For thousands of years,
Afghanistan was a crossroad for trade from India, Iran, and Central Asia. As
a result, many treasures and artifacts have been discovered and collected.
The Kabul Museum, housed the most comprehensive record of Central Asian
history. Many of its pieces have been dated as far back as pre-historic
times. One of the museum's largest displays, was the magnificent Bagram
Collection. Discovered in 1939, by archaeologists excavating a Kushan
fort, it contained an amazing 1,800 pieces from India, Rome, Greece,
Egypt, and Central Asia. The Kabul Museum also had one of the largest
displays of Greek and Roman coins found near Kabul. This collection was a
historical treasure, as it contained coins from numerous civilizations dating
from the 8th century B.C. to the late 19th century.
These treasures and many others
were tragically lost when the Kabul Museum was bombed in 1993. At first, only
the upper galleries suffered losses and looting. The remaining artifacts,
were transferred to lower leveled, steel doored vaults. In 1994, the United
Nations attempted to stop the looting by repairing the doors, and bricking up
the windows. Disappointingly, these attempts failed, and looters continued to
plunder 90% of the museum's collections. Both private collectors and antique
dealers from as far away as Tokyo, have purchased stolen museum pieces.
Looted artifacts have shown up all over the world, and they bring in large
sums of money to the criminals.
In early March 2001, the Taliban
decided to destroy all pre-Islamic statues and objects in Afghanistan, after
an edict was announced by their leader Mullah Omar in late February.
The Taliban destroyed numerous statues in the museum which survived the
previous looting and destruction as a result of war. The Taliban also
destroyed the two giant Buddhas from the 5th century in Bamiyan, and other
ancient historical statues in Ghazni. One of the Buddhas in Bamiyan was the
world's tallest standing Buddha.
The purpose of this page, is to
help others enjoy the contents of the Kabul Museum prior to its destruction.
It is important to remember our rich cultural heritage. We feel that Afghans
need to have a link to their past. It is our deepest hope that the beautiful
treasures of our country can one day be found and returned to their
rightful home.
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The
type of food served in Afghan cuisine is quite unique. It has been well
documented that the foods, tastes and spices of Afghan food are a rather
tasteful blend of the regions that surround Afghanistan. Unlike food from it's
neighbors to the east, the spices used in Afghan dishes, are neither too hot
nor pungent, and in contrast to it's western neighbors, Afghan food is not
bland. In fact may western travelers find the foods of Afghanistan a perfect
blend of exoticness and good taste.
Cooking
and food has a very important role in Afghan culture. Unexpected guests might
be seen as rude or an imposition in western culture, but not in Afghan culture.
Guests are revered and even in families, people often just drop in with little
or no notice and to not have food for them would be unheard of even in the most
spur of the moment situations. Coming away from an Afghan table hungry is
simply never happens, no matter how little preparation time the host has.
The
types off food served are also symbolic for example Qaabuli Pallow is the crown
of Afghan cooking and served to special guests or on special occasions such as
weddings. Letee is served to new mothers because of its easy on the stomach yet
high nutritive value. Dogh is best enjoyed on a hot summer's day and Mahi is
served during Nowroz (New Year). Even eggs are prepared in a special way so
that a guest is well nourished when they wake up. Afghans also believe food is
elemental in nature, and can produce hot or cold, or be neutral in the body.
Food is well appreciated and even has special meaning as stepping on a piece of
dropped bread is considered sinful. Afghans take great pride in their cooking
and are very happy to see everyone full and satisfied. Afghan cooking is not
about exact measurements, and many of the ingredients can be substituted to
achieve a similar taste. The amounts of all of the spices can be adjusted to
suit your individual tastes. No two Afghans prepare the same dish exactly the
same. Creativity is another element that contributes to the wonderful medley of
flavors that make up Afghan cooking. Prepare these recipes with love and Nosh-e- Jaan, or good eating.
Bolaanee (leek
and/or potato filled pockets)
Note: If you have a lot of time or have a large frying
surface like a smooth griddle you can make a very large bolaanee, but since
most people do not, I am not going to include how to make
the dough from scratch. If you are really interested then e-mail me and I will send you the recipe. As a great
and easy substitute use a package of egg roll wrappers and 1small bowl with
1/4 cup of water to seal the bolaanee.
