Afghani food recipes for a theme luncheon? Main dishes, side dishes, desserts?

Answer 1

Korma Sabzee
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Lean stewing beef or lamb
1/2 cup Oil
1 lrg Onion, finely chopped
2 x Garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 cup Water
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Hot chili pepper (or more)
3 cup Spinach, chopped
1 tsp Cumin
2 tbl Coriander leaves, chopped (more if desired)
Directions
Cooking Time: 1 1/2-2 hours
1. Cut meat into 3/4' cubes.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add onion and fry gently until transparent. Increase heat, add garlic and meat cubes and fry, stirring often, until juices evaporate and meat begins to brown.
3. Add water, salt and pepper to taste, chili pepper, and cumin. Bring to a slow simmer and reduce heat. Cover pan and simmer gently for 1-1 1/2 hours until meat is tender. Time depends on cut of meat used.
4. Add spinach and coriander and cook for further 10-15 minutes.
5. Mound chalau on a platter and spoon some of the sauce on top. Serve remainder in a separate bowl. Note1: 1/4 c. yellow split peas (daul nakhud) can be substituted for the spinach. This dish is then called Korma and the split peas are added at step 3. Note 2: To make 6-8 servings of Chalau, start with 3 cups of basmati or other good quality long grain rice. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a cooking pot, add the rice, and stir for 5 minutes. Add required water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered +/- 30 minutes. To cook this authentically, put a cloth over the rim of the pan before putting on the lid

side-Bonjan Salat (Spicy Eggplant Salad)

Ingredients
3 medium eggplants
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; (kosher salt)
1/4 cup corn oil
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon hot red chili flakes OR
1 teaspoon minced fresh chiles
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried mint; crushed

dessert-Kadu Bouranee
(Sweet Pumpkin)

2 lb Fresh pumpkin or squash
1/4 cup of Corn oil
Sweet Tomato Sauce:
1 tablespoon Crushed garlic
1 cup of Water
1/2 tablespoon Salt
1/2 cup of Sugar
4 oz Tomato sauce
1/2 ts Ginger root, chopped fine
1 tablespoon Freshly ground coriander Seeds
1/4 ts Black pepper
Yogurt Sauce:


1/4 ts Crushed garlic, 1/4 tablespoon Salt, 3/4 cup Plain yogurt
Garnish: Dry mint leaves, crushed
Directions
Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2-3" cubes; set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Fry the pumpkins on both sides fora couple of minutes until lightly browned.
Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in fry pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (I don't know how it's going to evaporate if the pan is covered....-B.) Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.

To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint. May be served with chalow (basmati rice) and naan or pita bread

Answer 2

I make spinach and cheese rolls or pastries. *1 or 2 sheets of puff pastry *packet of spinach or bunch or silverbeet *approx 1/2 cup of cheese *leek or onion *steam some spinach with leek or onion. *Lay a sheet of pastry out flat *spoon the spinach onto the pastry (about 1/3 of the width) *top the spinach with a layer of cheese *roll the pastry up so the edges meet and press them together. *Bake in the oven following the instructions of the pastry packet. You can vary this depending what you want to do with it. If I make this for a work morning tea, I cut the pastry in two, fill both halves with spinach mixture, roll the pastry, then cut it into small party roll size before baking it. If it is a main you may like to keep the pastry as one size and make bigger rolls. This recipe is for a vegetarian, if she is vegan (no dairy or eggs, omit the cheese, but mix the spinach with some mashed potato. You could also add some pine nuts to the spinach filling. These get eaten by my colleages (many of whom are not vegetarian).

Answer 3

Noni Afghani....(bread)
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 cup corn oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon caraway seed
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Place flour in a large bowl, and stir in salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the corn oil and yeast mixture. Add the remaining water in small amounts until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 5 minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Deflate the risen dough, and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball with a rolling pin so it is oval shaped, about 6 inches long, and 1/2 inch thick. Use a fork or dull knife to draw three lines on the top of each loaf. Place the loaves on a baking sheet. Mix together the egg and remaining tablespoon of water; brush the tops of the loaves with the mixture. Sprinkle caraway seeds over the tops, if using.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the loaves are shiny and golden brown.

