Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Pasta, Yogurt and Meatballs (Aush-e-Asli)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 pp. 80 - 2.

Hmm.... I started writing this recipe up twice, and got interrupted both times.  That was before the Fearless Baby put in her appearance.  I wonder if I can remember what I wanted to say about it?  I guess there's nothing to do but find out.  It was too good a dish to just keep to myself! 

I made this dish on New Year's Eve.  The holidays can be kind of challenging for anyone with any kind of dietary restriction, whether it be a food allergy, a diet, or whatever.  I've generally found it easiest to make something to eat before I go to a party - not something too heavy, so I can snack politely, but something that will make me feel satiated.  That way if the cheese tray is the only thing I can eat, it's easier to walk away! 

Anyway, this recipe fit the bill.  It offered protein and carbs, just what I like before I go to a party (even when I'm not drinking!)  I did make a few changes, like increasing the garlic as per usual.  I also made one large, fundamental change.  You see, this dish is usually served as more of a soup.  At least, it is according to the author.  I did not want soup.  I wanted this to be a pasta dish.  First of all, I've had horrible luck adding yogurt to liquid lately.  It just curdles and becomes vile.  I also was really craving that kind of yogurt and garlic sauce that seems so prevalent in the recipes in this book.  So that's what I did with it.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself, and it was very easy to prepare. 

Aush-e-Asli (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 lb ground lamb (use beef if you can't get lamb)

1 medium onion, grated

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, minced

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

8 oz fresh spaghetti

16 ounces fat-free Greek-style plain yogurt

1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper

6 cloves garlic, crushed

Equipment:

• 2 bowls
• Plate
• Large saute pan

1. Combine the ground lamb, grated onion, coriander, cumin and egg in one of the bowls.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.  Knead until relatively smooth.
2. Form the meat mixture into little balls, about the size of a walnut each.  Place the meatballs on the plate and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in the saute pan.
4. Add the minced onions and fry gently until softened and browned. 
5. Add the tomatoes.  Fry until the sauce turns "brownish." 
6. Add about 6 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer.
7. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar.
8. Simmer gently until the meatballs have a browned look and the sauce has thickened.  This should take about half an hour, but every stove (and pan) is different so I'd keep a close eye on it if I were you. 
9. Cook the fresh pasta according to package instructions.  Drain.
10. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper and garlic.  Mix well.
11. Put half the garlic-yogurt mixture on the bottom of your serving vessel.
12. Top with the drained noodles.
13. Top the noodles with the meatballs and sauce from the saute pan.
14. Top the meatballs and sauce with the remaining garlic-yogurt mixture.  Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper and serve. 

Recipe: Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Breads (Emeruli Khachapuri)

Recipe Source: Alford, Jeffrey and Naomi Duguid.  Flatbreads & Flavors.  HarperCollins Pubilshers, New York, 1995 pp. 292-3.

Are you afraid to make your own bread?  Has it always seemed like a daunting task to you, the kind of alchemy that should be better left to people with extensive training and possibly better insurance?  I used to feel that way.  I used to be terrified to bake bread.  I've never been a very good baker in the first place, and bread just seemed so much more complicated.  I've gotten over it, although my husband's breads still always turn out better.  This recipe will help you get over it too.  It is a very quick bread to make, and it is delicious. 

The filling seemed oddly familiar to me as I was making it.  I sat there and I thought about it, and it occurred to me that the filling was almost the exact same filling as tiropita, a cheesy Greek dish that I usually serve as an appetizer.  As soon as my husband tasted the bread, he said, "Hey, this tastes kind of like a tiropita!"  He was very into the breads.  I thought they were good, but filling.  I served them up with the Vietnamese beef stew for New Year's Day.

