First time favourites! I’m a huge Afghan fan and not just because it rhymes 
? Tonight’s first time make was Kabuli Palaw & Banjaan Borani… yum! Both recipes below 
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Kabuli Palaw Recipe
Ingredients:
150 ml vegetable oil
1 large carrot, cut into julienne
3/4 Cup sultanas
1/2 Cup each slivered almonds
1 tbls caster sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 onion, finely chopped
500 g basmati rice, soaked overnight in cold water, drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Garam masala
Method:
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add carrot with the sugar and fry, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sieve to drain. Add sultanas to oil, fry until they float to the surface (1-2 minutes), remove with a slotted spoon and add to carrot. Add nuts, and the spices to pan and fry, stirring, until golden brown (1-2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and add to carrot mixture. Add onion to pan and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender Set aside separately.
Half-fill a large saucepan with water, add 1½ tsp salt and bring to the boil over high heat. Add rice, cover and boil until rice is twice the size of the original grain then drain in a colander. Return rice to saucepan, add fried onion, and 2 tsp salt, add 125ml boiling water, cover with a lid and place over low heat. Cook until steam can be seen coming from beneath the lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot scattered with carrot mixture.
Banjaan Borani Recipe
Ingredients:
4/5 Fresh Tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 Onion – chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic – chopped finely
1 Cup Greek yoghurt
2 Eggplants
1 tbls turmeric
1 tsp dried mint or a few sprigs of fresh mint
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Method:
Make the sauce:
Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant. Purée the fresh tomatoes and add them to the saucepan along with the tomato paste. Mix until combined and add 1/2 cup of water. Reduce head and add it enough salt and pepper to season. Add in the turmeric and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes till the sauce thickens up.
Peel and chop the eggplant horizontally into thin slices. Add enough oil to a fry pan to shallow fry all the eggplant in batches until golden. Once the eggplant has been cooked, allow it to dry on some kitchen towel so it absorbs the oil. Lightly season each batch with salt.
In a small bowl add the yoghurt and remaining garlic. Mix well till all has combined.
It’s time to layer…. on a large dish, spread 1/4 of the yoghurt onto the dish. Follow by a layer of eggplant and then the sauce. Repeat this process till all the layers are complete.
Garnish with mint and enjoy!
Kali Orexi 
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