Afghan+Diet+&+Recipes

[|Diet]

Most Afghan cuisine is influenced by South and Central Asia, China and Iran. Meals include //pilau// (rice mixed with meat and/or vegetables), //qorma// (vegetable sauce), //kebab// (skewered meat), //ashak// or //mantu// (pasta dishes), and //nan.// They like to snack on sugarcane, pudding, nuts, seeds and fruits. Tea (green or black) is the most popular drink. *************************************************************************************************************************************************

 //[|Noni Afghani Afghan Bread] // 1 1/2 cups warm water 1 package dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup corn oil 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon black cumin or caraway seeds Directions:
 * 1) Mix 1/2 cup of warm water, yeast, and sugar together and let it proof for 10 minutes. When froth appears, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon flour on top and let it continue to proof for 5 more minutes. The froth will rise quickly.
 * 2) Put flour in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle salt over it. Make a well in middle of the flour and add oil and the yeast mixture. Stir this in and add small amounts of water until you have produced a soft, moist dough that can be handled.
 * 3) Knead well for 5 minutes. Put dough ball back in bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough.
 * 4) Divide dough into 8 equal parts and roll each part into a ball. Roll each ball into an oval shape 6 to 7 inches long and 1/2-inch thick. Draw the tines of a fork in 3 lines along the length of each //noni// (oval-shaped loaf) for a decorative design. Paint each //noni// with egg mixture and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds over all of them. This is traditional seed to use, but caraway seeds may be substituted if black cumin seed is unobtainable.
 * 5) Put //noni// on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The brown top will glisten.

*

__Afghani Lamb with Spinach (Cooked on special occasions & symbolic to sacrifice in the novel, //The Kite Runner//)__  Sear lamb in the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onions; saute them for 2 minutes; then add the garlic and saute it for 1 minute. Put in the turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, crushed red pepper and cinnamon and saute the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes more, being careful not to burn the onions or garlic. Add the tomatoes and veal stock and stir. Cover the dish and bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour, until the meat is tender and begins to break up. Remove the dish from the oven and add the spinach, stirring until the spinach is wilted and blended in. Allow the stew to cool slightly. Add the yogurt, lemon peel and salt to taste. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts. Serve over rice pilaf.
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">2 1/2 pound Lamb stew meat - preferably leg
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/3 cup Olive oil
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">3/4 pound Onions; diced large
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">4 Teaspoons Chopped garlic
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">2 Teaspoons of Turmeric
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/4 Teaspoons of Nutmeg
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/4 Teaspoons of Ground cardamom
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1 Teaspoons of Crushed red pepper
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">32 oz Can tomatoes; drain & chop
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1 cup Rich brown veal stock or
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1 cup Rich beef stock
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/3 pound Fresh spinach; wash & drain
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/2 cup Yogurt
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1 tablespoons of Grated lemon peel Salt; to taste
 * <span style="display: block; color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">1/4 cup Pine nuts (Roasted at 350 F. for about 3.5 minutes)