Afghanistan has a wide varying terrain allowing for many different crops. Afghan cuisine is largely based upon the nation's chief crops: cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice. Accompanying these staples are dairy products (yogurt, whey), various nuts, and native vegetables, and fresh and dried fruits; Afghanistan is well known for its grapes. Afghanistan's culinary specialties reflect its ethnic and geographic diversity and has similarities with neighboring Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan as well as the Indian subcontinent. Its cuisine is close to that of the Middle-East and South-Central Asia.
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General information
Although Afghan food may vary between regions, similarities exist. Fresh yogurt, cilantro, garlic, onions, scallions, tomatoes, potatoes, and fruit are widely available in all parts of Afghanistan and are used in preparing foods. Fruits, fresh and dried, form an important part of the Afghan diet, especially in the rural areas. Afghanistan produces exceptionally high quality fruits, notably grapes, pomegranates, apricots, berries, and plums. These fruits have traditionally been Afghanistan's main food exports. Dried nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and pine nuts are both very popular and plentiful in Afghanistan. Exceptional varieties of oranges, known locally as "Malta" are grown in the warm climate of Nangarhar province. Olive oil is also produced in Nangarhar province but for local and national consumption only. Herbs and spices used in Afghan cuisine include mint, saffron, coriander, cilantro, cardamom, and black pepper. Lamb and chicken are the preferred meats. When available, meat is widely consumed. Afghan cuisine emphasizes well-balanced tastes. Food should be seasoned but neither too spicy nor too bland. Contrasts are emphasized.
Kabul influence on Afghan cuisine
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is a multi-ethnic city and has always been so. As the seat of government for the Afghan kings, food was an important part of royal life. Chefs were commissioned from all over the empire and places afar. They are credited for creating a myriad of dishes, blending different styles and in the process creating the best examples of true Afghan cooking. Their creations include exotic kormas, palaos, sumptuous rice dishes, desserts, and other creative items. These royal chefs passed down their art to the aristocratic denizens of Kabul and they in turn to others. Several attempts were made to record the arts of the royal chefs. Two have been published. The first one, published in Afghanistan in the early 1900s recorded the ingredients and cooking styles of Afghanistan's monarchy. The second, called Aushpazi, by Wali Zikria, published in the United States in English, during the early 1990s, was essentially the cookbook of one of Afghanistan's royal houses.
Table spread
Known as the dastarkhan or sofrah, the table spread is an important expression of culture in Afghanistan. Regardless of economic status, creating an adequate destarkhan is important to any family, especially when having guests. A large cloth will most likely be spread over a traditional rug in the living area or on a formal dining table. Most likely a young member of the family will present a "aftabah wa lagan", a copper basin and elaborate pot filled with water for the household to wash their hands in. He or she will go around the destarkhan to each member, pour water over the hands. Soap is provided, as is a drying cloth. The destarkhan is then dutifully filled with breads, accompaniments, relishes, appetizers, main courses, salads, rice, and fruits. Arrangement of foods is important when having guests; they must have easy access to the specialty foods. Young children are taught how to spread a good destarkhan and will be busy helping their parents.
Breads and accompaniment
There are mainly three types of Afghan bread:
- Naan - Literally "bread". Thin, long and oval shaped, its mainly a white/whole wheat blend. Topped with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, or some combination of these. Upon request, customers may be able to get all white flour and a helping of oil, which makes it rich and delicious.
- Obi Non - Uzbek-style bread. Shaped like a disc and thicker than naan. Usually made with white flour.
- Lavash - Very thin bread. Similar to the Lavash elsewhere. Usually used as plating for meats and stews.
Accompaniments may include:
- Torshi - Various pickled fruits (i.e., peaches, lemon) and vegetables (eggplant, garlic) mixed with vinegar and spices.
- Chatney - Pepper sauces. Usually made with vinegar, fresh cilantro, chili peppers, and sometimes tomato paste.
Rice dishes
Rice dishes are the "king" of all foods in Afghanistan. The Afghans have certainly taken much time and effort in creating their rice dishes, as they are considered the best part of any meal. Wealthier families will eat one rice dish per day. The Afghan royalty spent much time on rice preparation and invention as evidenced in the sheer number of rice dishes in their cookbooks. Weddings and family gatherings must feature several rice dishes and certainly reputations can be made in the realm of rice preparation. The types of rice prepared are outlined below.
Chalow
White rice. Extra long grains such as Basmati is required. First parboiled, then drained, and finally baked in an oven with some oil, butter, and salt. This method creates a fluffy rice with each grain separated, unlike Chinese or Japanese rice. Chalow is served mainly with qormas (stews or casseroles)
Palao
Cooked the same as chalow, but either meat & stock, qorma, herbs, or a combination are blended in before the baking process. This creates elaborate colors, flavors, and aromas for which some rices are named after. Examples include:
- Palao - The national dish, meat and stock added, topped with fried raisins, slivered carrots, pistachios.
- Yakhni Palao - meat & stock added. Creates a brown rice
- Zamarod Palao - Spinach qorma mixed in before the baking process, hence 'zamarod' or emerald.
- Qorma Palao - Qorm'eh Albokhara wa Dalnakhod mixed in before the baking process
- Bore Palao - Qorm'eh Lawand added. Creates a yellow rice.
- Bonjan-e-Roomi Palao - Qorm'eh Bonjan-e-Roomi (tomato qorma) added at baking process. Creates a red rice.
- Serkah Palao - Similar to yakhni palao, but with vinegar and other spices.
