Recipe: Dampukht

Berenj-e-Dampukht

Berenj-e-Dampukht is a salan, a side dish which is commonly served with a main dish (like rice) or which can be eaten alone with naan (Afghan bread). Burani Banjaan is a versatile dish as it is served not only in the home, but also at larger and more formal occasions such as weddings. It is a vegetarian dish made from aubergines in a delicious vegetable stock. A slow cooking technique is used. Burani banjaan is a particular favourite in my household!

Serves 6

Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• Lamb, 2 kilos (chopped into small chunks)
• Cooking oil (we recommend olive oil), 6 tablespoons
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped small
• 3 onions, chopped into small pieces
• Salt, 1 tablespoon
• Tomato puree, 1 tablespoon
• Basmati white rice, 1 kilo, soaked in lukewarm water for 1 hour

Masala

• Jeera seeds, processed into powder form
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 a teaspoon
• Black pepper powder, 1/2 a teaspoon
• Coriander seeds, processed into powder form, 1 teaspoon
• Cardamom seeds, processed into powder form, 1 teaspoon

How to Prepare:

1. Add the cooking oil to a large, casserole dish
2. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic. Stir and cook for 10 minutes at high heat until they are brown (see the picture below).
3. Then add the lamb and stir. Cook until the meat turns a light brown colour. Add the masala and stir the contents so the lamb is infused with the masala. 
4. Then add salt, tomato puree, and 5 tablespoons of water. Stir again. Cook for 15 minutes at high heat.
5. Then add more water, enough to cover the meat in the casserole dish. Lower to medium heat.
6. Add another 1 and a half tablespoons of salt.
7. Put all the contents into a pressure cooker. For another 15 minutes at medium heat.
8. Drain the water from the rice.
9. Then add the stock, rice, and meat into another casserole dish. Ensure the contents are covered by the stock. Cook for about 10 minutes until the stock has evaporated.
10. Once the stock has evaporated, cover the dish with a lid. This lid should itself be covered by a thick cloth. This will seal the contents tightly and slow cook the meat and rice.
11. Remove the lid and serve the contents into a large, round dish. Add the meat on top for decoration.
12. You're ready to eat!

5 masalas are used in Berenj-e-Dampukht

Lamb meat, chopped into small chunks

Onions and garlic cooked until they are golden brown 

The lamb covered by the stock

Berenj-e-Dampukht, ready for serving

The casserole dish, with the lid covered tightly with a thick cloth

Berenj-e-Dampukht: with the juicy lamb on top of the basmati rice

Recipe: Burani Banjaan

Burani Banjaan

Burani Banjaan, all served up!

BURANI BANJAAN is a salan, a side dish which is commonly served with a main dish (like rice) or which can be eaten alone with naan (Afghan bread). Burani Banjaan is a versatile dish as it is served not only in the home, but also at larger and more formal occasions such as weddings. It is a vegetarian dish made from aubergines in a delicious vegetable stock. Burani banjaan is a particular favourite in my household!

Serves 6

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil (we recommend olive oil), 10 tablespoons
• 2 fresh, whole aubergines, peeled and cut into large round, thick pieces
• 10 tablespoons of oil
• 4 tomatoes, chopped into round pieces
• 1 green chilli pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped into round pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• Coriander and Dill (for decoration and taste)
• Sour yoghurt mixed with dry mint 

           

How to Prepare:

1. Add the cooking oil to a large, non-stick pan, at high heat
2. Once the oil is hot, add the aubergines. Turn them over with a fork to ensure they are evenly cooked.
3. Lower the heat and fry until the aubergines have a glowing, brown colour and are soft (see picture below). Lowering the heat will ensure the aubergine does not burn.
4. Once they are cooked, place the aubergine on a dish covered with a tissue to dry them.
5. Now fry the vegetables in the same saucepan for 6 minutes at medium heat (garlic, tomatoes, chillis). Add the salt and turmeric powder (for extra colour).
6. Then add the dried aubergines back into the saucepan. Gently mix the contents.
7. Add the lid to the saucepan and cook for another 15minutes at low heat.
8. If your saucepan has too much liquid, simply turn up the heat slightly and cook until the excess liquid evaporates.
9. In the meantime, prepare your serving dish. Smear a large, round, serving dish with the yoghurt and the dry mint.
10. Add the cooked aubergines and vegetables to the dish.
11. Cover the aubergines and vegetables with more yoghurt and dry mint.
12. Drip some of the vegetable stock from the saucepan onto the dish - this will give the Burani Banjaan its distinctive golden appearance.
13. Add fresh coriander and dill for decoration and taste.
14. You're ready to serve!