Qabali....Afghani rice
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 carrot, julienned
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup sultana raisins
4 cups uncooked basmati rice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup water
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rice in a large bowl, rinse, and then soak in cold water for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add carrots and 1 teaspoon sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in raisins, and continue cooking until the raisins are soft and plump. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Strain rice, and then add to boiling water. Cook for about 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup oil and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves completely, making a syrup. Remove from heat , and cool. Once cool, add 1 cup water, and return to a boil.
Strain rice, using a colander, and return rice to pan. Stir in carrots and raisins, and then mix in oil and sugar syrup. Season with saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and cumin. Poke some holes with a spoon all over the rice. Cover, and cook over high heat until you hear crackling noises. Remove from heat.
Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and toss rice with a fork.

Answer 4

Kabeli Pilau (Chicken and Rice)

4 lb Chicken, cut in pieces
2 lrg Onion, sliced
2 tsp Salt
3 pt ,Water, hot
1/2 lb Rice, long grain
SAUCE
2 med Onions, thinly sliced
1 oz Butter
1 tsp Cardamom, ground
1 tsp Cumin, ground
3 x Carrot, cooked & sliced
4 oz Raisins

Place chicken pieces, onions, salt and hot water in a 5-pint saucepan.
Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The chicken should be tender, yet firm. Remove and cool chicken, reserving stock. Remove meat from bones; use only large pieces for this dish. Cook rice in boiling salted water. When done, drain and keep covered until used.
To make stock sauce: Brown onions in hot butter and remove from heat.
Add cardamom and cumin; mash with onion to form a paste. Add about 1 pint of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
Combine cooked rice, stock sauce and chicken; place in a buttered casserole; place carrots on top of mixture and sprinkle with raisins.
Cover and cook for about 35 to 45 minutes in a very moderate oven
(325F). Add more stock or water if dish becomes too dry. When done, mix carrots and raisins lightly with chicken and rice. Stock not used in the main dish can be served as a soup course.

Abraysham Kabaub ( Silk Kebab)

SYRUP
1 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp Saffron threads (optional)
OMELET
8 x Eggs
1 pch Salt
TO FINISH
2 cup Oil
1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
3/4 cup Finely chopped pistachios *

Dissolve sugar in water in heavy pan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, add lemon juice and saffron and boil for 10 minutes. Cool and strain into a 25 cm (10 inch) pie plate. Keep aside. Break eggs into a casserole dish about 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter. The size and flat base are important. Add salt and mix eggs with fork until yolks and whites are thoroughly combined - do not beat as eggs must not be foamy. Heat oil in an electric frypan to 190 C (375 F) or in a 25 cm
(10 inch) frypan placed on a thermostatically controlled hot plate or burner. Have ready nearby a long skewer, the plate of syrup, a baking sheet and the nuts mixed with the cardamom. A bowl of water and a cloth for drying hands are also necessary. Hold dish with eggs in one hand next to the pan of oil and slightly above it. Put hand into egg, palm down, so that egg covers back of hand. Lift out hand, curling fingers slightly inwards, then open out over hot oil, fingers pointing down. Move hand across surface of oil so that egg falls in streams from fingertips. Dip hand in egg again and make more strands across those already in pan. Repeat 3 to 4 times until about an eighth of the egg is used. There should be a closely meshed layer of egg strands about 20 cm (8 inches) across. Work quickly so that the last lot of egg is added not long after the first lot. Rinse hands quickly and dry. Take skewer and slide under bubbling omelet, lift up and turn over to lightly brown other side. The first side will be bubbly, the underside somewhat smoother. When golden brown lift out with skewer and drain over pan. Place omelet flat in the syrup, spoon syrup over the top and lift out with skewer onto baking sheet. Roll up with bubbly side inwards. Finish roll should be about 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) in diameter. Put to one side and sprinkle with nuts. Repeat with remaining egg, making 7 to 8 rolls in all. Though depth of egg diminishes, you will become so adept that somehow you will get it in the pan in fine strands. When cool, cut kabaubs into 4-5 cm (1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces and serve. These keep well in a sealed container in a cool place.

*Note: Instead of pistachio nuts, walnuts may be used if desired.