AFGHAN COOKING: IN FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE

By Humaira

This blog gets an honorable mention in the July issue of  Foreign Policy Magazine. Anna Badkhen writes an engaging article, Recipe for Living : Add Rice. Stir., about how rice is a staple in over half the countries in the world.  

Anna is also the author of a delightful new book, The World Is a Carpet, chronicling her journey in a tiny village in Northern Afghanistan for four seasons, which is how long it takes a woman in that village to make a carpet.

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

AFGHANISTAN'S CLASSIC DISH - PALAU

By Humaira & Katie

Nothing is more important at the Afghan table than the rice. An Afghan woman’s reputation as a good cook can hinge solely on how well she prepares her rice. Indeed, the number of rice dishes served at a particular wedding and the skill with which the hostess executes her palau can be fodder for gossip amongst a group of Afghans.

Palau is serious business in Afghanistan and nobody does it better than Humaira’s mom, who is fondly known by her grandchildren as “Jeja.” No matter how well our palau may be, it’s never quite up to Jeja’s standards. Most important is not to overcook the rice. Each grain should be distinct from the next. Sticky rice just will not do in a good Afghan kitchen.

Afghan cuisine uses short grain and long grain rice.  It's very important to buy the best and least processed Basmati rice.  Jeja only shops in the Afghan store where she buys rice for her palau. She always has her finger on the pulse of what the latest, best rice in the market is.  When I'm shopping for rice I always call her from the store to get her recommendation for the best brand name. If you don't have access to an Afghan, Indian or Iranian store,you can still make a fine pilau.  We do find that many brands in American supermarkets are overprocesses and tend to break in the cooking process.  This would probably horrify Jeja, but in our test we found even the broken rice quite delicious.

The recipe for Palau may look daunting but it's not difficult.  We have tested it many times to simplify it and retain the flavors.  There are two methods to cooking long grain rice. 

Afghan Rice with Chicken

Palau e Murgh

3 cups basmati rice

5 skinless chicken legs

5 skinless chicken thighs

2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered

½ cup olive oil or vegetable oil

5 tsp. salt

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 ½ tsp. ground cardamom

½ tsp. ground black pepper

12 cups water

2 tsp. browning sauce such at Kitchen Bouquet (optional)*

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Immerse rice in a bowl of water and drain in a colander.Repeat this step 3 times. 

Wash and dry the chicken.  Set aside.

Chop the onions in a food processor using the pulse button. Don't puree the onions.Choose a sauté pan that is at least a couple inches deep and large enough to fit all chicken.Pour the oil in the pan and saute the onions over high heat, stirring quickly, until brown (5-10 minutes). Don't burn the onion.   

Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with 3 tsp. of the salt. Cook the chicken over medium-high or high heat for 6 minutes, turning from time to time so all sides turn golden brown. The onion will start to caramelize and turn into a thick sauce. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, and continue stirring to keep the chicken from burning.  Once that liquid dries add another 1/4 cup of broth and cook until all the broth is used. This process will take around 20 minutes. Once a thick sauce has formed, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and simmer for 10 minutes.Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and set aside. Stir the cumin, cardamom and black pepper into the broth. Continue to cook on low for 5 minutes to allow it to thicken.

Meanwhile, measure 12 cups of water and the remaining 2 tsp. of salt into a large dutch oven or pot with a fitted lid. Bring it to a boil. Add the rice to the water and boil until it is nearly cooked, though still slightly crunchy. This will take just a few minutes depending on the rice you use. You will have to taste it to check for doneness. Do not overcook it. Immediately strain the rice through a colander. Put the rice back into its cooking pot and add the broth. Mix well. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the rice. Cover the pot with foil and then with a lid.

Bake the rice for 15 minutes at 500  and drop the temperature down to 250 degrees.Cook for another 20 minutes.

Arrange the chicken pieces on a large platter and cover with the rice.Serve with a simple salad and plain yogurt.

Chicken just as it was added to the browned onions in the saute pan

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Chicken after 30 minutes of cooking with the caramalized onions, the brown color is achieved by browning the onions to the right color

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This pan is ready to go in the oven to bake or in Dari it would be "Dam kadan"

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Humaira's rice pot.  You will find one of these in every Afghan's home in the United States.

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

KHALED HOSSEINI: THE AMERICAN DREAM

By Humaira

"And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini, have you heard of it?

If your answer is "No," then you have either been in a coma or off the grid. Every major publication, media outlet, literary site, bookstore and online vendor has written about Khaled's third and much anticipated novel. I have to agree with them, it is a must read with rich characters and exotic setting -- a multi-generation saga which leaves you wanting wanting more. "So, what is left to say?" I pondered this question when I was listening to the audiobook of my friend and fellow Afghan American's latest fiction best seller.  Yup!  I said, “listening” not “reading.” You see, I walk for exercise so I always have a book or two loaded on my iPhone to keep me company.  I love books read by the author, especially if I know them. 

In this audio book, Khaled only reads two chapters; Iranian actors Navid Negahban and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo skillfully read the rest of the story. The audio book is well directed with haunting Middle Eastern inspired music, which creates a charming ambiance for the listener.  I must admit that the actors’ mispronunciation of Afghan names and Dari words annoyed me. 

I have known Khaled since the early 80's, long before it was fashionable to be Afghan. As newly arrived refugees, cut off from our roots, living in low-income neighborhoods of San Jose, our families flocked together for familiarity and support. Remembering when our families barely had enough money to eat, Khaled’s success is a testament to achieving "the American dream" through hard work, and in his case exceptional talent.  Khaled makes me proud by using his celebrity to highlight important issues plaguing our world today. The Khaled Hosseini Foundation (TKHF), brainchild of Khaled's lovely wife Roya, works with UNHCR to build shelters for refugee families who are still suffering. TKHF also provides support to organizations focused on education, and healthcare for women and children of Afghanistan. For many years, TKHF has been a generous supporter of my non-profit, Afghan Friends Network. 

To bring a little personal touch to this post, I am pleased that Khaled was able to take time out of his busy month to "chime" in, as he puts it, and share his thoughts about audio books and food…

Photographer Joe Hoyt, Humaira (me)  and Khaled Hosseini at opening night of The Kite Runner the play

Conversation with Khaled Hosseini, the author of "And the Mountains Echoed."

Humaira: Do you like listening to audio books?

Khaled: My idea of a great audio book is one that draws you into the story world the way a campfire story can.  I love listening to audio books when I am on long car drives.  I love how I can lose myself in the narration.  I do like it when authors read their own work as it adds a dimension of intimacy between author and listener.  A good example was Michael J Fox's narration of his struggles with Parkinson's disease and Alice Sebold's narration of her book 'Lucky' in which she discusses with painful candor how she survived a rape.  

Humaira: Did you have a vision for the audio book of "And the Mountains Echoed?"  Were you involved in selecting the actors who read the book?

Khaled: As for the audio of my new book the publisher selected the readers.  I read two of the chapters.  Given the multi-perspective structure of the novel, having multiple readers seemed to me a good choice as well. 

Humaira: Since my blog is about Afghan culture and food, I have to ask about your favorite Afghan food.

Khaled: My favorite Afghan dish is turnip stew (shalgham with rice).  I like it tinged with ginger and I love to squeeze a little sour orange on it. 

Humaira: Who is the cook in your house you, Roya jan or is it a team effort?

Khaled: Roya cooks. I grill!  I can't cook Afghan food but she is great at it.  

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