Afghan Vegetarian Cooking

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Vegetarian Afghan Cooking

Afghanistan's proximity to Iran and India has attracted many travellers and invaders over the centuries. As a result Afghan culture has absorbed many foreign influences including Greek, Persian and Indian.These influences have given Afghans a unique culinary heritage.

Whilst Afghan cuisine does include a few vegetarian dishes, there is no doubt that it is predominantly meat based. Happily it lends itself very well to adaptation by the creative vegan or vegetarian cook.

On this page you'll find a few recipes I enjoy as well as links to more recipes and information on this fascinating but troubled nation.

Sofrah

In Afghanistan food is usually laid out on a sofrah. A sofrah is a large cloth which is spread out on the floor or over a dining table in wealthier homes and the food arranged on dishes on top of it.

Afghans take considerable pride in laying out a good sofrah and care is taken to ensure the diners have easy access to the full range of foods on offer. Foods are not served as individual meals but laid out in serving dishes from which people can help themselves.

Naan Bread

Cooking Afghani Bread

How Naan (bread) is made in Pakistan and Afghanistan

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Vegetarian Qaubili Pilau

1 onion diced
3 oz green lentils
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala
2 carrots
1 tsp. sugar
4 oz raisins
3 oz blanched almonds
2 cups basmati rice
1/2 tsp. saffron
oil for frying
6-8 fl oz of water

Fry the onions until golden brown. Add the salt and spices (except for the saffron). Add water and lentils. Cover and simmer until the lentils are ready.

Once the lentils are cooked add the rice, saffron and more water if required. Be careful not to add too much water as the idea is that should evaporate while cooking rather than be strained which would result in loss of flavour. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer until rice is tender.

Just before serving cut the carrots into thin sticks. Fry them in vegetable oil with sugar until tender. Remove from oil and reduce the heat. Add the raisins to the oil and fry until they are swollen. Remove from the oil. Finally add the almonds to the oil and brown taking care that they don't burn.

Serve the rice topped with the almonds, carrots and raisins.

Afghan Mushroom Qorma

1 kg mushrooms halved or quartered
1 inch fresh ginger, skinned and thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh ginger paste
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
4 onions blended to a paste
3 fresh green chillies, sliced
Salt to taste
oil for frying

Heat the oil in a pan, add the blended onion and stir for four to five minutes. Add the mushrooms with ginger garlic paste, salt, pepper and coriander

Cook the ingredients on low heat until the oil starts to separate.

Serve garnished with the chillies and fresh ginger slices.

Afghan Spice Mix

3 tablespoons Black peppercorns
1 tablespoons Ground cardamom
3 tablespoons Cumin seed
1 tablespoon ground Coriander
2 tablespoons Tumeric

Lightly toast the peppercorns and cumin in a dry pan for a minute or so taking care not to burn. If the spices get burned throw them away and start again as the flavour will be ruined. Grind in a mortar and pestle add to the other ground spices and mix. Store in an airtight container. This can be sprinkled over grilled vegetables, used to flavour sauces and soups etc. I particularly enjoy a pinch or two sprinkled over houmous as a quick and tasty garnish.

Tips on Cooking Rice and Bread

How to Cook Rice Pilaf : Add Rice, Vegetables & Stock to Make Rice Pilaf

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Perfect Basmati Rice

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Sabse Borani

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup thick natural yoghurt

Steam or boil spinach until wilted, drain and squeeze out any excess water. Set aside. Fry the onion and garlic until golden brown. Add the spinach and stir fry for a minute or so. Allow to cool then blend with the yogurt and season to taste.

Chatni Gashneez

1 cup of chopped coriander
4 Garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped
1 Green chili deseeded and chopped
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Lemon juice
A pinch of salt

Whizz the ingredients in a blender, chill and serve.

Vegetarian Maushawa

2 oz dried Chickpeas soaked overnight
2 oz dried kidney beans soaked overnight
15 fl oz thick natural yoghurt
2 oz yellow or green split peas soaked overnight
2 oz red lentils
2 oz rice
2.5 pints of Water (approx add as required)
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
4 oz Finely chopped onion
Vegetable oil for frying
2 oz fresh tomatoes, skinned and Chopped
1tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp of red pepper or chili powder
Salt

Cook pulses until soft. Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the tomato, salt and red pepper powder and simmer until sauce is thickened.

Mix the cooked pulses and sauce together add the rice and sufficient water to cook the rice. Simmer until the rice is cooked and serve with nan bread.

Afghan Cookbooks

Please note that neither of the books featured below are vegetarian, however they do contain some vegetarian recipes and meat dishes which can be easily adapted.

Afghan Cuisine: Cooking for Life : A Collection of Afghan Recipes (And Other Favorites) for the Novice Afghan and Non-Afghan Cook

by: Nafisa Sekandari

Amazon Price: $13.24 (as of 01/01/2010)

Classic Afghan Cookbook

by: Mousa M. Amiri

Amazon Price: (as of 01/01/2010)

Learn More About Afghan Food

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 Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Its cuisine is close to that of the Middle-East and South-Central Asia.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Ideas For Meat Substitutes

Many of the recipes linked to from this lens call for meat, however don't be put off an otherwise interesting recipe by this. Meat is easily replaced with soya, quorn, tofu or seitan.

If you don't wish to use any of the above pulses are a great source of protein and a healthy way to replace meat.

Alternatively you can simply replace the meat with vegetables. Aubergines and mushrooms work particularly well in place of meat.