- Shebet Palao - Fresh dill, raisins added at baking process.
- Narenj Palao - A sweet and elaborate rice dish made with saffron, orange peel, pistachios, almonds and chicken.
- Maash Palao - A sweet and sour palao baked with mung beans, apricots, and Bulgur (a kind of wheat). Exclusively vegetarian.
- Alou Balou Palao - Sweet rice dish with cherries and chicken.
Sticky Rices
Boiled medium grain rice cooked with its meat, herbs, and grains. Because the water is not drained, it forms a sticky rice texture. Notable dishes include Mastawa, Kecheri Qoroot, and Shola. When white rice is cooked to a sticky consistency it is called bata, and is usually eaten with a qorma, such as Sabzi (spinach) or Shalgham (turnips).
Qorma
Qorma is a stew or casserole, usually served with chalow. Most qormas are onion-based. Onions are fried, then meat is added, as are a variety of fruits, spices, and vegetables depending on the recipe. Finally water is added and left to simmer. The onion 'crystallizes' and creates a richly colored stew. There exist over 100 qormas. Below are some exceptional examples.
- Qorma Alou-Bokhara wa Dalnakhod - onion based, with sour plums, lentils, and cardamom. Veal or chicken.
- Qorma Nadroo - onion based, with yogurt, lotus roots, cilantro, and coriander. Lamb or veal.
- Qorma Lawand - onion based, with yogurt, turmeric, and cilantro. Chicken, lamb, or beef.
- Qorma Sabzi - sauteed spinach and other greens. Lamb
- Qorma Shalgham - onion based, with turnips, sugar; sweet and sour taste. Lamb.
Pasta
Pasta is called "khameerbob" in Afghanistan and is exclusively in the shape of dumplings. These native dishes are wildly popular. Due to the time-consuming process of creating the dough for the dumplings, it's rarely served at large gatherings such as weddings, but for more special occasions at home:
- Mantu - A dish of Uzbek origin. Dumplings filled with onion & ground beef. Mantu is steamed and usually topped with a tomato-based sauce and a yogurt or qoroot-based sauce. The yogurt-based topping is usually a mixture of yogurt, sour cream, and garlic. The qoroot based sauce is made of goat cheese and is also mixed with garlic. Sometimes a qoroot and yogurt mixture will be used. The dish is then topped with dried mint.
- Ashak - Kabul dish. Dumplings filled with leeks. Boiled and then drained. Ashak is topped with garlic-mint qoroot or a garlic yogurt sauce and a well seasoned ground meat mixture.
Each family or village will have its own version of mantu and ashak, which creates a wide variety of dumplings.
Kebab
Afghan kebab is most often found in restaurants and outdoor vendor stalls. Sometimes they are put into shishas. Families rarely serve homemade kebab in their home due to the need of inaccessible equipment. The most widely used meat is lamb. Recipes differ with every restaurant, but Afghan kebab is usually spiced with salt only, and served with naan, rarely rice. Customers have the option to sprinkle sumac, locally known as ghora, on their kebab. The quality of kebab is solely dependent on the quality of the meat. Pieces of fat from the sheep's tail (jijeq) are usually added with the lamb skewers to add extra flavor.
Other popular kebabs include lamb chops, ribs, kofta (ground beef) and chicken; all of which are found in better restaurants.
Chapli kebab, a specialty of eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a spicy fried hamburger. The original recipe of chapli kebab dictates a half meat (or less), half flour mixture, which renders it lighter in taste, and less expensive.
Afghan food items
- Afghan Kufta (meatballs)
- Afghan Kadu Bouranee (Sweet Pumpkins)
- Afghan Spice Rub
- Ashak (vegetable and chive-filled dumplings topped with tomato and yogurt sauces)
- Aush (hand made Noodles)
- Bichak (small turnovers with various fillings, including potato and herb, or ground meat)
- Shorwa (Afghan soup) similar to borscht
- Dolma Grape leaves
- Londi, or gusht-e-qaaq (spiced jerky)
- Kichiri (sticky medium grain rice cooked with mung beans and onions)
- Badenjan (Cooked eggplant w/potatoes and tomatoes)
- Badenjan-Burani (fried slices of eggplant, topped with a garlic sour cream sauce, and sprinkled with dried mint)
- Bendai (okra)
- Bolawnee/Bolani
- Quroot (dried yogurt cheese)
- Halwaua-e-Aurd-e-Sujee
- Nan-i-Afghan (Afghan bread)
- Osh Pyozee (Stuffed onions)
- Mantu (Meat dumplings) usually served under a yogurt-based white sauce.
- Qabili Palau (Traditional rice dish)
- Dampukht (Steamed Rice)
- Bonjan Salad (Spicy Eggplant salad)
- Shor-Nakhud (Chick peas w/special toppings)
- Maast or labanyat (type of plain yogurt)
- Chakida or chakka (type of sour cream)
- Salata (tomato and onion based salad, often incorporating cucumber)
- Sheer Berinj (Rice pudding)
- Cream roll (pastries)
- Baklava {Pastry}
- Afghan Cake (similar to pound cake sometimes with real fruit or jelly inside)
- Gosh Feel (thin, fried Pastries covered in powdered sugar and ground pistachios)
- Kebabs (similar to Middle Eastern style)
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cuisine of Afghanistan |
- Afghani Foods and Cuisine
- Afghan Food and Cookery
- Afghan cooking
- Afghan food recipes from AsiaRecipe.com
- Some Afghan Dishes
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