Afghani dumplings and a ring from Kabul



'Ashak' - Afghani dumplings


I was thinking recently what a coincidence it is that three of the world’s most alluring cuisines ... food from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan ... are from countries currently steeped in seemingly endless conflict.   Aside from the appalling loss of human life, family upheavals and the damage to those countries’ cultural heritage (like the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the more recent bombing by Assad’s forces of Aleppo’s medieval market - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in Syria), the ongoing insurgencies in these countries have overshadowed the rich heritage of their cuisines developed over centuries.

Regretably I have never had the opportunity to visit these countries; but the closest I have come to experiencing Afghani culture in recent times was stumbling across a tiny shop in an outer suburb of Paris that sold Afghani artefacts, clothing and jewellery.  Aside from incredibly beautiful – and expensive – Pashmina shawls and an impressive collection of Pakols – Afghani woollen hats, the shop had an array of traditional Pashtun jewellery, including this beautiful ring which I bought for Juhee.   The Afghani shop owner told me it was made in Kabul from an old silver coin with the text written in Farsi.

 

Juhee's ring from Afghanistan

My interest in Afghani food was piqued the other evening when I was watching an episode of “Food Safari” on Indian TV; this show is fronted by a former colleague from SBS News, Maeve O’Mara.   Anyway, she was watching an Afghani-Australian woman cooking in her kitchen (in Sydney, I think) and the several dishes she made looked and sounded both unique and delicious.   This inspired me to indulge yet again in one of my only vices here in Hyderabad: buying cookbooks on the ‘net.   And sure enough, Flipkart (India’s Amazon) had a book entitled “Afghan Food & Cookery” by Helen Saberi.

 After doing a background check on this book – including discovering that the author was a researcher and contributor to Alan Davidson’s monumental “The Oxford Companion to Food”- I ordered the book on-line.  

 

Its an impressive volume with chapters on various Afghani breads, street food, Asian-style pasta and noodles, kebabs, rice pilaus, qormas (Afghani stews) and unusual desserts.  The recipes are designed within a distinctly Afghani tradition but combined with a Western sensibility to sourcing ingredients and health conscious alternatives.

One of the recipes demonstrated on the “Food Safari” episode was 'Ashak' ... hand made dumplings stuffed with a leek and chilli filling and served over yogurt sauce with dried mint and an Afghani lamb ‘keema’ or mince curry on the side.

 

Here is my version of this dish which we ate last night; the kids really enjoyed the dumplings.  The recipe is courtesy of “Afghan Food & Cookery” ... maybe it’s Iraqi and Syrian dishes next time? 

'Ashak' served on a platter with the yogurt, mint  & keema dressing

 Recipe:     “Ashak” ... Leek filled Dumplings with Meat Sauce  

                                               From ‘Afghan Food & Cookery’

 Ingredients:

3 ½ cups of plain flour   4 t salt   1 egg   2T veg oil   ½ kilo washed & finely chopped leeks (I used 3 leeks)   ½ t chilli pepper   1 ½ cups of yogurt   3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely   1 t vinegar   1 T dried mint

For the meat sauce:   6 T veg oil   2 red onions, finely chopped   ½ kilo lamb mince   ½ cup tomato paste   salt & pepper

 Method:

 Prepare dough:   sift flour and 1 t salt into bowl, make well in centre and whisk in egg and 1 T oil.   Add ½ cup water slowly and knead thoroughly to form a smooth dough.  (I added 2 T extra water.)  Divide into 2 balls & cover with damp cloth for an hour.

The dough rolled into a ball to rest before rolling

Prepare meat sauce:   Heat oil in pan, add onions and fry until reddish brown, stirring every now and again.   Add meat and stir fry until brown.   Add tomato paste, bring to boil and then add salt & pepper.   Lower heat and simmer until sauce is thick.   (I used less oil and added cumin, turmeric and chilli powder to give it a bit more flavour.)

Mix chopped leeks with salt and chilli powder and drain in colander the mix in T of oil.

The chopped leeks marinated with salt, chilli & oil

Roll out one ball of dough onto lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/16 “ ... avoid thicker pastry as it will make dumplings tough.   Cut out rounds about 2 ½ “.  Place teaspoon of chopped leeks in each round, fold over one half and seal dumplings by squeezing  or pleating edges.   Place on well floured tray & avoid overlapping as they will stick.  Cover with cloth until ready to cook.   Repeat with remaining ball of dough.

 

The dough rolled out to a thickness of 1/16th"

 

 

 

 

Filling the dumpling skins with the leeks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The dumplings ready to be boiled

Place yogurt in bowl and mix in garlic & 1 t salt.    Spread half mixture on serving platter or individual plates.

Yogurt beaten with salt, garlic & chopped green chilli

Boil 7 cups of water and add 1 t salt and vinegar.   Put ashok into water and boil gently about 10 minutes.   Remove & drain on mesh.    Place dumplings on plate with yogurt dressing, cover with remaining yogurt, sprinkle on dried mint and a little of the minced meat.

Serve with rest of meat in a separate bowl.



 
Tony saab, Hyderabad July 2013