The fresh vegetables used in Burani Banjaan

The chopped vegetables and yoghurt used in the dish

Sliced aubergines frying in the saucepan

Vegetables in the saucepan. Look at the beautiful colours

Fried aubergines being dried on tissue

Cooked aubergines and vegetables before serving

Burani Banjaan, topped with sour yoghurt, coriander and dill

Recipe: Sholeh Ghorbandi

SHOLEH GHORBANDI

Sholeh Ghorbandi with yoghurt 

SHOLEH GHORBANDI is a popular dish in the Afghan family household which can be served at lunchtime or dinnertime. It's a traditional combination of rice, lentils and korma. Sholeh Ghorbandi, as the name suggests, originates from the Ghorband district in Afghanistan. Families in this region are known to indulge in fruits ranging from grapes to apples, all year round. Sholeh Ghorbandi is a savoury dish that offers something different - a contrast to the sweet fruits that are popular in this region. It's a dish enjoyed by all Afghan households.

Serves 5

Preparation Time: 50 minutess
Overview: The dish is made up of 3 parts - the sholah, korma, and the yoghurt

Ingredients:

Sholah

• Split green gram
• Basmati rice (white)
• Dry onions, 100g
• 1 onion, chopped into small pieces
• Tomato puree, 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 a teaspoon
• Dry coriander, 1/2 a teaspoon
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped

           
Korma

• Lamb on the bone, 2 kilos, chopped into squares
• 3 onions, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces
• 1 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped into small pieces
• Fresh coriander, about 100g, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil (we recommend olive oil)
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 a teaspoon
• Salt, 1 teaspoon

Yoghurt

• Sour yoghurt
• Dry coriander
• Half a clove of garlic, crushed 

How to Prepare:

The Sholah

1. Soak the basmati rice in a large bowl, in lukewarm water for 20mins. This will both clean and soften the rice.
2. In a separate large bowl, also soak the the split green gam in lukewarm for 20mins. 
3. In the meantime, prepare your vegetables.
4. Add the oil into a large casserole dish at high heat.
5. Then add the chopped onions and cook until brown. Then add the dry onions, tomato puree and half a cup of water to the dish. Stir and cook for 5mins.
6. Add the salt, turmeric powder, dry coriander, the garlic, and a litre of water . Stir the dish and bring to boil.
7. Then add the basmati rice and the split green gram. Stir the dish.
8. Wait until the liquid has nearly evaporated and the content becomes sticky. Then lower the heat to cook the ingredients for another 20mins.

The Korma

1. Add the oil to a casserole at high heat.
2. Add the onions and stir until brown.
3. Then add the tomatoes and cook for 5-6mins. This will fry the ingredients.
4. Add the lamb pieces and all the other ingredients: garlic, fresh coriander, green chilli, turmeric powder, and salt. Stir the ingredients until the vegetables soften for 5minutes.
5. Then add water until the meat is covered. Cover the casserole dish with a lid. Cook for 15mins at low heat - then add the potatoes.
6. Cook for another 20mins, still at low heat.
7. Your korma is ready!

The Yoghurt

1. Add sour yoghurt to a small ramekin
2. Top this with a sprinkle of dry coriander and the crushed garlic
3. Stir!

Serving:

• Serve the sholah in a large, round dish. In the middle of the dish, put the small ramekin with the yoghurt. Add some of the korma onto the sholah.
• Serve the korma in another large, round dish.
• You're ready to go! 

A closer look at Sholeh Ghorbandi

The korma, part of the Sholeh Ghorbandi dish