Afghan Cuisine

It is always fun to try new cuisines.  I love to do it when I am traveling, but going to Afghanistan for a pleasure trip seems unlikely to happen in my life time.  I am more likely to go as a professional, and even that seems very remote.  The country has been at war for over 20 years—the Russians and the Americans as unlikely to change this mountainous tribal culture, and it is unlikely to be tourist friendly in the near future.  So the best way to try the food is to go to a restaurant outside the country.  We had some fantastic Central Asian food when we were in Ukraine, so I know that it can be done.

I had the pleasure of eating with my wonderful sister-in-law at the Helmand Restaurant in Baltimore not too long ago.  It is an Afghan restaurant, and I quickly realized that my palate does not have an adequate familiarity with Central Asian.  We ordered several vegetarian dishes—which included many very recognizable raw ingredients: potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, okra, eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas and pomegranates.  All the dishes were served with rice as well as naan—which was the best recognized part of the meal (the rice had cumin seeds in it and seemed very similar to biryanis that I have had in Indian restaurants). 

I am usually very good at recognizing spice profiles, but I had a lot of trouble doing that with Afghan food.  Spices that are commonly used include mint, saffron, cilantro, coriander, cardamom and black pepper.  The end result is a complicated and satisfying combination of flavors, which are complimented by an abundant use of yogurt-based sauces.  I came home feeling motivated to try some of these palate pleasing combinations.