Koobideh, by Diane

A while back, I made an amazing Afghani dish on the blog called Qabuli. It was a big hit and I think about recreating it often. This week, I decided I wanted to make it again but wasn't sure how many koobideh kabobs I would need to buy. Thinking that it might get expensive, I decided to look it up and see how to make them instead. As it turns out, they are shockingly simple to make and way cheaper than getting them at the restaurant! And, they don't have any carbs of any kind in them- my favorite way to cook!

*Note: The onion step (Step 1) will literally make you cry your face off, so especially be careful when removing the lid of the food processor not to get your face too close. :)

Ingredients:


1 medium onion
6 cloves garlic
1 small head of parsley, stems removed
1 tsp each turmeric, salt and pepper
1 egg
2 lb. ground lamb


Directions:

1. Using a food processor, mince the onion down to tiny pieces. Strain out all the liquid and return to the processor.

2. Add in the garlic, parsley, spices, and egg and blend well until everything is broken down.

3. Add the lamb in chunks and then process until just mixed through.

4. Remove mixture and refridgerate for a minimum of 3 hours to overnight (I did it overnight).

5. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet and form the mixture into 8 logs. Using a knife, cut bite-sized notches into the logs.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

Qabuli, by Diane

I made this dish last night for our Afghani-themed spread at book club. We read The Pearl That Broke It's Shell, by Nadia Hashimi, and it was set in Afghanistan (an excellent read!!). I've had this dish both at Afghani and Uzbeki restaurants (in Uzbekistan it's called Plov), and it's delicious. Traditionally it is served on a bed of rice, but since some of our bookclub members were keeping Passover, I omitted that part. I also used meat from kubideh kabobs that I purchased at a local Afghani restaurant, but traditionally qabuli uses lamb that is cooked in onions and spices (a google search brings up all kinds of recipes for how to cook it this way). I'm posting the recipe as I made it, which was cheap, quick, and surprisingly simple! This was a big hit at the bookclub, and I'll definitely make it again for lunch or dinner during the week.

*Note: traditionally I've seen this dish made with candied orange peels (which you would create by adding orange peels into the carrot step), saffron (also added into the carrot step), pistachios instead of or with almonds, and rose/orange blossom water (added in with the raisin step or to cook the rice in). Afghani food is very fragrant and uses a lot of ingredients that have a variety of good scents! All taste amazing and you can customize how you want! Last night was a busy one so I picked the easiest of all options and it still wound up tasting delicious!*

Ingredients:

2 kubideh kabobs
2 tbsp EVOO
1 lb shredded carrots
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp garam masala
1 cup black raisins (golden raisins are also used in this dish)
1 cup slivered almonds
Rice (basmati works best!)

Directions:

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes (you want them to be plump and juicy!).

2. In a large saucepan heat EVOO on medium high. Add in carrots, brown sugar, and garam masala and cook until the carrots are slightly browned and tender. 

3. Drain the raisins and add them into the mix. Cook another 2-3 minutes until raisins are warmed and set aside in a bowl.

4. Add the almonds into the pan and lightly toast. There should be some reminants of the oil and spices left in the pan for the almonds to absorb. Make sure to watch these as they will burn easily! Add to the bowl and mix together.

5. Serve your dish with rice on the bottom, meat, and then the carrot/raisin/almond mixture on top.