Month: February 2010

Afghan Flatbread | Noni Afghani

  When cooked gently over medium heat Noni Afghani is soft and chewy. The yogurt keeps the bread moist, while the cumin seeds add an earthy flavor.  This comforting flatbread is ideal for sopping up Afghan dips and curries. Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 package) 2 tsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup water 1/4 cup plain yogurt, low-fat or whole milk 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for bowl 2 Tbsp whole cumin seeds 4 Tbsp ghee or butter, melted Method: 1. In a large mixer with paddle attachment, combine flours, yeast, sugar, salt, water, yogurt, and olive oil. 2. Switch to dough hook. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be moist but not overly sticky. Add extra flour a little at a time, if necessary. 2. Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a clean, oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, …

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Afghan Rice with Chicken & Carrots | Kabeli Palau

Kabeli Palau (also known as kabuli pulao) is a much loved party dish in Afghanistan. The highly seasoned rice dish is finished in the oven, giving the cook 45 minutes to prepare for the arrival of their guests (simply prepare garnish ahead of time). The intense flavor of garam masala is balanced by sweet bursts of carrot and golden raisins.  Update (2015): This is the original recipe as prepared for the blog; the recipe in my memoir has been further tested and streamlined. Note: You may purchase 6 cups chicken broth and use leftover chicken pieces. This will save you several steps (and at least an hour) if you are in a hurry. Ingredients: 1 lb basmati rice, rinsed 1/4 cup ghee or butter 1 large onion, sliced thin 1/2 chicken, bone in or 3 chicken breasts 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 Tbsp salt 1 clove garlic, crushed 6 cups water 1 Tbsp garam masala 1/4 tsp saffron Garnish: 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shredded 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup slivered almonds pinch saffron 1/2 cup hot water Method: 1. In a large pot, bring 6 cups …

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Once upon Rose Water

“Stay focused,” I told myself. I finished picking through the 1/2 pound bags of cinnamon sticks and lifted my head, scanning the aisles for Rose Water.  The Indian grocery store, Laxmi Spices, was small but well-organized. Ava squirmed on my hip, reaching for the pretty bags in front of her. “Stay focused.” I whispered to her and walked towards the Rose Water. Ava let out a squeal and lunged to the side. I caught her and looked in the direction of her small, outstretched hands. That’s when I lost all self-control. There, on the floor, was a pile of steel pans. Glorious steel pans. Usually, I am an indecisive shopper. One look at these pans, however, and I knew that I would be purchasing one. Let me tell you, these pans are heavy-duty. They don’t have pansy plastic handles so they can go from  stove top to oven with ease. And they aren’t coated in nonstick, a product I only tolerate for omelette making. Their shape serves both as a wok and as a casserole dish (perfect for this weekend’s Afghan rice dish). For only twenty dollars this pan is better than anything …

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Menu: Afghanistan

After hours going through my cookbook collection, browsing through library shelves, and surfing online, I can honestly say that I am ready to eat some Afghan food! I put together a menu for this weekend, but not without some heartache (I had a tough time eliminating potential dishes – everything sounded so good!). Here’s what I came up with: Sabse Borani [Recipe] Traditional Afghan spinach-yogurt dip Burani Bonjon [Recipe] Spicy Braised Eggplant in a Garlic Mint Sauce (Garlic Mint Sauce recipe) Kabeli Palau [Recipe] Twice-cooked Basmati Rice with Chicken and Carrots. This traditional party dish is seasoned with graham masala and saffron. Noni Afghani [Recipe] Noni Afghani is a flatbread similar to Naan. Noni is used to scoop up food in the place of silverware. Firnee [Recipe] Firnee is a sweet custard seasoned with cardamom, rose water and dusted with finely ground pistachios. Dried Apricots Many Afghans enjoy the sweet taste of apricots after dessert. Connecting Cuisines You will notice several similarities between Afghan and Indian cuisines. This regional influence is just one of many. In Afghanistan, Enchantment of the World Terry Willis remarks: The flavors of several different …

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About Afghan Food (and we’re off!)

Dining under duvets I keep a cold house in the winter. Icicle nose cold. Sure, the frigid air makes me irritable, but usually throwing on another sweater solves that problem. Unless I am getting out of the shower, in which case I just have to grit my teeth and dry off quickly. Well, imagine my delight when I uncovered this gem of a fact about Afghan culture: In the depth of winter food is eaten around the sandali, the traditional form of Afghan heating. A sandali consists of a low table covered with a large duvet called a liaf which is also big enough to cover the legs of the occupants, sitting on their cushions or mattresses and supported by large pillows called balesht or poshty. Under the table is a charcoal brazier called a manqal. The charcoal has to be thoroughly burned previously and covered with ashes. (Afghan Food and Cookery, Helen Saberi) What a cozy atmosphere! A few items of cultural significance Saberi tells us that guests are given the honor of sitting at the head of the table (when there is a table …

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List of Asian Countries

There are 45 countries in Asia. Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia China East Timor India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Korea (north) Korea (south) Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar RussianFederation Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Tiawan Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen

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List of European Countries

There are 48 European Countries. Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City

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List of African Countries

There are 53 Countries in Africa.  Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo (Dem. Rep.) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

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