Ashak, also spelled aushak, are delicate boiled dumplings filled with finely chopped gandana, a mild member of the onion family that looks rather like a leek. They are layered on a platter with garlicky yoghurt, a spiced tomato sauce that is often made with minced meat, and a scattering of dried mint. Because every dumpling is folded by hand, ashak takes time and is usually saved for holidays and special gatherings.
A dish for gatherings
As with mantu, making ashak is often a shared task. Humaira Ghilzai recalls extended families coming together for the sole purpose of filling and folding dumplings, then sitting down to eat from large platters. She also points out the key difference between the two dishes: ashak are boiled and topped with a meat sauce, while mantu are steamed with the meat inside. Ashak is also known in Tajik and Turkmen kitchens.
Gandana and its substitutes
Outside Afghanistan, gandana can be hard to find. Afghan grocers in places such as Northern Virginia and Fremont, California, stock it, but many diaspora cooks use leeks, spring onions or a mix of the two. Ready-made wonton or dumpling wrappers are a common shortcut, though some cooks still roll a simple dough of flour, salt and water. Arranged four to a plate, ashak also makes an elegant first course.
Ingredients
- 450 g gandana, or leeks and spring onions, very finely chopped
- 4 tbsp oil, divided
- ½ tsp crushed red chilli flakes (optional)
- About 30 wonton or dumpling wrappers
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 450 g minced lamb or beef
- 250 ml tomato sauce (passata)
- 1½ tsp paprika and 1½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp black pepper; salt
- 250 g plain yoghurt with 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp dried mint
A home-style way to make it
- For the meat sauce, soften the onion in 3 tbsp oil, add the garlic and the meat and cook through. Stir in the tomato sauce, paprika, coriander, pepper and about 1½ tsp salt, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the gandana or leeks in the remaining oil with 1 tsp salt and the chilli over low heat for about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of a wrapper, moisten the edges, fold into a triangle and seal, then bring the two long points together and pinch.
- Boil the dumplings in salted water, in batches, for about 4 minutes, until tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
- Mix the yoghurt with the garlic and a pinch of salt.
- Arrange the dumplings on a warm platter, top with the yoghurt, then the meat sauce, and finish with dried mint. Serve at once.
