Kabuli pulao is often considered as the national dish of Afghanistan.
There are different versions of kabuli pulao (also called kabuli palaw or qabili palaw): some with chicken, some with beef and some with lamb. However, the method of cooking and the spices remain in large part the same.
I just love lamb so there was no way I would make the chicken or beef version of kabuli palaw.
The kabuli pulao recipe I followed only used cardamom and cumin seeds. However, I found other recipes that also used coriander, cinnamon or even saffron. Cardamom is really what gives this dish a particular taste so I would make sure to use this spice. I had only used cardamom pods before, mainly in Indian recipes and rice preparations. This kabuli palaw dish called for cardamom seeds. You could potentially open the cardamom pods and get the seeds out yourself if you are extremely patient!
Kabuli pulao, like a number of traditional national dishes, is considered a festive and expensive dish due to the presence of meat and noble ingredients, as well as the time it takes to prepare it. Afghan cuisine is mainly based on crops such as rice but also wheat, maize and barley. Although it shares commonalities with Indian and Persian cuisine, it has some unique characteristics.
We ate our kabuli pulao on our regular dining table… but if you really want to go all the way, you should invest in a floor spread known as dastarkhan and eat on the floor!
This dish was really very tasty and I will probably make it again with additional spices. I really loved that dish, my wife enjoyed it too but the kids who are typically not that picky didn’t seem to enjoy it as much. I am guessing the cardamom flavor in this kabuli pulao may have been a little too overpowering for them.
Kabuli Pulao (Afghan Spiced-Lamb Pilaf)
Ingredients
- 4 lb lamb meat for stew (for example, neck)
- 1¼ cup basmati rice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 onions , chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom seeds
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 carrots , cut into slivers or matchsticks
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup slivered almond , blanched
- ½ cup pistachios , coarsely chopped
Instructions
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Cover lamb pieces with hot water in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of cardamom seeds and 1 tablespoon of ground cumin. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
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Add salt to taste. Remove lamb. Reserve stock.
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Preheat oven to 325F/160C.
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Boil a large amount of water with salt. Add half of the reserved stock. Cook the rice in it for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
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Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons (45-60g) of the butter over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until they are golden brown.
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Add lamb and fry with onions.
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Add remaining tablespoons of cardamom, cumin and black pepper, and about 1 cup of the lamb stock (or more as needed). Simmer for 5 minutes.
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Combine cooked rice and lamb mixture. Place in a buttered casserole.
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Fry carrot matchsticks in butter for a few minutes and add raisins to them at the very end.
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Sprinkle partially cooked carrot matchsticks and raisins on top of the lamb and rice and cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
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Place in oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
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Slivered almonds and pistachios may be added over the dish just before serving.
Mike is “the devil” of the 196 flavors’ duo. Nicknamed as such by his friends, he is constantly in search of unusual recipes and techniques with impossible to find ingredients. The devil is always pushing the envelope, whether it is with humor or culinary surprises.
isaure says
this one is wonderful, easy and delicious
thank you ! have a nice day !
Shanna says
Ok!..i guess this is a western version of kabouli pulao.
If you want it authentic,add cloves,cinnamon,jeera seeds ,black peppercorns,ginger,turmeric,
Mike Benayoun says
Shanna, I totally agree that the dish could definitely have used more spices, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a “Western version” of qabli pulao when it includes cardamom and cumin 😉 It is true that a number of versions of this dish include the spices you mentioned or even garam masala (often used as a shortcut).
Sholokov says
You must be either Punjabi (Pak) or Indian, but definitely not Afghan. Those ingredients may work with regular pulao but nothing in Afghan cuisine uses Turmeric or Ginger. As for jeera (I guess you are from India), aka Zeera, is Cumin seeds which is already mentioned in this recipe. The only item missing in this dish is Black pepper. Anything else will make it a desi pulao and not Afghan.
Mike Benayoun says
Thanks, Sholokov. We strive to stick to authentic recipes. I am glad we got your “stamp” of approval. Thanks for suggesting the addition of black pepper too!
Robin Shostack says
Why do you cool the lamb twice? In step 1 you simmer it for two hours. In step 11 you bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Why do you cook it so much?
Mike Benayoun says
Hey Robin, simply because the lamb needs way more time than the rice and vegetables to cook, so it needs to be pre-cooked. Enjoy!
Jessica Cecilia says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. This recipe its very helpful to us. Now my mother has been using this recipe to make this food. I’m waiting for the next recipe. Thanks You
Mike Benayoun says
Thanks so much for sharing, Jessica!
Leonora says
Thank you for sharing, Mike. I’ve also seen some recipes called Afghanistan-Persian pulao/ polow. What’s the difference between Afhanistan and Persian pulao?
Mike Benayoun says
Hey Leonora, I wish I knew but I do not. You may want to ask our community, maybe one of our members knows: https://www.facebook.com/groups/196flavors/