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Instructions
Clean
and boil the potatoes until they are very soft and let them cool. Peel the
potatoes and salt to taste while mashing them with a masher or fork. Take the
egg roll wrapper and fill it 1 1/2 tsp of potato and place it in the middle of the
wrapper, and smooth down in the center. With your finger, dip it into the bowl
of water and run the water around the edges of the egg roll wrapper. Take the
end of the wrapper and attach it to the other end diagonal from it. Pinch
together the wrapper all the way around and the bolaanee will form a triangle.
Do not over or under fill the center, and make several before you begin frying
because once the oil gets hot you will have trouble cooking them and making
them at the same time. Fry until golden brown ~3 minutes on both sides. Drain
the excess oil as you lift the bolaanee and place them on a plate with several
paper towels under them to help remove the excess oil. Serve with chutney or as an appetizer.
Sabzi (Spinach)
Instructions
In a
medium saucepan, put 3 tbsp of oil into the pan and turn it on to medium heat.
Wash and finely chop 2 bunches of green onions. Chop all but the little hair
like fibers on the end, and add to the oil. Let heat until the onions are
translucent, then add 1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic and let fry for
about 2-3 minutes. Finely chop 2 bunches of cilantro (cut off only the very
ends of the stems, the brown parts) and add to the pan. When the cilantro wilts
a bit, add the frozen spinach (10 oz. or 283 g). After 5 minutes, turn so that
all of the spinach is no longer frozen. Add 1 cup of water to stop the frying.
Add 1/2 tsp of paprika, 1 1/2 tbsp of ground cilantro seeds, add 2
tbsp of cumin and 2 tbsp coriander and mix into the spinach. Add 2 large
pinches of dried dill, rub it in your hands to release the essence and add to
the pan. Finally add 1 tbsp of chicken flavor bouillon powder in place of
salt. Stir until most of the water has evaporated off and the spinach is
cooked through.
Challow (White Rice)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350
About 30 minutes before you
want to start cooking place the rice into a large bowl and fill with cold
water. Scrub all of the grains of rice and carefully drain the water off.
Repeat 3 times or until the cold water is clear. After the last rinse, fill the
bowl over the level of the rice with the cold water and let it sit for at least
30 minutes. In a large ovenproof deep pan with a tight fitting lid, add the
water and sprinkle the water lightly with salt. Bring the water to a rolling
boil, and then drain the water from the rice and add to the boiling water. Stir
all the rice once and then let it come back to a boil or about 7 minutes or
until the rice is soft when you bite on a piece.
Drain the water from the rice
in a strainer and in a separate glass, take 1/4 of a cup of hot water and
dissolve 1 tbsp of salt into the water. Add 1/4 of vegetable oil to the hot
water and salt and mix well. Add this mix to all of the rice in a back and
forth motion until the top of the rice is covered. Next add the cardamom and
cumin to the rice. With a wide flat spatula mix this into the rice by lifting a
section and shaking the rice back into the pan. Repeat until the whole pan of
rice is mixed and covered with oil (it will look slightly shiny) and the spices
are dispersed throughout the rice.
Pile the rice into a mound in
the middle and with the back of the spatula, in a circle pattern make 5
"holes" for ventilation in the mound (four around the circle and one
in the middle of it). Place the top on the pot and place in the oven for 30
minutes. After 30 minutes turn the oven off and leave for 20-30 more minutes to
let the rice set up. When you go to serve the rice first separate it by taking
a portion and shaking it back into the pan, repeat until all of the rice is
separated.
Chapli Kabobs
Instructions
Take 11/2 lb of
ground beef or ground lamb, put it in a bowl, and set it aside.In a blender or food processor, chop finely one bunch of cleaned green onions, one bunch of washed cilantro, and 1/2 of a green bell pepper. You want the mix to have the consistency of paste or else you will have chunks of ingredients sticking out of the kabob and the small pieces will burn upon frying. Take the mix out of the food processor and into a clean medium sized bowl. To the mix, add 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of finely chopped garlic and then add the meat to this bowl. Mix the ingredients together well and then add 3 tbsp of ground cilantro seeds, 3 tbsp of cumin, and 2 tbsp of coriander. I use 1/2 tbsp of chicken flavor bouillon powder in place of salt because it also adds flavor, but you can substitute salt if you like (you also can adjust if you like a more or less salty flavor). I use Knorr brand bouillon and it can be found in the ethnic foods isle at supermarkets or at some Costco stores. Remember not to add any additional salt if you use it. If you would like to make the chapli spicy, then add Jalapenos (fresh or canned) to the food processor stage. I recommend using the canned Jalapenos as these come in mild or hot. For extra heat, take 8 whole dried red chili peppers and empty the seeds into the mix, then take the red skins and grind them into a powder and add to the mix. The seeds contain the heat so be careful about how many you add. When all of the ingredients are mixed well into the meat, it should be soft but not sloppy. If it is, then add a little bit (1tbsp) of all purpose flour. Do not add too much flour or it will ruin the taste. I recommend using non powdered disposable gloves that you would use for cleaning or at a Dr.'s office to mix the meat. You can buy these non latex gloves at the grocery store (use nitrile or polyurethane NON POWERED). In a frying pan add 1 cup of vegetable oil and put on medium heat. To make the kabobs uniform, take enough mix to make a ball - about the size of a large golf ball and roll the mix into a round ball in the palms of your hands (much like making meatballs). Next, flatten out the ball by pressing from the center out and turning the ball until you have a patty about 1/4 inch thick. You do not want them too thick because the outside will cook and the inside will not. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay the kabob into the pan away from you in case of splatter. There should be enough oil to almost cover the kabob but not quite; remove any excess oil with a large serving spoon (carefully) or add more oil if needed. The kabobs will shrink by about half so don't worry if they look large when you first form them. Also, do not make them so thin that they rip when you put them into the pan. Press the kabobs down with a spatula as they have a tendency to arc up and the underside middle will not be as cooked as the rims. Just press till it stays flat. Give each patty plenty of room and cook until the kabobs are brown on both sides. If you are worry about oil splashing when you turn the kabobs, use tongs to flip the patties - just like you would a hamburger. |
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Kofta Challow
Ingredients
Instructions
In a glass bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix them together very
well. It is important to mix
everything together well so that the meatballs will be very soft. Form
the balls about 2 inches thick and make them as round as possible. Next, set
the meat aside while you make the Korma sauce.For the Korma sauce heat the oil in a large pan (the meatballs should not touch each other in the pan if possible). Fry the onions until they turn reddish brown, but DO NOT BURN THEM. In a separate bowl add 2 cups of water and add the spices and tomato paste to the bowl and mix until the tomato paste dissolves. Add this mix to the frying onions, stir until the frying stops. Add the meatballs, making sure they do not touch, and then add water until the meatballs are 2/3rds covered. Place the pan on medium high heat and cover the pan with a lid and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully turn over each meatball, make sure the bottom is not burning. Stir gently and replace the lid leaving it ajar so the steam can escape for 25 more minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the lid and dimmer until the sauce thickens. Total cooking time is between 45min to 1hr, you will know when the korma is thick; do not forget to rotate the meatballs several times to prevent burning. Serve with white rice |
Kishmish Panir (Cheese with Raisins)
Instructions
In a large stockpot, add a small amount of water to barely cover the
bottom of the pan. Add1 gallon of regular whole fat milk to the pot and bring
to a boil. Stirring helps the bottom not to burn and the milk to boil faster.
NEVER LEAVE UNATTENDED.As the milk begins to steam, take about 1/4 cup of white vinegar and put it next to the stove. When the milk starts to rise in the pan, add the vinegar in a circular pattern. Take the pan off of the heat. Take a slotted spoon and start helping the curds and whey separate (some people like to lightly salt the cheese, if you would like to, add two good pinches of salt at this point). After about 5 minutes you should have a good amount of separation. In the sink and over a colander, double fold a cheesecloth and press into the shape of the colander. Using thick, new kitchen gloves (the kind used for washing dishes), slowly pour the contents of the pot into the cheese cloth, when all of the curds are in the cheesecloth, gather the ends of the cheesecloth together and twist. The VERY hot whey will come out and shape the curds into a ball. Press to make it smooth and round. Twist and press two or three times only and the place the cheesecloth on a plate in the refrigerator. You do not want to twist too much or else the cheese will be crumbly. When the ball has cooled, take it out of the cheese cloth and wrap it in foil until you are ready to cut. Cut the cheese in slices down the ball so that you end up with thick slices, and then cut the slices into cubes. Fill half of the plate with cheese and place raisins on the other half of the plate and serve. The cheese can last 2-3 days, slightly longer if salt was added. |
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