Afghan Culture Unveiled

Afghan Sweet Corn Sweet Bread: Delicious and gluten free

 

 
Me in the Kabul bakery

 

By Humaira

During my two week visit to Afghanistan this past spring I found myself obsessed with the bakeries of Kabul.  As my bullet-proof US Embassy car zoomed through the streets, I'd find myself drooling at the sight of the beautifully arranged pastries in the bakery shops.

Due to threat of riots and security issues I mostly travelled in convoys or stayed in my hotel. I didn’t get to do any shopping or wander the markets as I had hoped.  But, in my last hours in Kabul, I asked my cousin to take me to a bakery and the street with butchers.  I had a chance to pop into a nice bakery, take some photos, chit chat with the owner and admire the beautifully displayed items.

 
Afghan cream rolls

 

I think it is worth noting that Afghans don’t usually eat dessert, unless it is a special occasion and in that case it is not usually baked items.  Pastries are served as a snack with tea in the mid afternoon, at celebrations such as Eid or to a special guest.  Flour, sugar and oil are expensive.  Afghanistan being the second poorest country in the world, doesn’t allow for such  luxuries to the majority of its population.

 
Various types of candies stacked in the corner of the bakery, I likes the color coordination

 

Roht is an Afghan sweet bread which is traditionally made with wheat flour.  Here you'll find my post featuring a classic roht recipe.  However, since many folks in my family are going gluten free, my sister Nabila came up with this recipe for roht which uses corn flour instead of wheat flour.  I have to say, I find the corn roht much tastier than the traditional flour roht.  I do encourage you to use finely ground corn meal; otherwise your roht will turn out coarse and crunchy. 

This is for my sweet nieces Eliza, and Amelia who are gluten free (most of the time).

 

 
Nabila's corn roht

 

Gluten Free Afghan Sweet Corn Bread

Roht e Jowaree 

 

1 cup corn meal

1 cup finely ground corn flour

1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Fit your food processor with the dough blade.  Put all dry ingredients in the food processor, pulse a few times until all ingredients are mixed well. 

Add butter and pulse several times until mixed well.  Scrape the sides of the food processor, add the eggs, and mix until the dough is formed.  If your dough is dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to add some more moisture.   You may not need the milk at all.  You might have to stop periodically to scrape the dough off the sides. After a few minutes, the dough will come together in one smooth lump and move around the food processor.  

Remove the dough from the food processor and pat it into a smooth ball.   Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into two balls and work gently into a circular flat shape, about ½- inch thick.  Poke little holes in a circular pattern on top of the dough with a fork, about 20 pokes per loaf.  Sprinkle the loaves with nigella seeds.  You can also divide the dough into 12 small balls and make approximately 4 inch round mini rohts.

Bake in the middle rack for 25-30 minutes until the corn roht  is golden brown.  Let it cool to room temperature before serving. 

Cut into 6 wedges. Enjoy with a cup of tea. 

Store roht  in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.  I find it tastes even better the next day.

*Nigella seeds are commonly used in Indian or Middle Eastern dishes.  They are tiny black roasted seeds that taste likbitterness with a bitterness like mustard-seeds. They are sold at Middle Eastern or Indian markets.  Check out the list of markets that we have compiled for you.  If you can’t find them, use sesame seeds instead. 

Sweet Potato Afghan Turnovers: Bolani

 

By Katie

Bolani is Afghan unleavened bread stuffed with any number of fillings, typically potatoes, or gandana (akin to leeks).  Not quite turnover, not quite crepe, or quesadilla, it’s in a category all its own, and completely worth knowing about.

The De Afghanan Kebab House, a hole-in-the wall along the strip known as “Little Kabul” in Fremont, makes the best bolani we know.   Watching the cooks roll out, fill and brown the big, beautiful bolani is worth a road trip.  You can also find bolani sold by the folks at East West Gourmet Foods, who set up shop at many of the Bay Area farmers’ markets and sell at Whole Foods. 