Emeruli Khachapuri (makes 8 breads; approx. $0.84/serving)

4 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

1 egg

3 - 4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

Equipment:

• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Rolling pin

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the cheeses in the medium bowl with the egg and 2 tablespoons yogurt.  Mix well and set aside.
3. In the large bowl, combine one cup flour, the baking powder and salt. 
4. Add the yogurt and stir well. 
5. Start adding flour until you can work the dough with your hands easily. 
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 - 4 minutes. 
7. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. 
8. Roll each piece out into a (rough) circle. 
9. Spoon 1/8 of the filling into the middle of the circle, then fold up the sides of the circle to overlap in the center.
10. Repeat with the remaining circles.
11. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven 5 - 6 minutes, or until golden. 

Recipe: Afghan Ginger Preserve (Muraba-e-Zanjafeel)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 pp. 206 - 7

This is one more jam that I made for the Christmas Project.  It had a wonderful flavor, and the aroma that filled the air as I was cooking it was indescribable.  Unfortunately, it made precisely two eight-ounce jars.  Two.  That's it.  You can insert a string of expletives of your choice here if you like.  That's too bad, because this was a really delicious jam that would have warmed a lot of people this past holiday season.  I only made one change, and that was to omit the nuts. 

Muraba-e-Zanjafeel (makes 2 8-oz jars; approx. cost per serving not available)

12 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Equipment:

• Saucepan
• Large stockpot
• 2 8-oz home canning jars, with lids and bands
• Boiling water canner
• Ladle

1. Prepare your canning equipment.  Put the jars, lids and bands into the stockpot, cover with water and heat to 180 degrees.  Maintain heat at 180 degrees for at least 10 minutes.  Fill the boiling water canner with water and heat to 180 degrees. 
2. Put the ginger in the saucepan and add 1 cup of water.
3. Bring the water to a boil, then boil gently until the ginger is softened. 
4. Add the sugar and cardamom.  Bring to a boil over high heat.
5. Just before the mixture starts to set, add the lemon juice.
6. Boil a few moments until set, then ladle into the jars.
7. Process 30 minutes in a boiling water canner.
8. Cool, label and store. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Jam (Muraba-e-Kadu)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 p. 267

I saw this recipe in the jams and preserves section of my Afghan cookbook, and it appealed to me.  It was different.  It really stood out.  I knew that it would make a very pretty jar of jam, and I've never seen pumpkin jam on the shelves of my local grocery store.  It would be just perfect for the Christmas gift baskets I've been preparing.  I stood in the kitchen making this one soggy Saturday.  I had just peeled the pumpkin when my husband came in.  He saw the pumpkin.  He ran over, grabbed a steak knife from the block, and began carving.  Never mind that Halloween was long since past; for us, every day is Halloween anyway.  I took pictures.  I took pictures of the jam jar too, but these are cuter and more interesting. 

Anyway, this really does make a very interesting jam.  I love the color, and the flavor is very interesting.  I misread my own notes on my grocery list and had to make up for some of the oranges with lemon peel and orange juice, but I'm still pretty happy with how it came out. 

Muraba-e-Kadu (makes 5 8-oz jars; approx. $0.13/oz)

1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled (about 2 lb)

2 oranges

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon peel

60 cardamom pods

3 cups plus 6 tablespoons sugar

Equipment:

• 5 8-oz mason jars with lids and bands
• Large saucepan
• Stockpot
• Boiling water canner
• ladle
• Canning tongs
• Bowl

1. Remove the pumpkin seeds and cut the pumpkin into 3/4" pieces.  Put them in the bowl.
2. Add the orange juice and lemon peel.
3. Peel the oranges, then cut the peels into thin strips.  Put the strips in the bowl.
4. Juice the oranges.  Put the juice into the bowl.
5. Get the seeds out of the cardamom pods.  Yes, this is incredibly tedious.  Do it anyway.  Put the seeds into the bowl. 
6. Mix well, cover, and let sit overnight.
7. When you are ready to proceed the next day, bring the mixture to a boil in the saucepan.  Reduce heat and cook until the mixture is "syrupy," which should be at least an hour. 
8. Meanwhile, prepare your jars and canner for canning.  Put the jars, lids and bands in the stock pot and heat to 180 degrees.  Fill the canner with water and bring it to 180 degrees. 
9. When the mixture is ready, ladle it into the warm jars.  Top with the lids, screw on the bands and process 30 minutes in the boiling water canner. 
10. Cool, label and store. 

