Creamy Milk Pudding
Firnee
(Serves 6-8)

A creamy milk pudding flavored with pistachios, cardamom and rosewater— t's a traditional Afghan dessert.

2 C whole milk
1 C sugar
4 T cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 capful rosewater (see sidebar)
2-4 T pistachios (finely ground)

In a saucepan over a medium fire, combine all ingredients except pistachios.  Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.  Once you reach the boil, pour into a shallow serving bowl and regfrigerate.   Sprinkle with pistachio nuts and serve.

Tips & Glossary: Afghanistan

Afghan food is similar to the Middle East's and India's, using use many of the same spices. But Afghan cuisine is milder and lighter than its Indian cousin.

Many of the ingredients used in Afghan dishes probably aren’t in your spice shelf, but you'll find them at Asian or Mid-Eastern shops.

• Deep Frying:  be sure oil is hot; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to achieve the called-for temperature. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used.

• Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. 

• Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. 

• Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available.  A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground.

• Coriander:   aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley.  Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Afghan, Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines.

• Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-East, Mexican and Asian dishes. It has an earthy, peppery flavor.

• Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods.  Because it loses its flavor quickly try to buy it with whole spices and grind it when you need it.

• Ghee: clarified butter.  Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids.  Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever.  It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.  If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils.

• Rosewater:  distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking.  You can make your own—but why?  Buy it.

• Turmeric:  a deep yellow ground spice, member of the ginger family, used in curries.  It has a marvelous earthy, peppery flavor.