Afghan Cooking- Chabli Kebab with Sallata and Baghlan Rice

The local paper did an article on Afghan cooking and I couldn't resist trying a couple of the recipes. Check out this LINK for the full story and the rest of the recipes. We really enjoyed this dinner and thought it was a great way to learn a little bit about another ethnic cuisine. We had the Chabli Kebab which is like a hamburger patty, in the way it looks, not tastes. That was eaten with Salata, to which I added celery just for fun. We had Baghlan Rice on the side and really enjoyed it.
CHABLI KEBAB
1 pound ground or minced lamb, beef or turkey (I used ground turkey breast)

1 finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

1 egg

2 diced tomatoes

2 diced spicy green pepper

1/2 cup flour

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together by hand. Wet hands with salty water (to keep meat from sticking) and pat meat mixture into patties. Place in pan and fry in corn oil until they look like hamburgers. Serves 4-8, depending on size of patty. Serve with Sallata as a condiment.

SALLATA

Cilantro

Green onion

Tomato

Spicy green pepper

Cucumber

Lemon(I just used the juice)

Radishes

Finely chop all ingredients and mix together. It is eaten as a condiment or garnish along with your meal.

BAGHLAN RICE/QABULI PALAU 8 cups of rice (or as many cups as people being served)

1/8 cup salt

4 chopped carrots

1 cup raisins

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 cup chopped almonds

Pinch of cardamom

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

Soak rice in water overnight or for 4 hours or more. Drain rice and put it in boiling water over stove. Add the salt. Let it slow-boil for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain rice.
In the pan with chicken oil (I used the same pan I cooked the kebab in), fry chopped carrots and raisins. Take carrots and raisins out of oil when done. Strain the oil and add 1 tablespoon sugar to oil. Heat until dissolved.
Pour heated oil and sugar over rice. Put rice mixture into pressure cooker for 20 minutes at medium pressure.
After cooking, mix in cardamon, cumin, carrots, raisins and almonds to rice. Add salt to taste