Afghan Entree

Traditional Lamb Stew
Chalau
(Serves 6)

A delicious Afghan stew made with lamb and spinach then seasoned with cumin and cilantro.

1/2 C vegetable oil (divided)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
1 1/2 lb. lamb stew-meat (1” cubes)
1 1/2 C water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cumin
3 C uncooked Basmati rice (see sidebar)
6 C water
3 C fresh spinach leaves (chopped)
2 T fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)

Meat: in a large skillet heat 1/4 C of oil. Add onion and cook till translucent. Add garlic and lamb, browning lamb. Add water, salt, cayenne, and cumin. Simmer on low heat, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Rice: in a large saucepan, cook rice for 5 minutes in remaining 1/4 C oil, stirring frequently. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover loosely, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or so till rice is tender and most or all of the water is absorbed.

Assembly: add spinach and cilantro to lamb and cook 10 more minutes. Turn rice onto a serving bowl and spoon a little stew over the top. Serve remaining stew in another serving bowl. Serve with Naan.

| See more Afghan recipes |

Tips & Glossary

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.

• 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.