Recipe: Apple Jam (Muraba-e-Saib)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 p. 266

I know I've mentioned this before, but just in case you missed that day's post I'll mention it again.  I've been really frustrated lately trying to find unique, interesting gifts to give at Christmas.  I decided this year that I'm going to do my best to give some homemade jams and jellies as gifts.  Christmas isn't supposed to be about spending piles of money, it's supposed to be about taking extra time to delight the ones you love and show your affection.  The way my family has always shown affection is through food, so that's what I'm going to do.  This, of course, means finding a pile of jam and jelly recipes.  That shouldn't be too difficult; after all, my Persian cookbooks are full of recipes for exciting-sounding preserves.  My lone Afghan cookbook has plenty of recipes on offer too. 

So I found this recipe in my Afghan cookbook, and it looked tasty.  I decided that I would use it to use up some of the many apples on my kitchen counter.  After making it, I spooned a little onto a dish to see what it tasted like - after all, you wouldn't want to give a gift if you didn't know the quality.  I absolutely, totally fell in love with this jam.  According to the author, it is more like a compote and is usually served on top of yogurt as a dessert.  It would be wonderful that way.  I also made it into tartlets (to be posted at a later date) that turned out quite well.

The only problem?  Well, the only jars I had on hand were these mammoth 32-ounce jars.  I got exactly two jars out of this, despite tripling the recipe.  I went out, ordered a bunch of much smaller jars, and am currently awaiting my chance to make another batch of this delicious treat. 

Muraba-e-Saib (makes 64 ounces of jam; approx. $0.07/ounce)

12 apples - I used Macintosh

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Sugar equal to the weight of the apples (I got 2 lb. 1 3/4 ounces of apples, so that's how much sugar I used)

18 tablespoons water

3 pinches saffron

3 tablespoons rosewater

Equipment:

• Water bath canner plus accouterments
• Stockpot
• Large saucepan
• Jars of the appropriate size for your needs - this is important! - plus lids and bands
• Ladle

1. Peel and core the apples, then slice thinly.  (You don't have to slice them too thinly; you don't need a mandoline or anything like that.)
2. Sprinkle the apples with the lemon juice.  This will prevent discoloration.
3. Put the apples and the sugar in the saucepan with the water.  Bring to a boil, removing any scum that may develop.
4. Boil gently until the apples are slightly softened and begin to look translucent. 
5. Add the saffron to the mix.  Stir carefully, but thoroughly, and boil another few minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare your jars, lids, bands and the water bath canner.  Fill the stock pot with water to cover the jars and accessories and bring to 180 degrees.  Fill the canner a little more than halfway (enough to cover jars once immersed in the water) and bring to 180 degrees. 
7. When the jam has reached the jelling point, add the rosewater and remove from heat. 
8. When everything is ready, ladle the jam mixture into the clean jars.  Top with the lids, seal with the bands, and lower into the water bath.
9. Bring the water bath canner up to a rolling boil, then lower the jars in using the rack. 
10. Cover the canner and process the jars 30 minutes. 
11. Remove from the canner and let cool naturally 24 hours. 
12. Store or give as gifts.  Refrigerate after opening. 

Recipe: Potatoes in a Yogurt Sauce

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 p. 195

I'm not really sure what my issue was that day.  My body must have really craved calcium, because not a single one of the four dishes I made that day lacked dairy.  This is unusual for me.  Like many people with allergy or sinus problems, I tend to to use a whole lot of dairy in my everyday cooking.  I guess that you have to do what you have to do, though. 

