The Middle East!

I know it’s kind of impossible to find Middle Eastern food in Las Cruces. Our Mexican restaurants are a dime a dozen, but there seems to be very little room for anything else — or at least everything else comes and goes rather quickly. And if anything is labeled as being Middle Eastern, it usually includes a falafel and a gyro, which is not even scratching the surface of what Middle Eastern food is.

More than two years ago I moved in with my boyfriend — who is Afghan — and my idea of food and flavor was blown to bits. That’s when I became a “foodie” and a lover of good food from all over the world.

I had no idea what that side of the world was about, until I had a feast at his house. Korma, samosas, chutney, bolani, aush, na’an, kabobs, qabili palao, yogurt, mint, lemon juice (see a description of these foods at the end). My goodness, it was the best I ever had.

Before that, he always “bragged” about how good home cooking was and how much time was spent on making one dish, particularly palao. “We are the scientists of rice,” he says. After that first meal and tasting what he had to make for dinner, I was hooked.

Over some time, the spice rack at home grew to include jars of coriander, curry, turmeric, dill, cumin and paprika. I buy large jars of minced garlic, we have pounds of basmati rice, mung beans, lentils, lots of chicken breasts, plain yogurt is always in stock and there’s no shortage of onions. On any night I can make chicken korma (which is my absolute favorite) or my special, signature, Frankenstein-version of aush, a hearty bean soup with noodles and ground beef (sometimes he doesn’t tell me what I’m doing wrong). See recipe below!!!!

Samosas with a quick yogurt-dill dipping sauce.

Chicken korma and bolani.

Chicken and pea korma over basmati rice with yogurt.

I’m just scratching the surface of Afghan cuisine and I will not say I know everything about it. Clearly, there is a difference between the cooking styles of Afghanistan and bordering countries. I once got a complicated lecture on how things could easily turn into a Pakistani dish — and I still don’t understand it.

I’m so happy I met my boyfriend. He comes from a county I never thought about and I certainly didn’t know what kind of food they ate. I would have never tasted these wonderful flavors if it weren’t for him and his family. But now I’m hooked. It’s my soul food.

As always my motto is to go out there and try something from another country. If you just give it a chance, you could fall in love with it. Shall I tell you about my experiences with Ethiopian food next time?

Korma — A mix of spices, meat and beans like a chunky gravy on top of rice. It comes in a variety of styles and I like chicken, mung beans and peas.

Samosas and chutney — A mix of mashed potato, leaks and spices inside a few layers of dough. It’s fried and served to dip in chutney, a find blend of walnut, lemon, cilantro, vinegar and yogurt.

Bolani — Similar to a samosa, but bigger and thinner. It’s lightly fried. We use large egg roll wraps for this one.

Aush — A soup made with ground beef and noodles, made separately and served together. It’s topped with yogurt and lemon juice.

Na’an — A kind of Afghan bread.

Kabobs — Spiced meat — lamb or beef.

Qabili palao (national dish of Afghanistan) — The ultimate rice dish. It’s baked with meat (lamb or chicken), spices, carrots, raisins and cashews.

Yogurt, mint, lemon juice — The mustard and ketchup-salt and pepper of the Middle East.