SLC23-W2 // "Afghan Cuisine"

I watch cooking change the cook, just as it transforms the food.

I really enjoy cooking and can't understand why some people find it stressful. I love experimenting and mixing different ingredients in one pot to create something amazing. Cooking is just so much fun!

Dear Teacher, I kindly ask you to provide us with ingredients that are easy to find everywhere. Some of the items you used last week and this week are not common here, which made it hard for many of us to join in. I’m speaking for everyone when I say that I spent a lot on transportation just to find the ingredients, but I still couldn't get them.

Everything is new to me, but I appreciate the learning experience. The spices are unfamiliar, and even though I didn't use one of them, they are still interesting.

The cooking method is similar to how we make fried rice or Jollof rice. However, frying the meat before adding water is a new approach for me, as I usually cook the meat first and then fry it. I think this method is great.

I noticed there was no pepper in the dish. Does that mean you don’t use pepper, or is it just a rule for this recipe? I can’t imagine a dish without pepper, so I added some to my cooking.

Also, when making the meat stock, why do we only add cumin and salt before the water? Can we include other spices? I’d like to know so I can improve my cooking next time.

Fried rice is quite similar to regular rice, with the main difference being the vegetables added, like carrots, green beans, green peppers, and green peas. It is prepared in a similar manner, and while I was making it, I realized I was nearly making fried rice. Some jollof rice is also made this way, so even though this technique was new to me, I had known about it for a while, making it easy to prepare.

Afghan Polaw or Qabili polaw

Process

• In a clean pot, add a little oil, allow to heat a little, then add sliced onions and stir. Add in the washed meat and stir fry until it's brown.

• Next, we add cumin seed, salt and fry for 2 mins. Add an amount of water suitable for the rice and cover to boil. Cook until meat is tender.

• Parboil rice and wash well, then set aside. In my country, we parboil rice to reduce it's starch, I use the normal long grain rice known in my country.

• In a different pan, add oil and pour in the sliced carrots, add a pinch of sugar to fry. Fry for 20 seconds, (I love my carrot crunchy) and set aside for further use.

• In a pan, melt sugar with oil and set aside.

• Check the meat and remove from stock. Now pour in the parboiled rice into the stock, stir and taste for salt, cover the pot and let it cook for 20- 25 mins.

• When the rice is cooked, add the meat and stir together. Add in the carrot too and mix all together, finally add the sugar and mix completely. Set on low heat for 5 mins.

And finally, the Afghan cuisine is ready. This meal taste so delicious. I didn't know it was gonna be this great but, I tell you, you don't have to miss out on this.

Afghan cuisine is really not so expensive in my town but to get the required ingredients can be tasking.

My cooking expenses...

I really enjoyed this cuisine, it was an amazing experience. I hope we'll see something more less expensive and easy to access by next week.

I invite @eliany @tripple-e @aviral123