Jeanne’s Afghanistan Recipes

Boolawnee 
( Fried Leek Pastries )

Ingredients

***PASTRY***

2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold water


***LEEK FILLING***

2 whole leeks; (2 leeks=3 cups chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon hot chili pepper

3 teaspoons oil


***TO FINISH***

oil; for deep frying

Directions

Sift flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the center and add water. Mix to a firm dough and knead for 5 minutes until elastic, dusting with more flour if necessary. Wrap in plastic film and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Cut most of the green tops from leeks, halve lengthwise and rinse well to remove all traces of soil between leaves. Remove roots and dry leeks with paper towels. Place flat on board, cut along length at 5 mm (1/4 inch) intervals than across to dice. Measure in cup measure and place in bowl. Add salt and chili pepper and knead with hand to soften leeks. Stir in oil.

Roll pieces of dough into balls the size of a large hazelnut and roll thinly into a 10 cm (4 inch) circle. Alternatively, roll out dough and cut into 10 cm (4 inch) rounds. Place about 2 teaspoons leek filling in center of circle, moisten pastry half way round edge of circle and fold pastry over filling. Press edge to seal well, and using the edge of a thimble, (the traditional method) or a coffee spoon make little crescent- shaped marks around the edge, or press with fork.

Fry 3 or 4 at a time in hot oil until golden brown, turning to brown evenly. Drain on paper towels and serve hot or warm. – – – – – – – – – –

Yield: 32 servings

Bouranee Baunjan Afghan Eggplant With Yogurt Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

4 Medium eggplants (1 kg total)

Salt

Oil for frying

2 Medium onions; sliced

1 Green pepper; seeded, sliced

2 Large ripe tomatoes; peeled Salt

1/4 tablespoons of Hot chili pepper

1/4 cup of Water

Chakah (Yogurt Sauce)

2 cup Chakah (drained yogurt) Buy a cheese cloth. You can find at Wal-Mart in the craft section, Place plain yogurt inside the cheese cloth over a bowl in the fridge overnight. Squeeze excess liquid out and only use the remaining yogurt inside the cheese cloth)

2 Garlic cloves (or more)

Salt to taste


Directions

Cut the stems from eggplants and leave peel on. Cut into slices 1 cm (1/2-inch) thick. Spread on a tray and sprinkle slices liberally with salt. Leave for 30 minutes, then dry well with paper towels.

Pour enough oil into a deep frying pan (with lid to fit) to cover base well. Fry eggplant until lightly browned on each side. Do not cook completely. Lift onto a plate when browned. Add more oil to pan as required for remaining slices. As oil drains out of eggplants on standing, return this to the pan and add onion. Fry gently until transparent. Remove to another plate.

Place a layer of eggplant back into the pan. Top with some sliced onion, green pepper rings and tomato slices. Repeat using remaining ingredients and adding a little salt and the chili pepper between layers. Pour in any remaining oil from eggplant and onion and add the water. Cover and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until eggplant is tender.

Combine chakah ingredients and spread half of the sauce into base of serving dish. Top with vegetables, lifting eggplant carefully to keep slices intact. Leave some of the juices in the pan. Top vegetables with remainder of chakah and drizzle vegetable juices over it. Serve with Kabaub and Lawash (flat bread).

Kadu Bouranee (Sweet Pumpkin)

Serves 1

2 lb Fresh pumpkin or squash 
1/4 cup of Corn oil 
Sweet Tomato Sauce: 
1 tablespoon Crushed garlic 
1 cup of Water 
1/2 tablespoon Salt 
1/2 cup of Sugar 
4 oz Tomato sauce 
1/2 ts Ginger root, chopped fine 
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander seeds 
1/4 ts Black pepper

Yogurt Sauce: 1/4 ts Crushed garlic, 1/4 tablespoon Salt, 3/4 cup Plain yogurt

Garnish: Dry mint leaves, crushed 

Peel the pumpkin and cut it into 2-3 inch cubes and set it aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan (one that has a lid). Fry the pumpkins on both sides for a couple of minutes until lightly browned.

Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in fry pan. Cover partly with some room to vent and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.

To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint. May be served with chalow (basmati rice) and naan or pita bread.

Brides Fingers
(Asabia el Aroos)

These lovely slender crisps of filo filled with sweetened nuts are as heavenly as baklava, much easier to prepare and to eat, and lower in calories and fat. Nuts provide protein and healthy quantities of fiber, as well as containing traces of many important elements necessary to good health.

Ingredients

Sweet Syrup: (See recipe below)

1/2 package (16 oz.) frozen filo dough, completely defrosted

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Filling

1/2 cup almonds or pistachios, pulverized in food processor with

1/3 cup sugar

Glaze

1 egg, beaten

sugar

Directions

1. Prepare the syrup in advance and chill in the refrigerator.

2. Combine the filling ingredients.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 1 or 2 baking sheets.

4. Cut the filo in half crosswise and again in half, stacking the covering with a slightly dampened towel to prevent drying. Lay 2 rectangles on your work surface with the shorter sides facing you, and brush lightly with melted butter.

5. Place a rounded tablespoon of the filling in a line across the shorter side of filo that faces you. Fold the longer edges of the pastry inward, sealing in the sides of the filling, and roll the pastry up from the short side, forming a fat cigar shape. Place on the baking sheet with the cut edge down. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Brush the tops of the pastries lightly with a bit of beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Dip the warm fingers into cool Sweet Syrup and arrange on a serving tray. Serve at room temperature.

Syrup

The general rule for syrup is to pour hot syrup over cold (or room temperature) pastries and to serve cold syrup over hot pastries.

In some areas, eating syrup and honey is superstitiously believed to ward off the djinn (evil spirits) and to make life sweeter.

3 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups water

1 lemon

1 tbsp. orange-blossom water or rosewater

1. Boil the sugar with the water until dissolved and viscous, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat.