Afghan Kabuli Pulao Recipes

Steps:

• Saute the carrots and raisins in butter. Set them aside.
• Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a medium sized pan and cook the onions until translucent. Then add the rice and broth, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
• Add the spices to hot oil and cook for a few seconds, until fragrant. Then add the meat and saute until just done.
• Place the meat in an oven-safe dish, then cover it with the rice and bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Earlier in the day: Place the rice in a large colander and run cold water over it to rinse it well.
• Now pour the rice in a large bowl and cover it with cold water to soak for 4 to 5 hours.
• Pour 1/6 cup of sugar into a large, hot saucepan over medium heat and keep shaking the pan until the sugar caramelizes.
• Add 1 cup of the reserved lamb stock, the RawSpiceBar's Afghan Pulao Spices, salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.
• Drain the soaked rice. Then, following the cooking directions on the package, boil it until just soft. Drain again and pour the rice over the caramelized sugar mixture and stir until the rice is well coated.
• Using a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and the remaining sugar and stir for 5 minutes or until caramelized and glossy. Add the raisins and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
• With the underside of a large wooden spoon punch holes all over the rice allowing the steam to escape. Drizzle rice with olive oil.
• Now, top the rice with the carrot mixture and the prepared lamb.
• Cover with a tea towel and the lid of the pan. Make sure the towel is under the lid so it doesn't burn. Now turn the heat to high and cook the rice mixture for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep it covered for 10 more minutes.
• To serve, cover a large platter with a layer of the rice, spoon the lamb over it, and then all the remaining rice. Top with the carrot mixture and finally with the almonds and pistachios. This serves a large family, as is traditional with Afghan communities.

Steps:

• Soak the rice in cool water for 5 minutes. Rinse until water runs clear.
• Place 4 cardamom pods on a cutting board and lightly crush using the flat side of a knife; transfer to a pressure cooker. Add halved onion, garlic head, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, paprika, and coriander seeds. Pour in water to cover.
• Seal pressure cooker lid and turn heat to high. Cook until pressure cooker whistles once, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Wait for 2 more whistles, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally, about 10 minutes.
• Strain broth into a bowl. Clean out the pressure cooker and heat it over medium heat. Add oil and chopped onion; cook and stir until softened and browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add carrots; cook until soft, about 3 minutes more. Add raisins, almonds, and strained rice. Add remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin seed, and remaining clove.
• Crush remaining cardamom seed to a powder and add to the pressure cooker. Mix to combine; pour in enough broth to cover the rice.
• Increase heat to high and seal the pressure cooker. Cook until the first whistle, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let rest for 7 minutes; release the pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked rice to a serving dish immediately to prevent overcooking.

Steps:

• Soak the rice in cool water and rinse a few times till the water runs clear.
• Add 1 whole onion skin removed and cut in half to pressure cooker, add 1 whole garlic head most layers of skin removed, add cinnamon stick, 4 cardamom pods lightly crushes in mortal and pestle, add 4 cloves, coriander seeds, 1 tsp black pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, salt and sugar. Seal lid on pressure cooker and turn heat to high. Cook till pressure cooker whistles once then turn heat to medium. Wait for 2 more whistles then turn off the heat.
• While broth is cooking chop the other onion. Julienne the carrots. Rinse the rice a few more times.
• Once pressure has released open the pressure cooker and strain the broth into a bowl and set aside. Clean out the pressure cooker then add 1 tablespoon canola oil And sauté the chopped onion in it till carmelized. Add the carrots and sautéed till soft. Add the raisins, almonds and the strained rice. Add the remaining teaspoon of cumin seeds and black pepper. Add the remaining 1 clove and 1 cardamom crushed to a powder. Mix all together in the pressure cooker then add the broth. If the rice is soft to taste at this point then only add enough water to just cover the rice, if the rice is still hard the Add enough water to go 1 centimetre above the rice. Turn on high. Seal the pressure cooker then wait for the first whistle. Once it whistles turn the heat down to medium and cook 5 minutes then remove from heat. Wait 7 minutes then release the pressure. Remove rice from pot to stop from over cooking.

Steps:

• Wash and pat the meat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Over medium temperature heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the onion. Stir until just wilted.
• Add the garlic and the saffron and stir to combine flavors.
• Then add the meat, the rest of the vegetable oil, and keep stirring until the pieces are browned on all sides.
• Add water, reduce heat to low, and cook, skimming the surface as needed. Cook for 1.5 hours, or until the lamb is fork tender.
• Remove the lamb and set aside in a bowl.
• Reserve the stock.

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces, onions and hot water in a large pot.
• Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Add salt to taste.
• Remove chicken, reserving stock & discard cooked onions.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat 2 tbs of the butter over medium high heat and fry chicken pieces containing bones, salting as needed.
• Boil a large amount of water with sea salt and cook the rice in it for exactly 8 minutes. Set aside in a pot until ready to assemble.
• Make stock sauce:
• Brown onions in butter and remove from heat.
• Add cardamom cumin, freshly ground black pepper & saffron liquid and mash with onion to form a paste.
• Add about 1/2 pt of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
• Combine cooked rice, stock sauce as needed (I don't find it became a sauce so I added the onion paste with some broth as needed to finish cooking the rice) and chicken; place in a buttered casserole. Cover.
• Fry carrot matchsticks in 1/2 tbs butter and add dark raisins to them at the very end.
• Sprinkle partially cooked carrot matchsticks and raisins on top of chicken and rice and cover tightly with aluminum foil or cover.
• Place in oven for 35 minutes.
• Chopped toasted pistachios or slivered almonds may be added over the dish just before serving if so wished.
• There most probably will be left over stock that is very good even as a soup on it's own and probably served that way in an Afghani household.
• Enjoy!