UNVEILING AFGHAN DOCUMENTARY - "WE CAME HOME"

Afghan artist and filmmaker - Ariana Delawari

By Humaira

Afghan Culture Unveiled is a promotional partner of World Affairs Council and the 16th UN Association Film Festival preview of "We Came Home", a documentary by Afghan femal artist Ariana Delawari.   

Afghan Culture Unveilved readers will receive 50% off the published ticket price for this sceening.  I hope to see you there.

"We Came Home" trailer

"We Came Home" tells the story of Afghanistan through Afghan American artist, Ariana Delawari. Born into a suburban Los Angeles home the same year the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Ariana’s life unfolds parallel to the ever-changing events of her father’s homeland.

The Delawari household is a place of both celebration and activism, with the family attempting to recreate the Kabul they knew and left behind, before the tanks and land mines. September 11th changes the course of her family’s lives and Ariana spends the following ten years traveling between Los Angeles and Kabul, documenting the land of her ancestry through photographs, film and music.

With the Taliban resurgence, Ariana realizes that her currency is art, and that the opportunity to bridge the two halves of her existence may soon be gone forever. She rounds up her Los Angeles bandmates and sets out to record an album in Kabul with three Afghan Ustads, or master musicians. The recording is a glimpse into the challenges of building anything in Afghanistan after thirty years of war, but nothing can touch the universal language of music that unfolds between these LA hipsters and elder maestros.

The film will be followed by a short Q&A with the filmmakers.

This program is presented by the World Affairs Council of San Fracisco in partnership with the United Nations Association Film Festival. The 16th UNAFF celebrates the power of documentary films dealing with human rights issues, the environment, racism, women’s issues, universal education, war and peace. 

To register and receive the 50 % discount please click on this link.

Thursday, 09/19

7:00 PM- 9:00 PM

World Affairs Council

312 Sutter Street, Suite 200

San Francisco, CA 94108

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

CUCUMBER MINT YOGURT DRINK - DOUGH

By Humaira

Whenever I describe the Afghan beverage dough (the “gh” makes a guttural sound in the back of your throat) to my American friends the conversation goes something like this:

“It’s a refreshing yogurt drink ...”

“Is it like an Indian lassie?”

“No, it’s salty, not sweet.”

Silence…and then, “A salty yogurt drink?...that sounds i.n.t.e.r.e.s.t.i.n.g.”

Well, dough is interesting. It’s also refreshing and delicious. It’s a summer drink in Afghanistan usually enjoyed at lunchtime with rice or meat. We don’t drink dough with dishes that contain yogurt such as Aush, Lawang or Aushak. Dough has a reputation for inducing drowsiness. A great nap often follows a meal with a glass of dough (not unlike the French and their wine-soaked lunches).

You could try it like my brother-in-law Brian did at his first Afghan meal. To be polite he decided to order a glass of dough (which I was raving about) along with a beer, which was what he really wanted. He would take one sip of dough and then wash it down with his beer. He didn’t complain but I am guessing they were not complementary to each other.

Cucumber & Mint Yogurt Drink

Dough

2 medium Persian cucumbers. peeled and finely chopped

4 cups full-fat plain yogurt

2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)

3 cups cold filtere water

1 tsp. dried mint or 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint

Add all of the ingredients in a large pitcher or bowl and stir well.Pour or ladle into glasses that have a few cubes of ice.Make sure that you get some cucumber pieces into each glass.

Serves 4-6

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

ROSEWATER CARROT AND CARDAMOM PUDDING - HALWA E ZARDAK

By Katie

When it comes to food, I like a theme. The first time I invited my now husband over to my apartment was foran ice cream social.That was soon followed by a “tacky party” which featured fruity cocktails and “candy kabobs” on miniature colored skewers all of which I served wearing a baby blue terry cloth tube top.

So I had a hard time when Humaira sent this halwa recipe my way with instructions to adapt it to the slow cooker. It didn’t fit any of my notions of dessert. It’s sweet like dessert, but it’s got enough carrots to qualify as a salad. And although we’re calling it pudding, that’s just because we don’t know what else to call it. It’s not creamy like a pudding, but it’s not a cake either. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever eaten before. But it is worth eating:  gently flavored with cardamom and rosewater, warm, rich and satisfying.

Afghan halwa is related to halva, a sweet popular in India, the Near East and other parts of Central Asia. It is most commonly made not with carrots but with rice, wheat or semolina flour similar to this Afghan recipe here. I imagine it could be made with other sweet, hearty vegetables such as butternut squash and beets. Humaira says it’s delicious with apples. Like all desserts in Afghanistan, halwa is strictly a special occasion dish, a luxury for sure.

By conventional method, carrot halwa is prepared by combining grated carrots, milk, cream, butter and sugar (what’s not to like?) in a pot and letting it gently bubble away until the liquid absorbs and the carrot is tender. It’s topped with toasted pistachios or almonds.   The recipe definitely requires some attention so if you have neither the time nor the patience, the slow cooker is a fine substitute. The texture is slightly different, but the flavor is just as good.If you like, feel free to add a ½ cup of dried currants or golden raisins to the halwa when it is done.

After making this recipe a few times, and eating more than my fair share, I’ve found my theme. It’s the perfect sort of thing to share with a friend over a cup of tea in the afternoon. Homey, warm, pleasing, nourishing, wholesome:a heck of a lot better than a candy kabob.

Recipe by Humaira

Rosewater and Cardamom Flavored Carrot Pudding

Halwa e Zardak

½ stick unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar (or ½ cup honey)

1 1/4 cups whole milk

½ cup whipping cream

pinch of salt

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. rosewater or vanilla

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pistachios, almonds or walnuts

Melt the butter and sugar (or honey) together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring from time to time.You can also do this in the microwave.Pour the melted butter/sugar into the slow cooker and add the milk, cream, salt, cardamom and rosewater.Stir well.Add the grated carrots and stir again.Cook on low for 6 hours.

Stir well and serve warm or at room temperature with toasted nuts sprinkled over the top.

Serves 6 - 8

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.