Kebabs: Afghan Street Food Ideal for a Summer Cookout

By Humaira

With the end of school and the flurry of summer plans I have not been able to test new recipes. So, I decided to re-post one of the first recipes 

This blog was inspired by my mom's cooking and the urgency to preserve her recipes before she expires. You see, in our family Jeja, my mom is a wonderful cook but she did pass her knowledge to her children.  I have to admit, I didn't particulary show any interest in learning her Afghan cuisine recipe until I had my own children.  This blog has opened a world of food, culture, and banter which has enriched my life.  

I am thankful to all my wonderful readers who post comments, ask questions and share their experiences with Afghanistan or Afghan food.  It is encouraging to know, that in a very small way I have touched people around the world in this intimate way, by sharing my culture.

Thank you for your interest in Afghan food and culture.  Now, let' s talk kebabs.

With schools out and weekend BBQs on the calendar it seems an appropriate time to talk about some of my favorite grilled food:  Afghan kebabs.  While nothing could be more ordinary in American culture than the backyard barbecue, in Afghanistan grilling is more typically the domain of street vendors and restaurants.   Walk through bazaars of Kabul or Kandahar and you will be greeted with the sizzling sounds and rich smells of beef, lamb and chicken seasoned with garlic, onions, peppers, and a host of spices, speared onto metal skewers.  The street vendors (Kebabis as they are called) wrap warm nan bread around the meat and serve it with chutney, cilantro and chives.   While it would be rare for an Afghan to own the kind of barbecue we are accustomed to, they are brilliant at rigging a makeshift grill set over hot coals for picnics or other outdoor outtings. 

It's simple to translate this faraway and seemingly exotic treat for grilling at home.  While Afghan restaurants sometimes achieve the signature golden hue to their chicken by adding food coloring, we've found  a little dose of turmeric works just as well, and is tasty, too.   Serve the kebabs with plenty of plain yogurt, nan, lavash or pita bread, and a chopped salad with equal parts cucumber, tomato, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lemon and plenty of salt.

   June of 2009, me with short hair and a tray of kebabs  

  

 

Lemony Chicken Kebabs with Turmeric

 

 

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice mixed with 1 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

wooden or metal skewers

 

Instructions:

 

Cut chicken into 2-inch chunks and put in a bowl.  Puree remaining ingredients in a food processor.  Pour marinade over the chicken and mix thoroughly.  Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least three hours, preferably overnight. 

 

If using wooden skewers, immerse them in water for at least 20 minutes before using.

 

Put 4 to 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer.   Grill over a medium flame until done.  If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the kebabs under a broiler for a few minutes per side or bake them in a 400 degree oven until cooked through. 

 

Serves 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

 

 

 

Comments

[Humaira]

Dear Christine,
Your comment is heartening and heart warming. Just when I wonder who reads this blog and what they get out it and whether I am wasting my time? I get a comment like your. It's like an adrenaline punch in my veins. Thank you! For sharing this with me.

Best,
Humaira

[Christine Doman-Wells]

