Firni Recipe (Afghan Milk Pudding with Cardamom and Rosewater)
Make Afghan firni: a silky milk pudding thickened with cornflour, scented with cardamom and rosewater and topped with pistachios. Smooth, never lumpy.
Kabuli pulao, mantu, bolani and tikka kabob: the Afghan home cooking shared with Peshawar and the Pashtun belt. Each recipe is written for ordinary kitchens with clear timings, a doneness gauge and fixes for pale pulao, sticking dumplings and dry kebabs.
Recipes developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan
Jump to
Rice and mains
Pulao, qorma and dumplings
- 9Kabuli PulaoThe national lamb rice
- 9Afghan Lamb with Sour CherriesLamb with sour cherries
- 9MantuSteamed beef dumplings
Afghan SholaSticky mung bean rice
Kebabs, breads and sweets
From the grill and the tawa
- Afghan Lamb KebabOnion-marinated lamb tikka
- Mini Lamb KebabsQuick party lamb kebabs
- 9BolaniStuffed potato flatbread
- 9FirniCardamom rose milk pudding
Learn the technique
Guides behind these recipes
Quick answers
Afghan Recipes FAQ
What is the national dish of Afghanistan?
Kabuli pulao, lamb rice topped with carrots and raisins.
Is Afghan food spicy?
It is mildly spiced, built on cumin, cardamom, black pepper and coriander rather than chilli.
How is Afghan food related to Pakistani food?
Pashtun dishes in Peshawar such as pulao, chapli kebab and tikka share the same Afghan roots.
What is mantu?
Afghan steamed beef dumplings with garlic yoghurt and a lentil tomato sauce.
Every recipe
All Afghan recipes
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Bolani Recipe (Afghan Stuffed Flatbread)
Make bolani: thin Afghan flatbread stuffed with spiced potato or leek and green onion, pan fried crisp. Serve with chutney and yoghurt. Easy at home.
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Mantu Recipe (Afghan Beef Dumplings)
Make Afghan mantu: steamed dumplings of spiced beef and onion, topped with garlic yoghurt, a tomato lentil sauce and dried mint. Wonton wrapper shortcut.
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Afghan Lamb with Sour Cherries (Alu Balu Qorma)
Make Afghan lamb with sour cherries: tender lamb in a sweet sour cherry and onion qorma with cardamom. A festive Afghan dish, served with chalau rice.
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Kabuli Pulao Recipe (Afghan Lamb Rice with Carrots and Raisins)
Make Kabuli pulao, Afghanistan’s national dish: lamb cooked in its own stock, rice steamed in it, topped with sweet carrots, raisins and almonds. Step by step.
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Mini Lamb Kebabs Recipe (15-Minute Party Bites)
Make juicy mini lamb kofta kebabs in 15 minutes: spiced mince on short skewers, pan-seared and served with a mint yoghurt dip. Great for parties.
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Afghan Shola Recipe (Sticky Rice with Mung Beans and Meat)
Cook Afghan shola, the creamy, risotto-like rice with mung beans, lamb and dill, finished with garlic yoghurt. A comforting one-pot Afghan classic.
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Afghan Lamb Kebab Recipe (Tikka Kabob with Onion Marinade)
Grill juicy Afghan lamb tikka kebabs with an onion juice marinade and lamb fat between the pieces. Kabul street style, served with naan and chutney.
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