Looking for Afghani Cuisine in UK? - Here’s What You Need to Know

When considering Afghan cuisine in the UK, you should be aware that the grill, the grill, and the grill takes centre stage. Do not bother with the soups and kormas; instead, focus primarily on the kababs and the smokey, rich flavours of the marinade, as well as the options for red and white meat.

You should order only the traditional Matawa rice, which is Afghan brown rice with a flavourful stock that is spiced with onions, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and mint. Dishes made with these two ingredients are Kabul city's staple foods and the thing for which they are most well-known.

Traditional Dishes from Afghanistan That You Absolutely Need to Try

Mastawa:

Chickpeas, short-grain rice, and salted, sun-dried mutton called lahndi are cooked in a broth seasoned with onions, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and mint to create this classic Afghan winter dish. This sticky rice dish gets its unique aroma and fiery heat from the late addition of narenj, or bitter orange peel, and hot peppers to the cooking process.

While various dried meats, such as the Afghan gosht-e-qaqh, can be used to make mashtawa, the dish really comes alive when finished with quroot, a cheese made in Afghanistan from strained, salted, and dried yoghurt.

Gosh-e fil:

Afghan gosh-e fil is a type of fried sweet pastry that gets its elephant's-ear nickname from its shape. After the dough has been kneaded and allowed to rest, it is rolled out very thinly and then quickly cooked in oil for just a few seconds on each side. The key ingredients of the dough are flour, sugar, eggs, and milk.

Sprinkle these crunchy pastries with icing sugar, powdered cardamom, crushed pistachios, and, if desired, rose petals, for an extra taste and textural element.

Mantu:

Mantu is iconic of Afghan cuisine. Its appealing dumpling-like form and delicious flavour have won widespread acclaim. Lamb is seasoned and wrapped in pastry to make mantus. It is possible to steam or boil them for preparation.

Yogurt and garlic are frequent condiments for these dishes. You can make them as small or as large as you wish, and they taste great with any number of different dipping sauces.

Chopan kabob:

Chopan kabob, a Pashtun culinary delicacy, is made from lamb that has been roasted over an Afghan charcoal brazier known as a mankal. Sheep herders (Chopan is a Pashto term for a shepherd) were responsible for the dish's eponymous naming, since they would rub portions of lamb with plenty of salt, skewer them on twigs or short branches, and roast the meat over a fire while keeping an eye on their herds.

Numerous dukan-e-kebabi, or kebab street stalls, now serve chopan kabob. Lamb skewers are occasionally pre-marinated and often feature jijeq, which are bits of fat from the tail of the sheep.

Bolani:

In Afghanistan, bolani are the most widely eaten type of street food. To put it simply, it is a flatbread that's been loaded with a variety of toppings and then fried.

Mashed potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, pork, or lentils are all excellent fillings. This appetiser or side dish is commonly made at home and served during social gatherings.

Enjoy Bolani with Chakkah, a dip made of mint, yoghurt, and chutney, and coriander, which brings forth the full flavour of the meat. While you enjoy the tastes of home in the UK, send money back home in Afghanistan to friends and family to help them rebuild their lives from the recent string of natural calamities.

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