By Humaira
Ok, so this dish does not have an Afghan name since it’s not a traditional Afghan dish. Mustard Chicken, as my family fondly calls it, was created by a friend of a friend who is an accomplished Afghan cook. Although it is not an authentically Afghan dish, it uses a lot of the traditional spices. At first I was not sure if this recipe should become a blog post. But after my friend’s son, David Rupright (age 12), declared it “Afghan enough” I decided to share.
Over the years I have noticed Afghan ladies such as my mom and her friends not only adapt their cooking to their American kitchens but they have integrated ingredients they have found in the U.S. to their cooking.This is the natural evolution of food and cooking so it should be honored.
Mustard Chicken is a low-fat and very flavorful dish.I’ve experimented with different kinds of mustard but came to the conclusion that your basic, inexpensive yellow mustard works best.I like to serve it with warm pita and a simple salad.It reminds me a little bit of Mexican fajitas, only with Afghan seasonings and pita instead of tortillas.We hope you enjoy this dish.
Afghan Mustard Chicken
2 lbs. skinless, boneless, chicken breast
14 oz. yellow mustard
½ tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
After washing and drying, cut chicken in thin long strips, similar to fajita meat. Combine the chicken, mustard, coriander, cumin, pepper and salt in a bowl. Mix well, until all pieces of chicken are coated with mustard. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour. This dish can be marinated for many hours or overnight if you like.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the chicken, stir well so it doesn’t stick and drop the temperature to medium high. Cooking, stirring regularly, until just cooked through, around 10 minutes. A thick sauce will form. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and stir fry in the sauce for 5 minutes or until they are slightly tender. If you like your veggies softer,you can cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with pita bread and a nice crispy salad.
Serves 4-6
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