• Home
  • ACTION FOR AFGHANS
  • Recipes
  • Culture
  • Consulting Services
Menu

Afghan Culture Unveiled

  • Home
  • ACTION FOR AFGHANS
  • Recipes
  • Culture
  • Consulting Services
 
CultureNews.png
 
More

FPpost.png
 
6a01157090fab6970b01348621f02f970c-800wi

KHALEDA'S LAM KEBAB WITH CREAMY, SPICY CHUTNEY

July 16, 2015

By Humaira

Happy end of the holy month of Ramazan!

Jeja (my mom) spends a good part of her day surfing the Afghan TV channels. Yes, in the United States you can watch several Afghanistan-based television programs. Since we purchased the satellite TV for Jeja, her life has changed. After 33 years of living in the United States her heart and identity are still in Afghanistan. The television allows her a little window into her homeland. She watches soap operas in Farsi, learns about homeopathic medicines and gets world news from Afghan reporters. She recently informed me that one of her Afghan channels features a reality cooking show similar to ones we see in the US. The claim to fame of the most recent winner is a mastery of 15 rice and 30 kebab recipes.

So, it is with Afghan TV on the brain that I share this kebab recipe. It is from a Khalida Rashid, an Afghan television personality I met at a café in Laguna Beach. After my sister informed me that she is an excellent cook and used to host a cooking show I was in hot pursuit of a recipe from her. She was cautious at first, but after checking out our blog she agreed to offer one of her recipes to us.

The recipe is for lamb kebab made with a marinade that takes less than five minutes to pull together and is quite delicious. The chutney that accompanies the kebab is a little different than what I’m used to eating. Hers includes a few spoonfuls of lebni, which is essentially a very thick yogurt. It adds a little body and creaminess and offsets the heat of the sauce in a very pleasing way.

Needless to say Jeja was very excited when Khalida mentioned our blog on Tamasha, her Wednesday morning television program.We hope to get more recipes from the accomplished cooks in our Afghan community, so if you have a favorite, please share it with us.

Khalida’s Lamb Kebab with Creamy, Spicy Chutney

½ yellow onion, peeled and halved

1 medium jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

Put the onion, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth. Mix the blended onion with the lamb in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator a half hour before you are ready to grill. Thread the lamb meat on metal or wooden skewers and grill until cooked through but still tender.

Creamy Cilantro Chutney

2 small bunches fresh cilantro, stems removed

1 medium jalapeno pepper (more if you like it really spicy)

2 tbsp. lebni (or Greek yogurt if you can’t find lebni)

¼ cup white vinegar or lemon juice

½ tsp. Kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.Blend until smooth.

Serve kebabs with nan or pita bread that you have warmed on the grill along with chutney.

Serves 4 to 6

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

In Afghan Kebab
← INSIDE PERSPECTIVE - LIFE AS AN AFGHAN WOMANWHEN THE MOON IS LOW:ANOTHER BEST SELLER IS BORN →

I have over sixty Afghan food recipes on this blog. Use this search field to find my most popular recipes—bolani, shohla, kebab—or a specific dish you may be looking for.

If want to stay in touch regularly check out my Afghan Culture Unveiled Facebook page where I regularly post inspiring human interest stories, and hopeful articles about Afghan food, art, and the achievements of Afghan women.


Humaira opens the world to Afghan culture and cuisine through this blog. She shares the wonders of Afghanistan through stories of rich culture, delicious food and her family’s traditions. Learn more about Humaira’s work.


mockupshots-DaniellaGranados28539-mock-00495+%281%29+%281%29.jpg

Join my mailing list to receive

* My FREE, Planning an Afghan Feast menu (pictured above)

* Afghan food recipes

* Alerts about my newest cooking video

* Information on shows, books, and events relating to Afghanistan and the Middle World.

Thank you!
Click here to download the menu.


My Recipes Appear In

 

FOOD52

Mom’s Kitchen Handbook ~ Blog

San Francisco Chronicle

“The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul” ~ A Novel

"Turmeric - The Wonder Spice" ~ A Cookbook"

Foreign Policy Magazine

Veggie Belly ~ Blog

"Giving - Student" ~ A Cookbook

Ingredient Matcher ~ Blog

Afghana ~ Blog 

Book Club Cheerleader ~ Blog 

Cornish Pasty ~ Blog 

Rhubarbarian ~ Blog 

Dietician Without Borders ~ Blog 

"Yogurt Culture" ~ A Global Look at How to Make, Bake, Sip and Chill the World's Creamiest, Healthiest Food


Tim Vetter of the Voyager Podcast asked me about Afghan Culture and Food. I hope you enjoy this interview.

Tim Vetter of the Voyager Podcast asked me about Afghan Culture and Food. I hope you enjoy this interview.

PLEASE MAKE PRESS AND SPEAKING INQUIRIES AT:

I would love to help you with your creative project. You may contact me at humairaghilzai@gmail.com.

Download Humaira’s speaker kit

Recipe Categories: Pantry & Spices | Starters & Salads | Main | Pastas & Soups | Afghan Kebabs | Sips | Sweets | Menu | Vegetarian | Gluten Free | Bread | Favorite International Recipes


Humaira Ghilzai shares authentic Afghan cuisine, stories from Afghanistan and insights about Afghan culture in her extensive blog about Afghan culture and food.

 © 2021, Humaira Ghilzai. All rights reserved.

Sitemap | Privacy Policy