Kabuli pulao, also written qabili palau, is widely regarded as Afghanistan’s national dish: long-grain rice cooked in a rich meat stock, heaped over tender lamb and crowned with glossy strips of fried carrot, plump raisins and slivered almonds and pistachios. The gentle spicing, usually cumin and cardamom, balances the sweet topping.
Name and occasions
Spellings vary widely. One common explanation links qabili to a Persian word meaning “capable” or “skilful”, a tribute to the cook’s craft, while the English form “Kabuli” recalls the capital, although writers on the dish caution that it did not necessarily originate in Kabul. Because rice, meat and nuts were costly and the cutting and frying took hours, the pulao was long reserved for ceremonial meals. It remains the centrepiece of weddings, parties and family celebrations.
Variations
Every family has its own version. Lamb is classic, but chicken and beef are common, saffron is sometimes added, and the Parwana family recipe from Adelaide suggests vegetable stock for a meatless pulao. In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan the related osh palov is cooked by boiling the rice in its liquid, whereas Afghan cooks traditionally parboil, drain and then steam it.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless lamb leg or shoulder, in large chunks
- 2 medium onions, finely diced
- 125 ml sunflower oil, plus more for frying the topping
- 500 g basmati rice, soaked for 2–3 hours
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground cardamom, divided
- Salt
- 2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 150 g raisins or sultanas
- 1 tbsp each slivered almonds and pistachios
- 2 tsp sugar
A home-style way to make it
- Fry the onions in the oil until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and brown it on all sides.
- Pour in 1 litre of hot water with 1 tbsp salt and cook until the lamb is tender: about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker, much longer in an ordinary covered pot. Lift out the meat and keep the stock.
- Drain the rice and boil it in plenty of salted water for 6–8 minutes, until parboiled, then drain again.
- Return the rice to the pot, pour over the stock, add the cumin, 1 tsp cardamom and salt to taste, and mix gently. Make a well in the centre, bury the lamb in it and cover with rice.
- Cover tightly and heat until steam escapes, then turn the heat to very low and steam for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fry the carrots in hot oil for 4–5 minutes and lift out; fry the raisins for about 3 minutes until plump. Toss both with the nuts, sugar and remaining cardamom.
- Heap the rice and lamb on a platter, spoon the topping over and serve at once.