We’ve taken some liberties with the recipe here.  Making the bolani dough from scratch requires elbow grease, along with an investment of time many of us don’t have.   Using tortillas is a doable short cut.  The sweet potatoes are also a departure from the norm.  The sweet, tender flesh of the potatoes marry well with cilantro and scallions. 

Bolani are best hot out of the sauté pan, when they are still brown and crispy.  Serve them cut in half as an appetizer or tucked in a lunchbox along with a spoonful of yogurt.

Sweet Potato and Cilantro Turnover:  Bolani

1 pound sweet potatoes

 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/3 cup finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts 

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons water

6 6-inch flour tortillas

Plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven until very tender.  The time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and put it into a medium bowl.  Discard the skin.  Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the sweet potatoes along with the cilantro, scallions, and salt.  Mash with a fork until thoroughly combined.   You can make this ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until ready to use. 

In a small dish, mix together the flour and water to make a paste.  Set a tortilla on your work surface and spread ¼ cup of the potato mixture on the tortilla, leaving a half-inch border around the rim.  Using your finger spread a small amount of the paste around the edge of half of the tortilla.  Fold the tortilla over, encasing the potatoes into a half circle.  Press the two sides of the tortillas together firmly to form a tight seal. 

Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Brown the bolani, two at a time, until golden on both sides.  The bolani should sizzle when they hit the pan.   Lay cooked bolani on a paper towel.  These are best served warm but are tasty at room temperature.  

Serve with plain yogurt.

 

 

 

Afghan Pizza with Nan Bread Dough

 

By Katie

 

If you are “in the know” about food then you’ve probably heard of Mozza, Mario Batali’s Los Angeles pizza outpost, or Little Star, San Francisco’s answer to deep dish deliciousness.   But what about Gandomak , or Everest or even Pizza Express?  Ring a bell?

 

Probably  not.  That’s because you have to cross the Atlas Mountains to get to them.  They’re in Kabul, Afghanistan, a city where pizza is apparently all the rage.  Who knew?   I’m particularly tickled by a place called AFC, that’s short for Afghan Fried Chicken.  Unlike its American fast food counterpart, AFC has a reputation for a pretty decent slice.  Or so I hear. 

 

Since we like to stay on top of the trends, we thought we’d create our own Afghan pizza.  Building on the Afghan flat bread (nan) Humaira posted last week, I’ve developed a couple of recipes that bring together the flavors of Afghan cooking with everything that’s good about pizza.   Consider it the newest in fusion cuisine:  Afghan-Ital. 

 

The first pizza features a pesto using a classic Afghan combination:  scallions, cilantro and lemon juice.  This is spread over a thin layer of quroot, which is dried yogurt that has been reconstituted in water.  It’s very hard to find so the recipe suggests substituting a mixture of feta and yogurt to achieve the rich tanginess of quroot. 

 

The second pie was inspired by a recipe for Turkish pizza I got years ago from cookbook author Joanne Weir.  I’ve tinkered with the seasonings, using paprika and coriander in place of cinnamon, allspice and cloves.  Feel free to make your own pizza dough in place of the nan, or use store-bought (we won’t tell).   Then, the next time you visit a pizzeria in Kabul, you’ll feel right at home. 

 

Afghan Pesto Pizza

 

This makes enough pesto for one 12-inch pie.  You can double or triple the recipe.  

 

1 bunch scallions, white and light greens parts only

1 cup loosely packed cilantro (stems ok, too)

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. olive oil

Big pinch salt

2 tbsp. quroot *

3 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1/3 of the nan dough (recipe in the post below), or favorite pizza dough

 

Heat oven to 500 degrees.   If you have a pizza stone, set it in the oven to heat up. 

 

Put the scallions, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Process until it becomes a smooth, thick paste.  If you don’t have a food processor you can do this using a mortar and pestle.

 

Shape your nan or pizza dough into a thin, 12-inch round pie.  Set the dough on a baking sheet or a pizza paddle that is lightly dusted with cornmeal.  Spread the quroot (or feta/yogurt mixture) evenly over the dough.  Next, spread the pesto on top of the quroot.  Distribute the mozzarella evenly over the dough.   Put the pizza in the oven either on the pizza stone or baking sheet.  Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

 

· Quroot is a thick, yogurt-like ingredient that is tricky to find.  You can simply leave it out or substitute 1 oz. feta cheese mixed thoroughly with 1 tbsp. plain yogurt. 

