AN AFGHAN TWIST TO A BURGER

By Katie

Afghanistan is a meat loving country; its people embrace all manner of animal protein so long as it's halal/kosher. Pork is of course the exception since as Muslims, Afghans abstain from anything of the porcine persuasian. And unlike neighboring India where entire swaths ofthe population are devoted vegetarians, you'd be hard pressed to find an Afghan eager to give up her carnivorous habits.  

At the same time, Afghans are thrifty people. This is a poor country and meat is considered quite dear, often reserved for special occasions. But Afghans have longfound innovative ways to have their proverbial meat and eat it too.  

Beans, legumes and grains of many varieties are a significant part of the Afghan diet. These inexpensive staples are eaten on their own but also used as extenders for meat dishes. For example, chick peas are ground and added to chicken kebabs for flavor and to minimize the amount of chicken needed in the dish. 

Substituting beans and grains is a smart thing to do not just for economic reasons, it's also a healthier way to eat that treads a little lighter on the earth. This concept is heartily embraced in Almost Meatless, a new cookbook I recently discovered by Tara Matazara Desmond and Joy Manning. Tucked in the pages of the chapter titled Beef in Moderation is a recipe cleverly named the B4 Burger (beef bulgur bean burger). The recipe is a very American take on what Afghans have been doing with meat for centuries. 

I tinkered with the recipe just a bit -- adding a few classic Afghan spices, making the patties a little smaller, more akin to a kebab, and serving them in mini pita breads toasted on the grill. I also used a cucumber yogurt sauce instead of ketchup. Cilantro sprigs took the place oflettuce leaves. The result was wholly satisfying with a flavor that is decidedly more Middle Asia than Middle America.   

The B4 Burger with an Afghan Twist

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup cooked black beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

1 cup chicken stock  or water

1/2 cup bulgur wheat (coarse or medium grind)

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3 scallions, white and green parts, minced

1 tbsp. whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten

8 ounces ground beef

8 mini pita breads (or 4 regular pitas cut in half) 

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed and dried

Preheat grill to medium-high and oil the grates.

Pulse the black beans, garlic paste, scallions, mustard, cumin, coriander and turmeric several times in a food processor until a chunky paste forms. (Alternatively, mash the beans well with a fork or potato masher). Transfer the beans to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

 Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in bulgur wheat, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cool slightly.

 Add the egg, bulgur and ground beef to the beans and stir to combine the ingredients evenly. Form into 8 equal patties, 1/2-inch thick each.

Grill burgers over medium-high flame for about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt and cucumber in a small bowl. When the burgers are almost done, quickly heat the pita bread on the grill. Tuck the cooked burgers into the pita, add a large spoonful of yogurt sauce and a few sprigs of cilantro. Alternatively, the burgers can be cooked in a pan coated with non-stick spray.

Reprinted with permission from Ten Speed Press and the authors

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AUSH | AFGHAN NOODLE AND BEAN SOUP WITH A MEAT SAUCE

By Humaira

Aush is responsible for my friendship with Katie.I took a big pot of Aush to a school potluck. Since it was an unfamiliar dish to many, I stood next to the pot of Aush and gave everyone instructions on the assembly, ingredients, and history. It was a great way to meet new parents, one of whom happened to be Katie. After two bowls of Aush, she asked me for the recipe. A bit of dilemma, there was no recipe.

Four years ago, I cooked like my Mom. I just put the ingredients together and cooked. I had heard that Katie is a “foodie” and a food writer. I was nervous about sharing any recipe with her. I made Aush several times and painstakingly wrote the ingredients and their measurements. In the meantime I received several emails from Katie asking about the recipe. Rest assured this recipe has been tested many times by both of us over the years.

Aush is one of my favorite Afghan dishes. It’s a hearty noodle soup with chickpeas, and red beans garnished with a ground beef sauce and a dollop of yogurt. According to Louis Dupree in his book Afghanistan, pasta was created in Central Asia which is now part of northern Afghanistan. Who would have thought?

Aush is my comfort food. I consider it a fall or winter dish but recently I came down with the flu and I craved Aush. It was perfect even in the summer; so I decided to share it with you. Our kids love it too.

We want to hear what you think about Aush.

AUSH

AFGHAN NOODLE AND BEAN SOUP WITH A MEAT SAUCE

Afghan Noodle and Bean Soup with a meat Sauce

We sometimes add a few handfuls of chopped spinach or swiss chard when the pasta is nearly cooked for extra color and nutrition.

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef  or ground turkey can be a fine substitute

1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoon. paprika

1 teaspoon. salt

½ teaspoon. ground black pepper

2 tablespoon. tomato paste mixed with 2 tbsp. hot water

7 oz uncooked spaghetti (doesn’t have to be exact)

10 cups chicken broth

1 15 ounces canned kidney beans

1 15 ounces canned garbanzo beans

1-pint plain yogurt

Dried mint (optional

Instructions:

Saute the onion in olive oil in a non-stick frying pan on low heat until tender and golden. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and use a spoon to break it up as it cooks so it is loose and separated (like taco meat). Once the beef is browned add the coriander, paprika, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix everything well and continue to cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, pour the chicken broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and boil for 5 minutes. Empty the beans into a colander and rinse with water. Add the beans to the spaghetti and continue to cook until the pasta is done.

To assemble, put 2 ladles of noodles and broth and 2 spoonfuls of beef into a deep serving bowl. Finish with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of yogurt on top and sprinkle some dried mint. Give it a stir and eat.

Cooked ground beef

Bowl of Aush

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PERSIAN CUCUMBER

    by Humaira

As a fifth grader in Kabul I had an allowance of one Afghani per day to buy a snack. Contrary to popular misconception, the Afghani doesn’t refer to a person, but to Afghanistan’s currency, and was worth about 10 cents at the time.

All my friends would use their allowance to buy special treats from the school canteen, but I would stop at the vegetable store on the way to school to purchase the largest cucumber I could afford. With school in session from March through November, the crunchy cucumbers with the small seeds had a cooling effect on me through the hot summer months -- I so looked forward to recess. In retrospect I must have been a strange child to pick a cucumber over candy, but I won’t go into self analysis in this posting.

Persian cucumbers remind me of the wonderful cucumber I used to covet as a child. They are thin, small and reliably crunchy. Peeled and cut into slivers they can be a great snack, a fun addition to a veggie platter and a healthy addition to the kids’ lunch bags. My kids love them.

Previously I could only find Persian cucumbers at Afghan or Persian grocery stores, but now Trader Joe’s and some larger grocery stores carry them. Here is a recipe for an Afghan appetizer I created and brought to a friend’s party. There are few appetizers in the Afghan cuisine, so I served this recipe with pita chips.

Yogurt, Cucumber and Mint Dip

1 cup of plain yogurt (any type will work)

2 Persian cucumbers roughly chopped which makes around ½ cup

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dried mind or 2 tsp fresh mint

Pinch of ground, dry ground garlic

Recipe can be doubled.

In a bowl mix all ingredients and stir thoroughly. You may adjust the salt and garlic to your taste. Serve with pita chips, sambosas, Bolani, or kebabs. I also love to serve it as a salad or side dish.

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