I really enjoyed this recipe.  If the other dishes I served that day hadn't been so very filling, there would have been no leftovers at all, and I nearly ate myself sick on it as it was.  I love potatoes, of course (a taste I share with my mother), and I'm always happy to find a new way to use them.  I didn't make many changes to this recipe.  I increased the garlic, added a little Aleppo pepper to the sauce, and left the potatoes unpeeled to retain more of their nutritional value.  Oh, I increased the amount of turmeric, too.  I justify this by saying that it has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties, which is true, but in reality I just really like the stuff. 

Potatoes in a Yogurt Sauce (serves 4; approx. $2.40/serving)

6 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon turmeric

8 garlic cloves, crushed

16 ounces Greek fat-free yogurt

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (substitute cayenne if you can't find it.)

Equipment:

• Large pot or large wok

1. Heat the oil in the pot.
2. Add the onions and fry gently until golden.
3. Add the tomato paste.  Cook another minute or two. 
4. Add 1/2 cup (approx.) water and the cilantro.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced a little.
5. Add the potatoes, turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Carefully stir until the potatoes are coated with the sauce.  Add more water if need be. 
7. Cook gently, stirring from time to time.  Try not to break up the potatoes and add more water if necessary as you go. 
8. Crush the garlic into the yogurt with the Aleppo pepper and stir well. 
9. Put about 3/4 of the garlic yogurt mix on the bottom of your serving bowl. 
10. Top with the potatoes when soft (but not mushy).
11. Spoon the remaining yogurt sauce on top of the potatoes and serve. 

Recipe: Afghan Ravioli (Ashak)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 pp. 84 - 6.

This is a recipe that completely failed to impress me until I tasted the finished product.  I'm someone who likes to taste as she cooks.  It's my quality control method.  If something doesn't taste quite right I can fix it before it affects the flavor of the final dish.  Well, I tasted the dough for the pasta.  It was okay.  Not exciting, but okay.  I tasted the leeks.  Again, okay.  Not exciting.  I tasted the sauce.  Distinctly unexciting.  But when I put everything together, all the different components combined to make a dish that honestly did knock my socks right off.  Be warned, though: the raw garlic in the yogurt gives this dish an unexpected degree of heat that wasn't unpleasant to us, but might be a little jarring to others.  Feel free to reduce the garlic. 

I didn't make a whole lot of changes to this recipe, although there were some.  I increased the amount of red pepper in the leeks.  I also increased the garlic, and I substituted ground coriander for ground mint because my husband is allergic to mint.  When it came to the sauce, I decreased the amount of oil.  The author said that to be truly authentic it should be very oily, but neither my husband nor I would have been able to eat it that way.  I also served all of the meat with the pasta, while normally you'd just sprinkle a bit on top and pass the rest of it on the side like in a traditional Italian-American gravy. 

On a similar note: according to the author, many Afghans will substitute commercially available wonton wrappers for the homemade pasta.  While pasta-making is messy and kind of a pain, I think it was definitely worth it in this dish.  You should have seen my husband's eyes light up.  "You're making your own?" he said in a voice bordering on adoration.  And really, while it may seem a little intimidating to make the pasta yourself here, it really wasn't all that bad.  It was actually kind of fun.  You could get your kids into the act if you have them; they'd probably get a kick out of it.  I know my nephew would.  But if your hands or wrists or the size of your kitchen really won't allow you to roll out and make your own pasta by hand here, there is absolutely no shame in using store-bought wonton wrappers. 