 

 

 

Afghan Pizza with Lamb Kofta

 

This makes enough for one 12-inch pizza.  The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ lb. ground lamb (or beef)

1/4 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato (canned or fresh)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/3 of the nan dough (recipe in the post below), or favorite pizza dough

2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1 ½ oz. feta cheese

 

Heat oven to 500 degrees.   If you have a pizza stone, set it in the oven to heat up. 

 

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two.  Add the lamb, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, paprika, coriander, black pepper and pepper flakes to the pan.   Cook for another 15 minutes, breaking up that lamb and stirring from time to time. 

 

Shape your nan or pizza dough into a thin, 12-inch round pie.  Set the dough on a baking sheet or a pizza paddle that is lightly dusted with cornmeal.  Distribute the lamb evenly over the dough.   Lay the mozzarella over the lamb and then sprinkle with the feta cheese.  Put the pizza in the oven either on the pizza stone or the baking sheet.  Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

 

Homemade Afghan Flat Bread - Nan

By Humaira

Two years ago I took Katie on a tour of “Little Kabul”, the Afghan district of Fremont located about an hour outside of San Francisco that stretches all of three blocks.  I saved the best for last and finished up the outing with a visit to Maiwand Market, a bustling Afghan grocery store and bakery.  The market is one of the largest producers of Afghan nan  in the Bay Area, churning out over 2,000 loaves a day.   Despite the fact we were stuffed with kebabs, the smell of the bread was irresistible and we couldn’t walk away empty handed.  The question was:  one loaf or two?  The loaves measure a couple of feet long.  We spent five minutes contemplating whether we could eat that much nan? Would it be wasted? Do we have room in our freezers?  As we went back and forth an Afghan lady walked up, ordered 20 loaves, and walked off, cradling her armful of bread.  Without missing a beat, we quickly settled on two loaves and left.

 Afghans eat a lot of nan:  with every meal, with or without rice.  Every Afghan village and every neighborhood in Kabul has a bakery (nanwayee) outfitted with a clay oven (tandoor) built into the earth.  The tandoor is round with a big opening and runs about five feet deep.  Most home cooks prepare their own dough and bring it to the tandoor, which is kept piping hot all day.  The bread baker takes the dough, forms it into a long oval shape measuring about three feet long and a half- inch thick and using a paddle covered with thick wet cloth, presses the dough onto the searing hot wall of the tandoor.  The humidity and high heat bakes the bread in minutes and gives it a delicious flavor.  The bakery charges the family by making a notch in a stick for every piece that is baked.  The family pays at the end of the week based on how many notches are in the stick.  Nan tastes best right from the oven.

If you don’t happen to live in Fremont or Afghanistan you can still enjoy nan by making it in your home oven.  Traditional nan is made using a starter (khamir toursh) but this recipe uses packet yeast.  The secret is a super hot oven and the right amount of humidity.  Get the oven piping hot and have a water spray bottle around for moisture.   I cobbled together the recipe using tips from my mom, Afghan author Tamim Ansary, my baker friend Mari and Helen Saberi’s book Afghan Food & Cookery.  My daughter Aria, an Afghan bread connoisseur, declared the results, “yummy!”.  Your nan will not look like the one from Maiwand Market but it will hopefully be yummy too!

Afghan Flat Bread

Nan

5 cups bread flour

2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 packet quick rising yeast

5 tsp. vegetable oil

2 cups warm water

1 tsp Nigella seeds (optional)

1 spray bottle filled with water

Put the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade.  Process it for a few seconds to mix the ingredients.  Continue to process as you dribble the oil into the flour.  Next, slowly add the water to the flour with the processor running.   If the mixture sticks to the sides of the processor, scrape it down and process some more.  After a few minutes, the dough will come together in one smooth lump and it will move around the food processor. Let is swirl a couple of time and then it’s ready to rest.   

