Afghan Cuisine
Delightfully flavorsome Qabuli Pulao, succulent kebabs and fresh, out-of the-oven Naans best describes Afghan cuisine. Every bite would leave you craving for MORE.
Afghanistan’s gastronomic specialty reflects its ethnic and geographic diversity. The cuisine is a perfect blend of exoticness and good taste and the Indian influence cannot go unnoticed with its use of spices such as saffron, coriander, cardamom and black pepper. Fruits (notably grapes, pomegranates and berries) and vegetables, fresh and dried, are significant to Afghan cooking. The Afghans have their own way of cooking and they usually try to keep the balance when it comes to adding spice.
Classic Meal
Afghan hospitality is well-known and food is an integral part of this hospitality. The traditional meal in Afghanistan happens on the floor, where everybody sits on colorful cushions, called Toshak. Food is always shared with two or three persons eating from the same rice platter; while stews, qorma or vegetables are individually portioned. Pickles and fresh naans accompany the food.
Food served symbolizes one or the other occasion; for example Qabuli Pulao is the crown of Afghan cooking and served to special guests or on special occasions such as weddings. Letee is served to new mothers because of high nutritive value and Mahi is served during Nowroz (New Year).
Breakfast
A typical Afghan breakfast is omelette, boiled eggs, cake or biscuits, buttered toast or even rice with koft’a (meat) or sabzi (vegetable). Roht a round, sweet flat bread which is often eaten for breakfast is consumed with tea or hot milk.
The national drink is tea or chai, and is widely liked and consumed. Qoymaq chai which is a special tea prepared for formal occasions such as engagements or weddings, is made with green tea. It has a strong, rich taste and milk & sugar added to it, gives it a purple-pink color.
Lunch
If the kababs tantalize your taste buds, wait till you taste the mouthwatering Afghan sweets!
Plenty of black cardamom tea, some sweets such as Noqol-e-Nakhodi (sugar covered chickpeas) or Noqol-e-Badami (sugar covered almonds) and hard candy are some of the delicacies when it comes to desserts. At formal parties the dessert may consist of Firnee, Gosh-e-Feel (a pastry), or Sheer Birinj (rice pudding). If that’s not enough, then a large platter of seasonal fruit follows.
Eid-E-Qorban is one of the biggest celebrations in Muslim countries. It marks the end of a Hajj. During this feast, tea, nuts, sweets, and sugared almonds are served to the guests, while pastries like Halwa-e-swanak, Sheer Payra, Goash-e-feel accompanies them.
Dinner
Dinner is served as one course consisting of a salad accompanying minimum 4 to 5 dishes and sometimes more. The main dish is called Ashak, (scallion and leek filled dumplings over a yogurt sauce, topped with a ground lamb sauce). Beef or lamb kababs (cubes of meat) are often served between pieces of bread and ground meat is used extensively used either in sauces or made into kofta kabab. Afghans like to use large amounts of lamb fat, vegetable oil or ghee to make their food oily.
Typical drinks with the meal are soft drinks, dough (a yogurt drink) or water.
Dessert
Malay meals can’t be called complete without desserts. Desserts become more popular during Ramadan (the religious fasting period). Almost all Malay desserts have one common ingredient, santan (coconut milk), fresh grated coconut, palm sugar and a unique plant leave called pandan or pandanus. Just like vanilla, Pandan is used to add essence to the dessert. Some of them are Nyonya Kuih (Nyonya cake), Nin Gao (new year cake), Tao Foo Faah (bean curd jelly), Pengat Pisang (sliced bananas in a rich sticky liquid sauce), Bubur Cha Cha (a delectable mix of coconut milk, sago, yam chunks and sweet potatoes) and the coconut pancake are exceptional delights.
Popular Dishes
Qabuli Pulao – Made from basmati rice, in a mutton stock, the pulao is cooked to perfection, with the soft grains nicely separated out. A generous addition of carrot shaving along with a sprinkling of raisins gives the Qabuli pulao a unique sweetness, and a bowl of Kofta curry makes for an excellent accompaniment.
Mantu – (Beef-Dumplings) is Afghans preferred meal. It includes ground beef, onions, dough, and spice.
Aushak – Veggie dumplings, which is another Afghan special is made from chopped spinach, some olive oil, salt and dough
Bulanni – Bulanni is mostly served for special guests and in special parties. This particular meal is cooked with different ingredients such as boiled potato, chopped onions, dough and a bit of coriander (if needed). People mostly serve this delicious food during the fasting month of Ramadan, for breaking of the fast (roza) in the evening time.
Lamb Kabab – It is a really mouth-watering food in Afghan cuisine. First the meat is marinated with garlic paste, salt and other seasonings and then barbequed
Chicken Kabab – Fried and grilled, chicken kabab is the most common delicacy among Afghans. A variety of dishes can be prepared from the same
Trivia
- Kebabs originated in Middle East because of short supply of cooking fuel which made cooking of large foods difficult.