IRISH BROWN BREAD: THE PERFECT FOIL FOR AFGHAN STEWS

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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By Katie

While Humaira's roots are firmly planted in Afghanistan, mine are in Ireland. The Irish landscape is lush and verdant, the country is surrounded by water, the people are fair skinned and friendly, and the pub is the centerpiece of Irish social life.  

Afghanistan is an arid, landlocked country where community centers around the homefront and the very notion of a public watering hole is virtually non-existent. The two countries mutual devotion to brewing and serving endless cups of tea was the one commonality I could think of.

While in Ireland, little grabbed my interest on the culinary front, this hearty quick bread became a minor obsession. Toasted with plenty of Irish butter and blackberry jam, it was the perfect accompaniment to all that hot tea. 

While it's hardly Afghan food, it pairs just right with some of Afghanistan's hearty, flavorful soups and stews.   

BrownSodaBread

Brown Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 3/4 cups self-rising flour

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

6 tbsp. ground flax meal (or wheat bran)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift the first 6 ingredients into a big bowl.  Add the butter to the bowl, pinching it between your fingers to incorporate it into the flour mixture until it is evenly distributed and is like a coarse meal.  Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until just barely combined.  Do not overmix it.  Put the dough in buttered loaf pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 40 minutes).

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GLUTEN FREE AFGHAN SWEET BREAD - RHOT E JOWAREE

By Humaira

During my two week visit to Afghanistan in 2011 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. 

Nabila's corn roht

Roht e Jowaree

Gluten Free Afghan Sweet Bread

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 like bitterness 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. 

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SWEET POTATO AFGHAN FLAT BREAD: 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.

DSC02053

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.

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