; cinnamon sprinkled too early on a damp surface leaves dark spots. Build the pattern from the center of the bowl outward, and leave the rim bare so the toppings do not fall off while the bowl is carried. If pomegranate seeds are added just before serving, they will not release their juice onto the surface and will retain their color.
Ashure is a dessert made for sharing, and some of the bowls go to neighbors. Cover bowls for carrying after the decoration is complete; stretch plastic wrap across the top without letting it touch the surface so the decoration does not stick. Carry the bowls on a tray; a bowl carried individually in the hand can tilt. Returning the bowl with something in it is also considered part of this hospitality; put a piece of dessert or some nuts inside before returning it. If you need to write an address or name on a bowl, tuck the paper underneath the bowl, not on top.