If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the bread by hand.  Pour all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix well.  Add oil and mix further.  Gradually add the water and knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes the dough is smooth and elastic.  Once the dough is done, set it in a large bowl, cover with 2 dish cloths and keep in a warm place for 2 hours.   Punch down the dough.  It is ready to be baked.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  If you have convection, turn it on.  Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set in the oven to heat.  Spread some flour on the work surface and pat your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.  Divide the dough into three balls and work it gently into an oval that measures about 1 ½ feet long and ½- inch thick.  As you stretch the dough it will pick up some of the flour from the work surface, make sure that you add more flour or the dough will stick to the work surface. Once the dough is shaped make three deep lines (don’t cut the dough)  lengthwise on the surface of the dough with a knife. 

Once the oven is very hot, remove the baking sheet.   Gently lay the shaped dough onto the baking pan and sprinkle with nigella seeds.  Gently press the seeds into the dough. Place the dough in the oven, spray 5-6 times with your spray bottle and bake for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, spray the bread around 5-6  times and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.  The nan should be golden brown and crusty on the outside.

To keep the bread moist, wrap the warm bread in a large dishcloth until it cools down.  Be sure to taste it while it is still warm.  Cut in into 3-inch squares.  Store in a Ziploc bag and place in the fridge.  Reheat it in the toaster oven and enjoy it with feta cheese and a dab of cherry jam along with a cup of tea.

 

Ready for the oven.

 

 Ready to eat.

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day: Irish Brown Bread with Afghan Fixings

 

By Katie

 

While Humaira's roots are firmly planted in Afghanistan, mine are in Ireland.   Last summer I spent two weeks there visiting family and friends dotted along the West Coast.  During my travels it occurred to me that I’d be hard pressed to conjure a place more different from Afghanistan.  The Irish landscape is lush, the country is surrounded by water, the people are fair skinned and freckled, and the pub is the focal point of Irish social life.  Afghanistan is an arid, landlocked country where community centers on the home front.  The very notion of a public watering hole is virtually non-existent.  The one commonality is perhaps the countries’ mutual devotion to brewing and serving endless cups of hot tea.

 

After being on an extended holiday, I returned home to an empty pantry.   So when my kids rose at four in the morning the day after our return, jetlagged, cranky, and hungry, I thought I was out of luck.  But then I remembered the two loaves of Irish brown bread I had procured at a bakery and tucked in my suitcase.  In a country where little had grabbed my attention on the culinary front, this particular bread became a minor obsession.   Toasted with plenty of Irish butter and blackberry jam, it was the perfect accompaniment to all that tea. 

 

I warmed the brown bread in the oven and pulled out a tub of Afghan dal I'd stuck in the freezer before we’d left on our trip.  I quickly defrosted it, slathered it on the bread and sat down with the kids to a delicious, and very early, cross cultural breakfast. 

 

Knowing my two small loaves would disappear within a couple of days, I set to work to make my own.  This recipe here is from my aunt Isabel who lives in a tiny village in the southwest of Ireland.   It’s wholesome, hearty and just a tiny bit sweet:  The perfect thing to have with dal,  Afghan paneer (yogurt cheese) and of course, a proper cup of Irish, or Afghan, tea.

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Irish Brown Bread

 

4 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. bran

2 tbsp. wheat germ

2 cups buttermilk

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup butter, melted

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

 

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a fork.  In a separate medium bowl whisk together the remaining 5  ingredients.  Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.   Coat your hands with a little bit of oil and shape the dough into two loaves on a large baking sheet.  The dough may seem wet, but that is how it is meant to be.   With a small sharp knife, slash the top of the loaves with a big X. 

 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.   Remove  the loaves from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes or so before you slice into them. When you do, have a bit of good Irish butter, dal or yogurt cheese  nearby. 

 

 Makes 2 loaves. 

Bolani: Afghan Potato and Scallion Turnover

By Humaira

Bolani e kachaloo, unleavened bread stuffed with potato, scallions and cilantro is one of my favorite Afghan snacks.  It’s in complete opposition to Mr. Atkins’ dietary rules:  starch on the outside, starch on the inside.  Maybe that is what makes it so delicious.  Bolani can also be filled with other delicious stuffing:  Chinese green onions (gandana) , spinach,  lentils, butternut squash or whatever you like. 

