KHALEDA'S LAM KEBAB WITH CREAMY, SPICY CHUTNEY

By Humaira

Happy end of the holy month of Ramazan!

Jeja (my mom) spends a good part of her day surfing the Afghan TV channels. Yes, in the United States you can watch several Afghanistan-based television programs. Since we purchased the satellite TV for Jeja, her life has changed. After 33 years of living in the United States her heart and identity are still in Afghanistan. The television allows her a little window into her homeland. She watches soap operas in Farsi, learns about homeopathic medicines and gets world news from Afghan reporters. She recently informed me that one of her Afghan channels features a reality cooking show similar to ones we see in the US. The claim to fame of the most recent winner is a mastery of 15 rice and 30 kebab recipes.

So, it is with Afghan TV on the brain that I share this kebab recipe. It is from a Khalida Rashid, an Afghan television personality I met at a café in Laguna Beach. After my sister informed me that she is an excellent cook and used to host a cooking show I was in hot pursuit of a recipe from her. She was cautious at first, but after checking out our blog she agreed to offer one of her recipes to us.

The recipe is for lamb kebab made with a marinade that takes less than five minutes to pull together and is quite delicious. The chutney that accompanies the kebab is a little different than what I’m used to eating. Hers includes a few spoonfuls of lebni, which is essentially a very thick yogurt. It adds a little body and creaminess and offsets the heat of the sauce in a very pleasing way.

Needless to say Jeja was very excited when Khalida mentioned our blog on Tamasha, her Wednesday morning television program.We hope to get more recipes from the accomplished cooks in our Afghan community, so if you have a favorite, please share it with us.

Khalida’s Lamb Kebab with Creamy, Spicy Chutney

½ yellow onion, peeled and halved

1 medium jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

Put the onion, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth. Mix the blended onion with the lamb in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator a half hour before you are ready to grill. Thread the lamb meat on metal or wooden skewers and grill until cooked through but still tender.

Creamy Cilantro Chutney

2 small bunches fresh cilantro, stems removed

1 medium jalapeno pepper (more if you like it really spicy)

2 tbsp. lebni (or Greek yogurt if you can’t find lebni)

¼ cup white vinegar or lemon juice

½ tsp. Kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.Blend until smooth.

Serve kebabs with nan or pita bread that you have warmed on the grill along with chutney.

Serves 4 to 6

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

YOGURT MARINATED CHICKEN KEBAB - MURGH Kebab

By Humaira

In last week's post I recounted my first impressions of Afghanistan after my last visit in 2012.

Afghan hospitality is world famous—unless you are there to invade the country. In six days, I managed to gain five pounds from the elaborate meals, countless cups of tea accompanied by sweets. On previous trips, I was amazed by my cousin Ghani jan and his wife Farida jan's endless energy for hosting. They have out of the country guests who stay for a month, or families from their home province who come a week or local guests who pop in at meal time without calling.  I've always assume that maybe I would be such a patient host if I grew up in Afghanistan but that is not the case. I discovered their secret for seamless hospitality—cohesive family dynamic and team work.

Their children wash dishes, make meals and take care of each other without being asked, rewarded or threatened. There are no colorful stars or rewards for doing chores

Eighteen year old Elias (my cousin's son) and his cousin marinated 20 pounds of chicken for a family BBQ

The parents roles are very clear—Ghani jan handles everything outside the house—making money, handling kids' academic needs, buying groceries, driving, and keeping up with their clan's demands from his home province, Ghazni. Farida jan, handles everything inside the house—cooking, cleaning, laundry, overseeing and assisting in children's homework, and hosting countless guests that pop-in unannounced.

View fullsize

Elisa's kebab with with fresh flat bread and home made yogurt

Although their five children's responsibilities generally fall along the gender lines but I also noticed their birth order dictated their responsibilities. It was remarkable when the four-year-old took dishes to the kitchen to help her older sister or the twelve-year-old offered to take the garbage out so his older brother can rest from a full day's work.

Every house I visited had a similar scheme—the kids were right there, hosting, engaging and participating right along with the parents. I'm not sure how one instills such values in children. My two daughters will walk by an overflowing compost bin for two days without taking notice of it.

In the past thirteen years of engagement in Afghanistan, we Americans have exported many ideas to better the country but perhaps we can learn a few things from Afghans.

Men BBQ - the most delicious Kebab I've ever had

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebab

Kebab e Murgh

3 cups plain, whole milk yogurt

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried, ground garlic

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Put all the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and mix until all pieces are covered with yogurt. Pour the contents of the bowl in a sealable plastic bag or a container with a tight lid. Marinate for at least 24 hours.

Pull the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before you are going to grill. Get the barbecue good and hot. If you are using a gas grill, let it heat up for a good 10 minutes. In the meantime, pour the chicken into a colander and wipe the marinade off as best you can.

Grill the chicken over a medium-high flame about 7 minutes a side until it’s cooked through. Once cooked, wrap the chicken in aluminum foil and let it sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 6

More fabulous meals I consumed...

Lunch feast

Gorgeous salad accompanies qabili palau, qorma e murgh and mantoo

CHICKEN KEBAB FOR SUMMER BBQ - KEBAB-E-MURGH

With the end of school and the flurry of summer plans I have not been able to test new recipes. So, I decided to re-post one of the first recipes 

This blog was inspired by my mom's cooking and the urgency to preserve her recipes before she expires. You see, in our family Jeja, my mom is a wonderful cook but she did pass her knowledge to her children.  I have to admit, I didn't particulary show any interest in learning her Afghan cuisine recipe until I had my own children.  This blog has opened a world of food, culture, and banter which has enriched my life.  

I am thankful to all my wonderful readers who post comments, ask questions and share their experiences with Afghanistan or Afghan food.  It is encouraging to know, that in a very small way I have touched people around the world in this intimate way, by sharing my culture.

Thank you for your interest in Afghan food and culture.  Now, let' s talk kebabs.

With schools out and weekend BBQs on the calendar it seems an appropriate time to talk about some of my favorite grilled food:  Afghan kebabs.  While nothing could be more ordinary in American culture than the backyard barbecue, in Afghanistan grilling is more typically the domain of street vendors and restaurants.   Walk through bazaars of Kabul or Kandahar and you will be greeted with the sizzling sounds and rich smells of beef, lamb and chicken seasoned with garlic, onions, peppers, and a host of spices, speared onto metal skewers.  The street vendors (Kebabis as they are called) wrap warm nan bread around the meat and serve it with chutney, cilantro and chives.   While it would be rare for an Afghan to own the kind of barbecue we are accustomed to, they are brilliant at rigging a makeshift grill set over hot coals for picnics or other outdoor outtings. 

It's simple to translate this faraway and seemingly exotic treat for grilling at home.  While Afghan restaurants sometimes achieve the signature golden hue to their chicken by adding food coloring, we've founda little dose of turmeric works just as well, and is tasty, too.   Serve the kebabs with plenty of plain yogurt, nan, lavash or pita bread, and a chopped salad with equal parts cucumber, tomato, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lemon and plenty of salt.

   June of 2009, me with short hair and a tray of kebabs  

Lemony Chicken Kebabs with Turmeric

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice mixed with 1 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

wooden or metal skewers

Instructions:

Cut chicken into 2-inch chunks and put in a bowl.Puree remaining ingredients in a food processor.Pour marinade over the chicken and mix thoroughly.Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least three hours, preferably overnight.

If using wooden skewers, immerse them in water for at least 20 minutes before using.

Put 4 to 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer.Grill over a medium flame until done.If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the kebabs under a broiler for a few minutes per side or bake them in a 400 degree oven until cooked through.

Serves 6

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