Ashak (serves 4; approx. $2.90/serving)

1 lb flour

4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. finely chopped leeks

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

16 ounces Greek fat-free yogurt

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 lb ground lamb

1/2 cup tomato juice

Kosher salt and black pepper

Equipment:

• 2 large bowls
• Pint glass or biscuit cutter
• Rolling pin
• Large wok or saute pan
• Pot of boiling water (to cook the pasta)

1. Sift the flour and 1 teaspoon salt into the bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Slowly add 1/2 cup water.  Knead thoroughly to form a smooth dough. 
3. Divide the dough into two balls, cover with a damp cloth and let sit 1 hour.
4. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in the wok.  Add the onions and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. 
5. Add the meat.  Cook until the meat is brown. 
6. Add the tomato juice, salt and pepper. 
7. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is thick and oily.  This should be between half and one hour.
8. Meanwhile, make the filling.  Combine the leeks, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne.  Knead until the leeks begin to soften and add another tablespoon oil.
9. Roll out one of the dough balls on a lightly floured surface to 1/16" or as close as you can get.  (The author warns that thicker dough will be tough; I did not find this to be the case, even though my dough was far from perfectly thin.) 
10. Using the pint glass (or biscuit cutter, if you have such a thing), cut rounds of the dough out.  Put 1 - 2 teaspoons of the leeks on one half of the round, then fold the other half on top of it and pinch closed. 
11. Repeat until you've used up all the dough.  I will advise against re-rolling the scraps more than once; that does make the dough tough. 
12. Is your pasta water boiling?  Good.  Add the vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and pasta to the pot and boil 8 - 10 minutes. 
13. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt with the garlic and the last teaspoon of salt. 
14. Spread half the yogurt onto the bottom of your serving vessel. 
15. When the ravioli are done, use the slotted spoon to remove them and put them on top of the yogurt. 
16. Top with the rest of the yogurt and sprinkle with the ground coriander.
17. Use the slotted spoon to evacuate the meat to the top of the yogurt.  Serve and enjoy! 

Recipe: Hot Meat and Vegetable Soup

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 p. 37

I made this dish last week, as I prepared to serve that very large buffet lunch.  We ate a lot of soup that week; I wanted dishes that would be tasty but not heavy, so that they wouldn't sit on my stomach while I raced around the kitchen, and dishes that could be made in one pot, so I'd have the rest of the pots (and burners) to use for the lunch.  I'd been looking for inspiration to make something out of this book since last Christmas, and this dish fit the bill. 

I made a few changes, although some of them were suggested by the recipe itself.  I halved the amount of oil.  I quadrupled the amount of garlic.  The recipe called for 1 1/2 pounds of meat on the bone, preferably lamb; I used lamb shanks.  The recipe called for 1 or 2 hot red or green chilies, "or more, according to taste."  As you already know, I thrive on hot food, and I wanted to be sure that I'd be feeling well enough to finish my work!  When my husband tasted the soup he started coughing.  "How many habaneros did you use?" he asked me.  "Three," I admitted.  This wasn't really excessive; the soup just didn't look spicy so he wasn't expecting their heat.  I used three potatoes when the recipe called for three or four, but I added one medium turnip because I'd overbought for a recipe from the previous week and didn't want to waste the one turnip I had left.  Ultimately we both really enjoyed the soup, but if habaneros aren't really your thing I'd suggest reducing or omitting the chilies. 

Hot Meat and Vegetable Soup (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 medium onions, sliced thinly

8 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 meaty lamb shanks or 1 1/2 lb meat on the bone

2 cups split peas

1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes

3 habanero peppers, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cilantro

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons black pepper

6 - 7 cups of water

3 medium potatoes, chopped

1 medium turnip, chopped

3/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Kosher salt to taste

Equipment:

• Large pot

1. Heat the oil in the large pot.
2. Cook the onions over medium-high heat until soft and golden.
3. Add the garlic and the meat.  Cook the meat until browned all over. 
4. Add the split peas, tomatoes, chilies, spices and water. 
5. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is almost cooked, about 1 1/4 hours. 
6. Add the potatoes, turnip and cilantro.  Simmer another 20 - 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.  If the pot needs more water, go ahead and add it. 
7. Season with kosher salt to taste. 
8. Serve. 

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