afghani cuisine

afghani cuisine

There is something special about Afghani food ,simple, colorful and tasty .

I love Afghani food  and I make these color full dishes all the time.

I remember my first Afghani dish was there rice and that’s was 12 years back ,I learn Afghani cooking from many people and the more I cook the more I feel good about it.

My best friend Sarah wardak  and their family teach me their special egg plant dish which is to die for. The rice topped with raisins and carrots and mantu   are the stars  of my table.

The creamy kofta with yellow lentils  and their yummy sweet dishes are out of this world.

Its not only food that I like there people are sweet wonderful and are friend for ever.

More of the dishes are based on meat .

Yummy melt in your mouth meat and kababs  are there everyday food along with rice and Afghani naan bread.

If you never eat Afghani food I will recommend to try their food it’s not spicy but it flavorful and yummy.

 

 Here are some picture which I took at there home ,and believe me when ever I go there I always find there table full of all these dish  even if its me alone.

This is the beautiful , unique, exotic food of my beloved Afghanistan so enjoy.

Khalid, s pesheweri karahi

                  Khalid, s pesheweri karahi

This is my sweetest brother Khalid recipe .he made this recipe few times when I was in peshewer.and believe me even after 12 years still I remember how he make it.

The delicate flavor of chicken and the wonderful combination of garlic and tomatoes make this dish extra special .

Serve it with home made naan ,salad and extra lemon just like we do in Peshawar and don’t to make  green tea to have a complete pesheweri lunch. just the way my brother Khalid khan likes it.   

Ingredients

1 chicken cut in-small portions

1/3-cup canola oil

4  green chili’s cut in half’s

5 medium size tomatoes

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1/4-cup water

6 cloves of garlic

Method:

Crushed the garlic and add to 1/3 cup of water, keep aside.

In karahi or wok, add oil and chicken and fry on medium heat stir frequently, add garlic water little by little. When the chicken is almost cooks add green chilies and chopped tomatoes and continue cooking.

stir, add salt and cook on high until the oil separates from tomatoes, sprinkle black pepper and serve with salad and naan bread.

Spinach Dal

When ever me and my husband go out for dinner or lunch we love to go few places again and again that’s because when you like something you want to eat it again and again.

And spinach dal is one of them .even ever we eat in Pakistani or Indian restaurant we ask them do they have sage dal .with warm naan and salad this is one special treat .

After my  husband got high cholesterol we try to eat clean home made food and I make this recipe in many different way ,but this is the one we both think the is the best .

Its creamy ,its spicy  and its healthy .so enjoy our favorite restaurant style spinach dal curry.

  

              Spinach Dal

INGREDIENTS

4 Tbs moong dal

1/2-cup red lentils/masoor dal

3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 small onion chopped

4 cloves garlic crushed

1tsp ginger paste

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp cumin seeds

1tbsp fenugreek leaves

8 curry leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

Soak dal for 20 minutes.

In sauce pan or pot add dal, ginger, salt, fenugreek leaves and turmeric powder and 1 cup water and boil it for 10 minutes add chopped spinach and cover on low flame.

Heat oil add cumin seeds, garlic, onion and cook it for 2 minutes add curry leaves and pour the mixture on dal serve with boil rice or naan enjoy.

Balti Gusht

                 

             Balti Gusht.

This thick creamy curry is now one of my favorites, And once you try you will know why.

Ingredients:

Medium size cuts of half chicken 

1/4-cup oil

1 tbsp ground coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp white pepper

2-cup tomato puree

2 medium size onion chopped

1 green chili minced

1/4-cup yogurt

Method:

Dry roast the cumin and coriander for 1 minute on low heat and then grind it in the grinder and keep aside.

Add oil and meat to the pot, cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes then add ginger Garlic paste, salt and rest of the spices, cook for 1 minute then add 1/4 cup of water and let it cook on low flame until the meat gets cooked (soft) then add tomato puree, ground masala, chili paste. Fry the onion until golden remove from oil  and blend in blender along with yogurt.

 Add onion and yogurt sauce to meat and Cook it uncover on high flame, stir frequently. Until the gravy get thick, serve with rice or Bread.

Achari Baingan

 

Achari Baingan

One of my favorite vegetable egg plant .there is something about this vegetable that make it stand out in the rest of vegetables .and when it cook this way .its like succulent pieces of this vegetable that melt your mouth. and the spices used in this recipe are all the pickle spices which make this recipe pickle like flavors  and go great with home made naan and raita .

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp onion seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 green chili

8 curry leaves

3 large tomatoes

2/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper.

Method:

Wash and cut egg plant in medium size cubes.

In a non stick frying pan or wok, add oil heat the oil add all the seeds add curry leaves and garlic, turmeric and egg plant let it cook while stir.

Add tomato and let it cook for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant get tender.

Method 2:

Fry eggplants on both sides and remove it from pan keep aside.

Add all the spices to frying pan with little oil fry for 1 minute then add curry leaves and tomatoes let it cook till the tomatoes become sauce, add fry egg plant and stir for5 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle black pepper and add salt.

Serve hot with home made roti and yogurt sauce.

Potato and cauliflower

There was time when cauliflower was not included in my favorites.

But I always enjoy my mom food even if it was cauliflower  she always cooks it with beef or goat meat .if you want to cook this with meat just omit the potato cook meat with all the spices add cauliflower and let it simmer until fully cooked.

cauliflower with potatoes is nice side dish for those meatless days or for vegetarian people .its very impressive how just simple vegetarian curry can make such nice meal .

             

  Potato and cauliflower

Ingredients

1/4-cup canola oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chili

 1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 cauliflower cut into small forests

2 small potatoes chopped

3tbsp  water

2 medium size tomatoes finely chopped[ optional ]

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion seeds

Method.

Heat the oil in large saucepan. add cauliflower and stir fry for 10 minutes then add potatoes and cover and let it cook slowly on low heat for ten more minutes.

Add cumin, and onion seeds and ginger stir then add  all the spices. 

Add  salt pepper stir constantly. Add water; let it simmer 5 minutes on high heat, until the water all dries. Add tomatoes and green chili and Cover and let it cook for 10 minutes on low. Or until the vegetable Get cooked and tender.

Serve with naan and garnish with cilantro and lemon.

Everyday white rice

Everyday white rice

There is something about rice versatile ,beautiful ,earthy and aromatic this small tiny  grains are precious than gold. and some time I feel rice is always  favorite in among all of us specially us ladies. in back home in every home people are divided in  bread and rice lovers. and if you notice that  all of Pakistani food is served with rice or bread.

We Pakistani are very particular about our rice. every grain of the rice must be stand separate in your plate .and elders always said the rice must be fully cooked but not hard and nor too soft or broken if I want to count each grain I can easily do it .

So here folks if you want to cook rice like Pakistani do then try this recipe and I am 100 percent sure even just this simple rice can be the jowls  on you table.

And if you want to serve it with vegetables, or meat or even dal you are good to go.

Hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

1-cup basmati rice

1 tsp salt.

2-cup water

1bay leave 

5 whole peppercorn 

1 tbsp canola oil.

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion finally sliced

Method:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes.

In a frying pan fry the onions until golden remove and keep aside.

Boil the rice in pot or rice cooker add salt cumin seeds and 1tbsp oil. Cook until water dries and rice become fluffy and cook serve hot and sprinkle fry onion serve with any meat curry and salad.