Qabili Pilau Food

AFGHANI KABLI PULAO

Steps:

• Soak the rice in cool water for 5 minutes. Rinse until water runs clear.
• Place 4 cardamom pods on a cutting board and lightly crush using the flat side of a knife; transfer to a pressure cooker. Add halved onion, garlic head, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, paprika, and coriander seeds. Pour in water to cover.
• Seal pressure cooker lid and turn heat to high. Cook until pressure cooker whistles once, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Wait for 2 more whistles, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally, about 10 minutes.
• Strain broth into a bowl. Clean out the pressure cooker and heat it over medium heat. Add oil and chopped onion; cook and stir until softened and browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add carrots; cook until soft, about 3 minutes more. Add raisins, almonds, and strained rice. Add remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin seed, and remaining clove.
• Crush remaining cardamom seed to a powder and add to the pressure cooker. Mix to combine; pour in enough broth to cover the rice.
• Increase heat to high and seal the pressure cooker. Cook until the first whistle, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let rest for 7 minutes; release the pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked rice to a serving dish immediately to prevent overcooking.

CHICKEN KABULI PULAO (AFGHANISTAN)

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces, onions and hot water in a large pot.
• Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Add salt to taste.
• Remove chicken, reserving stock & discard cooked onions.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat 2 tbs of the butter over medium high heat and fry chicken pieces containing bones, salting as needed.
• Boil a large amount of water with sea salt and cook the rice in it for exactly 8 minutes. Set aside in a pot until ready to assemble.
• Make stock sauce:
• Brown onions in butter and remove from heat.
• Add cardamom cumin, freshly ground black pepper & saffron liquid and mash with onion to form a paste.
• Add about 1/2 pt of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
• Combine cooked rice, stock sauce as needed (I don't find it became a sauce so I added the onion paste with some broth as needed to finish cooking the rice) and chicken; place in a buttered casserole. Cover.
• Fry carrot matchsticks in 1/2 tbs butter and add dark raisins to them at the very end.
• Sprinkle partially cooked carrot matchsticks and raisins on top of chicken and rice and cover tightly with aluminum foil or cover.
• Place in oven for 35 minutes.
• Chopped toasted pistachios or slivered almonds may be added over the dish just before serving if so wished.
• There most probably will be left over stock that is very good even as a soup on it's own and probably served that way in an Afghani household.
• Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN QAUBILI PILAU(AFGHANISTAN)

Steps:

• Fry the onions in about a tbls. of oil(I use olive) until golden brown in a skillet or saucepan. Add the salt and spices (except for the saffron).
• Add the rice, lentils, saffron and 5-5 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes(lentils will be tender also).
• Just before serving cut the carrots into thin sticks. Saute them in 1-2 teaspoons oil with sugar until tender. Remove from oil and reduce the heat. Add the raisins to the oil and fry until they are swollen. Remove from the oil. Finally add the almonds to the oil(adding a little more if necessary) and brown taking care that they don't burn.
• Serve the rice topped with the almonds, carrots and raisins.

QABILI PILAU

Steps:

• Brown 1 medium diced onion in oil. Fry until the onion is fairly dark. Add 1 lb lamb cut into 1"-2" cubes and brown lightly.
• Add 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoons Salt and 1 to 1 ½ tsp each (cinnamon, ground cumin and ground cardamom) Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about an hour.
• Remove meat from the juice and set juice aside. Cut 3 carrots into match stick size pieces. Sauté carrots and 1 tsp sugar in about 1/4 cup of oil. Cook until they are lightly browned. Remove from oil Add 1 cup of raisins (I prefer golden sultanas) to the oil and cook until they swell up.
• Boil the meat juice and add 2 cups basmati (very long grained) rice, 1 ½ tsp salt and enough boiling water to come 2 inches over the rice. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, but not mushy.
• Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice together. Place in a large oven-proof casserole, cover and bake at 300 degrees for about a half hour--or up to an hour. To serve--place on platter, making sure the carrots and raisins show on top.

KABULI PALAU

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces, onions, salt and hot water in a 5-pt saucepan.
• Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
• The chicken should be tender, yet firm.
• Remove and cool chicken, reserving stock.
• Remove meat from bones; use only large pieces for this dish.
• Cook rice in boiling salted water or cook in a rice cooker.
• When done cover until ready for use.
• To make stock sauce: Brown onions in hot butter and remove from heat.
• Add cardamom and cumin; mash with onion to form a paste.
• Add about 1 pt of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
• Combine cooked rice, stock sauce and chicken; place in a buttered casserole; place carrots on top of mixture and sprinkle with raisins.
• Cover and cook for about 35 to 45 minutes in a very moderate oven (325°F).
• Add more stock or water if dish becomes too dry.
• When done, mix carrots and raisins lightly with chicken and rice.
• Stock not used in the main dish can be served as a soup course.

QABILI PILAU WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown onion in 2 tbsp oil.
• Add chicken and brown lightly.
• Add 2 cups water, salt, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom.
• Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about one hour.
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Set juice aside.
• Saute carrots and brown sugar in 4 tbsp oil until lightly browned.
• Remove and set aside.
• Add raisins to oil and cook until they swell up.
• Remove and set aside.
• Return the juice to the skillet.
• Add rice and 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Simmer until the water is absorbed.
• Pre-heat oven to 300.
• Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice.
• Place in a large casserole, cover and bake for 30 minutes.