Qabuli Palao (Afghan, Vegan, Gluten Free)
I haven’t posted much lately. I’ve had a slow recovery from hand surgery on March 30, which has limited my computer time. Basically I had to chose between computer and kitchen–guess which one won!
Much of my time in the kitchen has been focused on completion of my Professional Plant-Based Chef certification program at rouxbe.com. Toward the end of the course, we’ve had a number of assignments that encourage us to explore flavor profiles from around the world.
One assignment was to have a meal at a restaurant serving a type of cuisine you’ve never tried before, and to research the cuisine’s flavor profile. I took advantage of a trip to San Diego to try Afghan cuisine at Khyber Pass, a restaurant opened many years ago by refugees from Afghanistan. How had I never been there before? I had a wonderful vegetarian plate highlighting several Afghan dishes, which got me eager to try making my own.
When the time came to apply a cuisine’s flavor profile to a rice and lentil dish, I knew it was my chance to take a virtual culinary trip to Afghanistan. While Afghan cuisine typically features meat, there are tons of vegetarian dishes and variations. I set my sights on Qabuli Palao, which is often described as Afghanistan’s national dish: it’s essentially a rice pilaf featuring bold spices and topped with lightly fried carrots and raisins.
A key technique used in most Afghan savory dishes is to fry onions in oil until they’re golden, which provides a rich base flavor. If you want an oil-free version, you can dry-sauté they onions, using some vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. The character of the dish won’t be quite the same, though.
In Afghanistan, rice is typically served with one or more stews. I made Sabzi, a flavorful stewed spinach dish, to serve with the Qabuli Palao.
This recipe make eight servings. You could easily cut it in half, but the leftovers are delicious too.
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Yum! I’ve always loved Qabuli Palau from foreign student potlucks, and I was so excited to make my own plant-based version! It came out great, maybe a little dry. Next time, I’ll take the rice mixture off the heat while there’s still a little liquid in the pan. The exotic spices are a lovely mixture, and when it’s all eaten with the carrots, raisins, and pistachios, Magic!!!! Looking forward to the leftovers!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the dish. I haven’t made it in a while…so now I’m inspired to make it again.