 

Afghans make bolani for special occasion such as birthday parties, engagement parties or holidays.  Nowadays most Afghans in the East Bay order their bolani from the many local Afghan restaurants.  The most popular source  is Fremont’s beloved hole in the wall De Afghanan restaurant which is reminiscent of kebab houses in Kabul.  Some of my non-Afghan friends have discovered bolani sold by the folks at East West Gourmet Foods who set up shop at many of the Bay Area farmers markets. 

 

 On a field trip to Little Kabul last spring, Katie and I watched in awe as the cook at De Afghanan brought out a piece of bolani dough the size of a large pizza, spread a generous amount of potato mixture on it and then browned it as we watched.  Somehow the two of us managed to eat most of this flavorful bread, along with a huge order of chicken kebab.  In the Afghan community the De Afghanan version of bolani is now lovingly called Fremont style.  

 

Although in Afghanistan everyone makes their own dough, over the years my mom Jeja and her fellow Afghan ladies have developed short cuts to making bolani .  They use a bread dough bought from Costco or flour tortillas, the latter of which we think is the best and easiest way to go.  For this post I’m sharing both a recipe for the homemade dough and also the method using tortillas.   I have to confess once they were cooked it was hard to distinguish one from the other.  Both tasted great. 

We like to make bolani as an appetizer, an elegant addition to a dinner instead of bread, a yummy sandwich alternative in our kids’ lunch boxes or a quick snack to reheat in the toaster. 

Bolani:  Afghan Potato and Scallion Turnover

Bolani e Kachaloo

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup water room temperature

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium-size potatoes)

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions white and green parts
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.  Slowly add the water and the teaspoon of oil and mix the dough together, kneading it a little until it forms a ball.  If the dough is too dry to come together, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.  Once the dough is formed, knead it for 10 minutes on a lightly floured cutting board.  If you are impatient like us, set the timer so you won’t reduce the kneading time.  Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a cloth and let it rest for one hour.

In the meantime , boil the potatoes until soft in the center when pierced with a small knife.  Remove from the water and when cool enough to handle, slip the skins off the potatoes.  Put the potatoes, cilantro, scallions, 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and mash together with your hands or a potato masher until thoroughly combined.  Some lumps are ok.  You can also make this the night before and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.

Take a small amount of dough the size of a small apple and roll into a smooth ball.  Spread some flour on the wood board and roll out the dough using a rolling pin.  Continue to flatten the dough until it takes a round shape, is as thin as a tortilla, and about 10-12  inches across.  The thinner the dough the better.  If you have trouble rolling the dough to the shape you want, use a lid from a pot to trace a perfect round shape. 

Spread ¼ cup of potato mixture on one side of the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the rim.  Fold the other half over and press the dough together with your finger to form a seal. 

Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Brown the bolani, two at a time, until golden on both sides.  The bolani should sizzle when they hit the pan.   Lay cooked bolani on a paper towel. Add more oil to your pan if your oil starts to reduce. These are best served warm but are tasty at room temperature. 

 

Serve with plain yogurt

 

Short Cut:

If you don’t want to make the dough use flour tortillas instead, it always turns out well and saves time.

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. water

6 6-inch flour tortillas

 

In a small dish, mix together the flour and water to make a paste.  Set a tortilla on your work surface and spread ¼ cup of the potato mixture on the tortilla, leaving a half-inch border around the rim.  Using your finger spread a small amount of the paste around the edge of half of the tortilla.  Fold the tortilla over, encasing the potatoes into a half circle.  Press the two sides of the tortillas together firmly to form a tight seal.  Brown the bolani following the instructions in the recipe above. 

 

 Bolani cut out with potato mixture

 

 
Folded over and pressed together 

 

Using a tortilla you leave a wider edge for the paste which will hold the tortilla closed. 

 

Tortilla Bolani ready for cooking.