In Rabindranath Tagore’s famous story, Kabuliwallah got dry
fruits from Afghanistan. In my version of this story, not one but four
Kabuliwallahs got something even better - a fantastic repertoire of Afghan
cuisine.
In an exchange program facilitated by the Indian embassy in
Kabul, a team from the Intercontinental
Kabul flew to New Delhi to showcase the culinary beauty of their country.
At The Afghan Culinary Legacy, the
10-day food festival held at The
Pavilion, ITC Maurya, Mohammad Agha (team leader), Chef Hashim, Chef Nehmat
and Chef Haji Qadir churned out some of the tastiest kebabs I’ve ever had.
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| The chefs from Kabul. |
One experienced a beautiful medley of spices and subtlety of
flavours in the most succulent kebabs. What I found most interesting is that
instead of heavy masalas the meats are marinated and tenderized only with salt
and pyaaz ka pani (onion juice). This allows the natural flavours of the meat
to shine through. Such is the simplicity of this cuisine that Chef even
confessed that the strong aroma of the masalas in the Indian kitchen can alter the
flavour of their dishes.
Even with the minimal use of masalas each kebab has a distinct
flavour due to the variations in the quantities of onion and
garlic in each recipe. While the chapli kebab is a patty of minced mutton
with liberal use of chopped onion, the chicken kebab is a variation of our tandoori
chicken but without the quintessential yoghurt or spicy tandoori masala. The
seekh kebab too features chopped onion aplenty and is very juicy. Finally, the
mutton chops, that our server insisted on calling 'burrah' are far from that.
They remind me of the Kashmiri tabakmaaz. Seasoned just with salt they are
outstanding.
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| Succulent Kebabs. |
The Afghani qormas also offer subtle flavours. Whole cloves of
garlic, big pieces of ginger and coarsely chopped tomatoes add a rustic
appeal to meats cooked in ghee. The Kofta Qorma and Mutton Qorma make for
hearty comfort food.
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| The Beautiful Qormas. |
The pulaos! The veg and non-veg versions of dryfruit laden rice
dishes with sweet and tangy garnishings like zereshk, raisins and orange rind
may be an acquired taste but work very well for my palate. I love them all. Although
they complement the qormas beautifully I even relish the kabuli pulao on its
own. Made in ghee with sela rice and sprinkled with kishmish, badaam, pista and
carrot, each bite bursts with flavour.
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| The Pulaos and Kabuli Naan. |
What I liked the most about this entire meal was the hospitable attitude of the chefs. They showcased the cuisine of their country with utmost humility, leaving us with an invitation to not only Kabul but also to savour food cooked in their homes.
