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Afghanistan Cooking Recipes |
Afghanistan, (which literally means Land of the
Afghan) is a mountainous land-locked country located in Central Asia.
It has a history and culture that goes back over 5000 years. Throughout
its long, splendid, and sometimes chaotic history, this area of the
world has been known by various names. In ancient times, its inhabitants
called the land Aryana. In the medieval era, it was called Khorasan,
and in modern times, its people have decided to call it Afghanistan.
The exact population of Afghanistan is unknown, however, it is estimated
to be somewhere around 21-26 million.
Afghanistan is a heterogeneous nation, in which there are four major
ethnic groups: Pashtoons, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. Numerous other
minor ethnic groups (Nuristanis, Baluchis, Turkmens etc.) also call
Afghanistan their home. While the majority of Afghans (99%) belong
to the Islamic faith, there are also small pockets of Sikhs, Hindus
and even some Jews. The official languages of the country are Pashto
and Dari (Afghan Persian). The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul, which
throughout history, was admired by many great figures, such as the
great Central Asian conqueror, Zahirudeen Babur. Unfortunately, due
to many years of war, this great city has been shattered and nearly
destroyed.
Today, Afghanistan is on a road to recovery, however, after decades
of war, the economy is still in ruins, its environment is in a state
of crises. The country is riddled with landmines left from the war,
which are still injuring and killing people on a daily basis. Afghanistan
is being run by an interim administration headed by Hamid Karzai.
The administration took power in December 22, 2001 after various delegates
in Bonn, Germany signed an accord. The administration is to rule for
6 months, after which an emergency Loya Jirga (Traditional Grand Assembly)
will be convened to decide on a transitional authority. This will
include a broad-based transitional administration, to lead Afghanistan
until the people can elect a permanent government. The permanent and
elected government is supposed to be in place no more than 2 years
after the emergency Loya Jirga is convened.
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Qabili Pilau - Main Course
(Lamb or Chicken and Yellow rice with carrots and raisins)
Ingredients:
· 1 lb long grain rice, preferably basmati
· 4 fl oz vegetable oil
· 1 1/2 lb lamb on the bone or 1 chicken, cut in pieces
· 1/2 pint water
· 2 large carrots
· 4 oz black seedless raisins
· 2 tsp char marsala or cumin
· 1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
· 2 1/2 pints water
· salt and pepper
Directions:
Brown 1 medium diced onion in oil. Fry until the onion is
fairly dark.
Add 1 lb lamb or beef cut into 1"-2" cubes and brown
lightly.
Add 2 cups of water, 1 tsp. Salt and 1 to 1 ½ tsp each
(cinnamon,
ground cumin and ground cardamom) Cover and simmer until meat
is tender, about an hour.
Remove meat from the juice and set juice aside. Cut 3 carrots
into
match stick size pieces. Saute carrots and 1 tsp sugar in
about
1/4 cup of oil. Cook until they are lightly browned. Remove
from oil.
Add 1 cup of raisins (I prefer golden sultanas) to the oil
and cook until
they swell up.
Boil the meat juice and add 2 cups basmati (very long grained)
rice,
1 ½ tsp salt and enough boiling water to come 2 inches
over the rice.
Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender--but
NOT mushy.
Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice together. Place in
a large oven-proof
casserole, cover and bake at 300 degrees for about a half
hour--or up to an
hour. To serve--place on platter, making sure the carrots
and raisins show
on top
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Asabia el Aroos
- Dessert
(Brides Fingers)
Ingredients:
Sweet Syrup
· 1/2 package (16 oz.) frozen filo dough, completely defrosted
· 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (optional)
Filling
· 1/2 cup almonds or pistachios, pulverized in food processor
with
· 1/3 cup sugar
Glaze
· 1 egg, beaten
· sugar
Syrup
The general rule for syrup is to pour hot syrup over cold (or room
temperature) pastries and to serve cold syrup over hot pastries.
· 3 cups sugar
· 1-1/2 cups water
· 1 lemon
· 1 tbsp. orange-blossom water or rosewater
Directions:
Boil the sugar with the water until dissolved and viscous, about
10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and remove from the
heat. Prepare the syrup in advance and chill in the refrigerator.
Combine the filling ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
F. Grease 1 or 2 baking sheets. Cut the filo in half crosswise and
again in half, stacking the covering with a slightly dampened towel
to prevent drying. Lay 2 rectangles on your work surface with the
shorter sides facing you, and brush lightly with melted butter.
Place a rounded tablespoon of the filling in a line across the shorter
side of filo that faces you. Fold the longer edges of the pastry
inward, sealing in the sides of the filling, and roll the pastry
up from the short side, forming a fat cigar shape. Place on the
baking sheet with the cut edge down. Repeat with remaining dough.
Brush the tops of the pastries lightly with a bit of beaten egg
and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden
brown. Dip the warm fingers into cool Sweet Syrup and arrange on
a serving tray. Serve at room temperature.
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