salaateh Afghani Afghan-style salad
SERVES 4
Seasonal vegetables nearly always accompany Afghan meals.
In his garden, my grandfather grew tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus and herbs, which would be picked fresh and then inely chopped to make delicate-looking salads. Another favourite is radish, popular for its semi-bitter crunch, which complements many of the lavours infused into Afghan cooking. 1 large red onion, halved and
thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, inely diced 2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers,
inely diced
8 10 radishes, trimmed, thinly
sliced and quartered
1 large handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, coarsely chopped 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped 1 fresh long green chilli, thinly sliced
2 baby cos (romaine) lettuce, inely chopped
4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
2 limes, halved and juiced, plus extra wedges to serve
1 Place all the ingredients, except the lime juice, in a large bowl and toss to combine. Mix the lime juice with 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) in a bowl, then drizzle over the salad and serve with extra lime wedges alongside any Afghan meal.
kofta challaw meatball curry with rice
SERVES 6
The kofta, or meatballs, in this dish are made using a combination of lamb and beef. They’re not the round balls usually associated with kofta, but a slightly lat patty shape, which is common in Afghan cuisine. They are cooked in a tomato and onion sauce and traditionally served with challaw rice. 4 large ripe tomatoes,
quartered
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped 125ml (½ cup) sun lower oil 1 large brown onion, inely
diced
1 teaspoon white sugar 1 teaspoon curry powder 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 tablespoon tomato paste
(concentrated purée)
Challaw (see right), to serve
FOR THE KOFTA
1 large brown onion, coarsely chopped 1 long fresh red chilli, coarsely
chopped
Fresh coriander (cilantro), small leaves and stems, coarsely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped 250g (9 oz) fatty minced
(ground) lamb
250g (9 oz) lean minced
(ground) beef
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
1 To make the kofta, inely blend the onion, chilli, coriander and garlic in a food processor. Add 60ml (¼ cup) water and blend again to form a ine paste. Place the lamb and beef in a large bowl, add the blended paste with the ground coriander and 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine well with your hands for 5 minutes, or until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is slightly sticky. Divide the meat mixture into 12 equal portions and shape into 7.5 cm (3 in) patties. Place the patties on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to become slightly irm.
2 Meanwhile, inely blend the tomato and garlic in a food processor. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat and fry the onion, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the blended tomato and garlic and fry with the onion for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the sugar, curry powder, vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste, and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste and mix well to combine. Finally, add 750ml (3 cups) water and bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
3 Add the kofta to the sauce, shaking the pan gently from side to side to make sure they are submerged. Increase the heat to high, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened and is rich in colour. Serve the kofta garnished with coriander leaves over freshly cooked challaw.
challaw
Challaw is a plain white rice dish and, like palaw, it’s made using long-grain rice. The grains in a perfect challaw are elongated and separate, and it traditionally accompanies sauce-based dishes, such as kofta challaw (see left) or a turnip and lamb curry called shalgham challaw. Soak the rice for 2 3 hours or longer before preparing your challaw.
370g (2 cups) sella basmati rice, soaked for 2 3 hours 1 teaspoon bruised green cardamom pods 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 125ml (½ cup) sun lower oil 375ml (1½ cups) hot water
1 Bring 2 litres (8 cups) water to the boil in a large saucepan. Drain any excess water from the rice, rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, then add to the boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt. Boil the rice for 5 6 minutes, or until parboiled and the grains seem to have doubled in length.
2 Drain the rice in a colander, discarding the water, and return the rice to the saucepan. Add the cumin, cardamom and 1 tablespoon salt, and mix gently to combine with a kafgeer or large, lat slotted spoon. Add the oil and hot water, and stir gently to coat the rice grains.
3 Cover with a lid and cook over high heat for 5 6 minutes, or until steam escapes from beneath the lid (this is a critical step in preparing the rice to avoid it overcooking and becoming gluggy). Once you see the steam, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes. Serve with your favourite sauce-based dish.