Afghan foods

[shroomgirl]

A new Afghan restaurant opened in town.....interesting good food. I went with a couple of food writers, one writing an article on Afghan food.....there is not alot of cookbooks available on the subject. Interesting trying to decipher the spice combinations. Alot of Indian influence...the bread is similar to naan, but the combos were really new.....
3" large fresh pasta filled with meat, topped with yogurt then yellow peas and carrots...exceptional, trully memorable. The kind of dish you think when can I go try it again.
kabobs, great basmati...the owner of the restaurant Sameem said he spends $32 for a bag of basmati....the grains were not broken nor mushy....
cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, some chili (not sure which)....alot of potato/onion aps, egggplant/tomato/potato with cheese ap, Aash that was discribed by another foodie as mid eastern chili mac.
No pork but there was shrimp on the menu.
Chickpeas were abundant especially in rice.

Have any of you explored Afghan food? what do you know?

[phatch]

There's a pretty good Afghan joint here called Baba Afghan. It's been a few years since I ate there. We haven't been eating downtown much lately. Anyway, I remember some good flavors, definitely showing it's place on the trade routes. Focusing more on vegetables and grains than meats. In fact, I can't remember meat being the focus of any dish.

There was a pumpkin dish that stood out though. Small squares of pumpkin, very soft, but sweetened and spiced gently. Nothing like I expected nor have tasted anywhere else.

Phil

[Pete]

I have eaten at a couple Afgan places, one just outside of Chicago and another in Madison, WI. I really like the food. It reminds me very much of Nepalese and North Indian food (haven't eaten Pakistani food so can't compare though I imagine similar), but different also. I love the bread they serve, very naan like. I agree, meat doesn't seem to be a large part of the diet. Even "meat" dishes were often mostly other ingredients, execpt in the few grilled dishes I tried. I love the food and would definately like to explore it more.

[Mezzaluna]

Pete, I've also enjoyed a meal at Kabul in Madison. I remember zucchini stuffed with potato and enjoying the bread. (It's been several years!) We still don't have one in Milwaukee though.

[shroomgirl]

I had assumed Afghan food would have been similar to Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian.....with fairly similar spicing and breads.....

the bread seemed very Naan like, the use of cilantro threw me....it was really funky to have yellow peas and carrots ontop of stuffed pasta. Facinating!
I expected alot of lamb and actually thought goat might make it on the menu.
Interesting to see parmesan cheese too....
Do any of you have cookbooks, even a church supper type (I have several Greek cookbooks <spiral bound> put out by Greek Orthodox churches.?
I'd like to learn more.