Afghan Showra-E-Tarkari (Meat and Vegetable Soup)
So, “shorwa” is “soup” in Pashto. In other Arabic regions, shorba, sharba, chorba, etc. “Takari” more or less means “greens”, but contextually vegetables. And this one has a little bit of everything, with a hearty feel that doesn’t sit too…
Afghan Gosht Korma
So, the kid only had one request for his birthday dinner ~ goat. But it turns out that the local Afghan markets don’t carry it, so I tracked down a local butcher. The most common cut appears to be cubed,…
Chapli Kabob Burgers
Chapli kabobs are a popular street food in Pakistan. Disc-shaped and fried, they make for a great walk-around food. Pomegranate seeds are usually added for a little extra zip, but they’re not 100% required to make a tasty kabob. Somewhere…
Macarona Bechamel (Pasta with Bechamel)
I’ll start with the warning that this recipe serves about eight, and I’ve cut it in half versus a lot of the variations out there. With that out of the way, here’s a nice casserole that’s like a stripped-down lasagna….
Siga Tibs (Ethiopian Beef Stew)
Despite what restaurant menus say, Ethiopians don’t eat a ton of meat ~ mostly legumes and the like. So, this would be a special dish ~ New Years, birthdays, etc. As such, it’s part stir-fry, part stew, and even with…
Pad Gra Prow (Thai Beef and Basil)
I like Thai food, and I like basil, but I don’t like dried coconut, so any time I find a recipe it makes Kat happy. It also helps that we have a ridiculous amount of basil in the pots this…
Lybian Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables)
So “mahshi” means “stuffed” in Arabic. You can stuff a lot of vegetables like zucchini or eggplant if you really want to. I don’t want to, so I’m sticking with green peppers. At 48, I’m allowed to make these choices….
Keema Matar – Mincemeat and Peas Curry
So, Kat says this one is a 13/10 and the kid agrees, so I guess that’s an endorsement. This is mostly a ground meat and tomatoes dish, where the peas add a little something extra. And, like some of my…
Aloo Gosht – Pakistani Beef and Potato Stew
Aloo Gosht (literally, potatoes and meat) is one of those comfort-food things that will probably go into regular rotation here, hopefully to the detriment of some of the yummy-but-bad-for-you-glop everyone likes. Beneath the potatoes and beef, there’s a tomato base,…
Kofta Kebabs
…well, mostly anyway. To date, I haven’t been able to keep them on the sticks. I think it’s a combination of not kneading the meat mix enough and not waiting long enough before turning. Fortunately this makes for nice finger-food…