Afghanistan

 Welcome to Afghanistan!  I have to be honest.  I chose this country for this week because of the news.  My heart breaks for the country, for the people, and all the Americans affected by the events of the last few weeks.  I mourn for the 13 military who lost their lives protecting our freedoms, and the safety of the Afghan people.  Afghanistan is not somewhere I have ever wanted to visit for multiple reasons, but it has always intrigued me.  Their population is 37.30  million people and the capital is Kabul.  Their national dish is...

Kabuli Palau!

I read that this is a dish that is served at parties, weddings, and celebrations and is served family-style.   Along with the Kabuli Palau, I made Afghan Cookies.  Here's what I did:

KABULI PALAU

1 1/2 C basmati rice

8 small chicken thighs

1 large onion, diced

1/4 C plus 2 tbsp Avocado oil, divided

5 tsp salt, divided

1/2 C chicken broth

2 carrots, peeled and juliened

3/4 c black rasins

1/2 C slivered almonds

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 C water

2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp pepper

6 C water

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Rinse the rice three times to wash the extra starch off.
3. In a large saute pan, pour 1/4 C oil and saute the onions over high heat until brown.
4. Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with 3 tsp salt.
5. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 6 minutes, turning so all sides turn brown.
6. Add 1/4 C chicken broth, and stir to keep the chicken from burning.
7. When the liquid has been absorbed, add another 1/4 C of broth, bring it to a boil, and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.  (The sauce should be a very dark brown by the end of the simmer.)
8. In a separate frying pan, add 1/2 C water and bring to a boil.
9. Add the carrots to the water, and cook until tender.  Don't overcook them!
10. Drain any excess liquid and add the remaining 2 tbsp avocado oil, raisins, almonds, and sugar to the carrots. 
11. Stir quickly over medium-high heat and continue stirring for about three minutes.
12. Remove from heat, and package carrots into a sealed aluminum foil pouch and set aside.
13. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside.
14. Stir in the cumin, cardamom and pepper to the broth and cook on low for 5 minutes.
15. Measure 6 cups water and remaining 2 tsp salt in a dutch oven pot with a fitted lid.
16. Bring the water to a boil and add the rice.
17. Cook the rice until it is al dente - don't overcook!
18. Strain the rice in a colander, and put the rice back in the dutch oven and add broth.  Mix well.
19. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice, set the aluminum packcage on top of the rice.
20. Bake the rice for 10 minutes at 500 degress, then drop the temperature to 250 degrees and cook 10 minutes.
21. To serve, put the chicken on a platter, and cover it with rice.  Top with carrot mixture.

(Source: Kabuli Palau)

AFGHAN COOKIES

Biscuit:

3 oz butter, room temperature

1/4 C brown sugar

3/4 C gluten free flour

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 C gluten free corn flakes, broken into small pieces

 

Icing:

1 1/2 tbsp water

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp butter

3/4 C powder sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa

1.  Preheat oven to 356 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Sift dry ingredients onto the butter mixture and mix together - it will be lumpy.
4. Knead in cornflakes.
5. Roll balls of dough, and place on baking sheets.  Flatten them gently with your hands.  (The cookies will not spread, so you can place them closely together.)
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until they are firm.  Let them cool to room temperature.
7. While the cookies are cooling, make the icing.
8. Heat the water, sugar and add butter until it is melted. Simmer until it forms a syrup.  
9. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into a bowl.
   
10. While constantly whisking, pour the syrup into the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa mixture.  
11. If needed, add some hot water to make it the right consistency.  You want it thick to hold shape, but not so thick that it won't spread.  I did about 5 tbsp of hot water.
12. Using a spoon, spoon the icing on the center of your cookie.
13. Add a corn flake on the top of the cookie.
14. Enjoy!

(Source: Afghan Cookie)

I learned a lot making this meal.  Here are some things I would do differently with the Kabuli Palau:

• Don't cook the chicken all the way through when browning - make sure it still needs to cook.  I think 6 minutes was too long - I would cut it to about 3-4.
• This recipe made a lot of rice.  I would cut the rice in half, unless you love rice, then it is probably the perfect amount!
• 500 degrees was very hot.  I think next time I would preheat the oven to 500, and then when I put it in the oven, immediately turn it down to 250 and cook for 15-20 minutes.  

Overall, we really, really enjoyed the dish.  It was a very comforting mixture of textures and spices.  We found the chicken was pretty dry, which is why I made my suggestions above.  Some of the rice crisped around the edge of the dutch oven - this was the best part!  We picked around our cooked rice to get the crunchy rice!  The cookies were good too.  We thought they were OK at first, but the more we ate them, the more we liked them.  They were VERY dry, and really needed the icing on top.  I think they would have been good with tea or milk.  I added the corn flake on top; the recipe calls for a walnut, but I don't like walnuts.  I think this will be a meal we will repeat, although not super often due to all the rice.

 

ME

Taste of Kabuli Palau (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kabuli Palau (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6 

ME

Taste of Afghan Cookie (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Afghan Cookie (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6 

 

There you have it!  Please be in prayer for Afghanistan.  For peace, for comfort, and that the Lord would be close to those still there.  Join us next time in Congo!