Humaira and Katie, I found your blog about 3-4 years ago when I was in search of Afghan recipes for a friend (American) and her new Afghan husband. It was his first time beginning his life outside of his country. He arrived at my home after several months in Kentucky with her family and he was really craving some good Afghan food. (Incidentally, he married a woman who does not cook. Ever. She hates it.)
So, I spent three days cooking and preparing and laid out a feast like none other. He was as impressed as he was grateful and he decided that night that we should open an Afghan restaurant in which he would greet and welcome guests and explain that his grandmother (actually me) was in the back preparing all the food. He is still convinced, three years and many feasts later that we could pull this off.
We get to see our beloved friends about once a year, as they now live in Africa. My cooking is one of the few times he gets to have what he considers authentic Afghan food. Their last visit was just a couple weeks ago and in addition to some of my staple dishes like Tumeric Braised Chicken, Borani Kadoo, Qorma e sabzi, and Aushak. I asked him to look through your site, which I always credit with my success, and tell me his very favorite dish and I would do my best. He chose Kabuli Palao. Your recipe uses chicken but his mother made it with lamb.
I have grown to consider myself somewhat accomplished in my Afghan cooking so I was confident. Overly confident. I spent hours in the kitchen that day on that one dish. It was so important to me that I would be able to get it right and make the proper modifications using your chicken-based recipe as a foundation. After about 5 hours from start to finish, I served it on the table and my friend's first reaction was, "it looks right." Still I waited...he smelled it, "This is the way it should smell." Still I waited, holding my breathe and still sweating from the labor of the day. He took the first bite and nodded his head up and down, "yes, yes. this is right. This is very very good" he said. I think I cried.
Please know that your blog has meant more to me than just a source for wonderful, authentic recipes that have changed my way of cooking for my family and friends, even when my Afghan friend is halfway around the world. I incorporate so many of these dishes into my every day cooking. I think each day I have at least one meal with a yogurt/garlic accompaniment.
But beyond expanding my cooking, this blog has helped build a cultural bridge. Our Afghan friend is building a lovely life and his own growing family outside of his country and with the joy comes great loss. He misses his mom and his family, his culture and his home land. It brings me so much pleasure to be able to nourish his body and soul with meals that take him back, if even for just some moments at my kitchen table.
Thank you so very much for taking the time that you take with this blog. It has meant more to many people than you probably realize.

[Humaira]

Hi Malaya - Yes, we do. The salad is Shor Nakhod which means salty chicpeas. I call it Afghan potato salad, here is the link: http://www.afghancooking.net/afghan-culture-unveiled/2011/08/tangy-afghan-potato-salad-with-cilantro-dressing.html
Enjoy. - Humaira

[Malaya]

Humaira, Do you have a posting for the salad pictured with the kebabs? Malaya

[nasreen]

I can't thank you enough for your wonderful website that you have created. You and your family have been very kind to let us have an access to such a wealth of information!! THANK YOU,
With Kind Regards from Nebraska!

[Humaira]

Dear Victoria,
Thank you for reading our blog. We do not cook for kings nor do we have servant. Katie and I are home cooks with extensive knowledge of Afghan food. We feed our families and share our love of Afghan food with our community. Our recipes are delicious, made for use by the general public and simplified so anyone can cook them.

It is our style of cooking which I think makes Afghan food more accessible to the rest of the world. This blog is to share our love of Afghan culture and people and not a platform for personal insults. I welcome you to submit one of your recipes to the blog so we can share it with our readers.

Humaira

[Humaira]

Dear Kahkah,

Thank you for reading our blog. Katie and I are home cooks with extensive knowledge of Afghan food. We feed our families and share our love of Afghan food with our community. Our recipes are delicious, made for use by the general public and simplified so anyone can cook them. It is our style of cooking which I think makes Afghan food more accessible to the rest of the world.

This blog is to share our love of Afghan culture and people and not a platform for personal insults. I welcome you to submit one of your recipes to the blog so we can share it with our readers.

Humaira

[kahkah]

نجاری کار هر شادی نیست
از ان جاه که نان های شما دیده شد انها نه تنها در قطارنان های افغانی نه بوده و نیست ولی شاهید در غزنی بین غلزی ها مروج باشد
بهتر بود تا این نان ها در جمله نان های غلزای معرفی میشد تا مردم افغان از این تعمت وشر م بهدور میماندند
امید است تا در اینده از این مزخرفات خدآ خود را نگاه کنید

[Victoria]

I think this was an insult to Afghan food. We do not serve alcohol, Ash was poorly done. Your Ashak ( not Dumpling! ) looks so dry. The original Afghan food is fit for a King, I wouldn't feed to a sevant.

[Monica]

why wasn't there garlic used in this?

[Sunita]

Wow! Great Recipes!!

I didn't see gosht do piazah on there.

[katie]

We make most recipes using whole milk Greek-style yogurt. I don't make my yogurt from scratch...I usually buy FAGE Total which is widely available. Let us know how it goes with the recipes.

Katie

[Naheed]

Everything looks so delicious! I can't wait to try the recipes.

I want to know if you use any particular type of yogurt,and whether it is homemade or store bought?

[Bryan]

An incredible food site. VERY well written, and many delicious sounding recipes - I don't know where to begin.