Bolani are thin, hand-rolled flatbreads folded around a savoury filling and pan-fried until golden and crisp. The two classic fillings are mashed, spiced potato (bolani-e kachaloo) and chopped gandana leeks with fresh coriander, but grated pumpkin, red lentils and minced meat are used too. They are torn into strips and dipped into yoghurt or a sharp green chutney, often with a glass of tea.
Street food and party food
Bolani are among Afghanistan’s best-known street snacks, sold hot and cheaply by bazaar vendors in cities such as Bamyan. They are equally a home food, made for birthdays, engagement parties and holidays. Durkhanai Ayubi, whose family runs the Parwana restaurant in Adelaide, describes families eating them straight off the tawah, the flat iron pan on which they are cooked.
Doughs and dips
Methods differ. The traditional dough is a plain mix of flour, water, salt and oil; some cooks add yeast, as in the Parwana recipe, and others bake rather than fry for a thicker, softer crust. In the diaspora, ready-made egg-roll wrappers are a popular shortcut. Dips range from plain or mint yoghurt to yoghurt with garlic, lemon and coriander, or a vinegary coriander chutney.
Ingredients
- 325 g (about 2¼ cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp dried yeast and 1½ tsp salt
- About 250 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus more for frying
- 550 g floury potatoes, peeled
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp crushed coriander seeds
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½–1 tsp chilli powder, and salt to taste
- For a gandana filling instead: about 1½ cups chopped garlic chives or gandana, a handful of chopped fresh coriander, a sliced spring onion, crushed coriander seed, chilli and a little oil
- Plain yoghurt and green chutney, to serve
A home-style way to make it
- Mix the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water gradually, then the oil, to make a firm dough, and knead well.
- Cover in an oiled bowl and rest for about 30 minutes, until puffy.
- Boil the potatoes until soft, mash them and mix in the onion, coriander seed, garlic powder, chilli and salt.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls, rest them for 10 minutes, then roll each out thinly into a circle.
- Spread about 3 tbsp filling over one half, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
- Fry in a little hot oil for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper and serve hot with yoghurt and chutney.
