Afghan food

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Afghan cooking is generous, aromatic and made for sharing. Rice, wheat, pulses, yoghurt, herbs, dried fruit and carefully balanced spices appear in many regional traditions. The recipes in this archive are home-style introductions: family methods and spellings naturally vary.

Start with a centrepiece, add something fresh or tangy, and leave room for tea and something sweet.

At the centre of the table

Qabuli palaw with carrots and raisins

Qabuli palaw

Fragrant rice layered with tender meat, sweet carrots and raisins—one of Afghanistan’s best-known celebratory dishes.

 Afghan mantu dumplings

Mantu

Steamed dumplings, commonly served with yoghurt, lentils or a tomato-based topping.

 Afghan ashak dumplings

Ashak

Delicate dumplings filled with greens, finished with garlicky yoghurt and a savoury sauce.

Breads, snacks and sides

Bolani

Thin stuffed flatbread, crisp from the pan and excellent with yoghurt or chutney.

Chapli kebab

A broad, boldly seasoned minced-meat patty with roots in the east of Afghanistan and the wider region.

Sabzi

Slow-cooked leafy greens, often served alongside rice and meat dishes.

Kofta

Seasoned meatballs simmered in a warmly spiced sauce.

Pakora

Vegetables in a seasoned batter, fried until crisp and served as a snack.

Paratha

Layered pan-cooked bread with a tender middle and crisp edges.

Something sweet

Firni

A silky milk pudding scented with cardamom and often topped with pistachios.

Roht

A gently sweet, enriched bread traditionally shared with tea.

Doogh

A cool savoury yoghurt drink, often brightened with mint.