I’ve by no means had a nasty meal in an Afghan restaurant. And, I’ve discovered, it doesn’t actually matter what I order — a juicy kebab with simply the best contact of char; a lamb shank that has surrendered to its wealthy braising liquid; triangular dumplings so translucent you may see the inexperienced of their leek-and-scallion stuffing; a goblet stuffed to the brim with cardamom-scented milk custard — the meals transports you, even you probably have solely the vaguest familiarity with the nation or its delicacies.

That’s what Naheed Mawjzada was relying on when she and her household opened Afghan Kitchen 44 two years in the past in Huntington Village. Diners would possibly mistake the succulent lamb tikka kebab for Indian or presume the suave aushak (these leek and scallion dumplings) had been Chinese language. It didn’t matter, for she had a really clear thought of what sort of restaurant she had in thoughts. “I needed to supply that feeling of getting a home-cooked meal, of consuming a dish you can inform was made with love and hits the spot in a method that so many restaurant meals don’t.”

She was assured that her prospects would discover this to be true, and she or he was proper: Beneficiant parts, satisfying preparations and heady-but-not-too-aggressive spicing are exactly what individuals are searching for once they need to be warmed and comforted.

That alluring mixture of familiarity and exoticism is simply one of many contradictions inherent within the meals of Afghanistan. It’s usually recognized as Center Jap (even by a couple of Afghan restaurateurs), as an illustration, though the nation, about the identical measurement as France, truly lies removed from what Westerners consider because the Center East. “Clients count on us to have hummus,” stated Omar Mosaver, proprietor of Kabul Kabab Home in Westbury. “So, we’ve hummus.”

To really perceive the delicacies of Afghanistan, it is smart to take a look at a map: The nation lies on the very heart of Central Asia and, over the millennia, has seen greater than its justifiable share of navy invasions and service provider caravans. The Silk Highway, the historic internet of commerce routes between Europe and Asia, ran proper by Afghanistan and fostered the circulate of all the pieces from textiles, gunpowder, valuable stones and concepts corresponding to Buddhism and astronomy to tea, spices, nuts, fruits, dumplings and noodles.

The cultivation of rice unfold from China, and in each Afghanistan and its neighbor to the west, Iran (Persia), the cookery of that grain reaches dazzling heights. These dishes, referred to as pullao or pallow — what most Individuals would name pilaf — are additionally widespread throughout Afghanistan’s 1,600-mile jap border with Pakistan, with whom it additionally shares the tandoor-baked flatbread, naan, in addition to kebabs.

Eating in an Afghan restaurant in america is sort of completely different from eating in Afghanistan, the place eating places are confined largely to the large cities. Rafi Sarwary, proprietor of Kabul Grill in Hicksville, who grew up within the capital metropolis of Kabul, stated his household hardly ever went out to eat and that “fancy eating places” had been the unique province of foreigners and the native elite.

Kabul Grill has a minimum of one function of a restaurant in Afghanistan, the place Western-style tables and chairs are usually not the norm. The entrance of the eating room is dominated by a takht, or raised platform, round that are arrayed toshaks (cushions) for consolation. The general impact is one in all ceremony and neighborhood. And in Afghanistan, “You wouldn’t have separate programs,” Sarwary stated. “The whole lot could be set out on the takht. At dwelling, it will most likely be set out on a plastic tablecloth.”

Eating places might have been a particular deal with, however Sarwary has vivid reminiscences of having fun with avenue meals as a baby. Certainly one of his favorites: mantu, steamed meat-filled dumplings. “I’d get two for a greenback,” he recalled, “and they might include yogurt and a few lamb tail fats. You’d dip in a single after which the opposite after which pop it in your mouth — we’d name it ‘bang bang bang.’ ”

Roghan-e-dumbah, the rendered fats from an historical breed of fat-tailed sheep, is a foundational taste that you just received’t discover right here, however most Afghan menus function mantu with drizzles of yogurt and tomato sauce. Different avenue meals corresponding to aushak, the potato-stuffed flatbread referred to as bolani, and the fried turnover referred to as sambosa have been repurposed into appetizers. They’re irresistible.

Kebab stalls are a standard sight in Afghan cities and cities, they usually have the identical fundamental set-up as that of Mosaver’s Kabul Kabab Home, the eight-year-old Westbury offshoot of the Flushing unique, established in 1988. The grill, vast sufficient to accommodate 60 kebabs without delay, dominates the area and, because the pandemic, has come to dominate the menu, too, as takeout overtook dine-in service. Most of the non-kebab choices and waiter service had been phased out to accommodate the change.

You’ll at all times discover lamb and beef tikka, chunks of meat marinated in cumin, coriander, onions and sizzling chilies; kofta (minced meat with cumin, coriander, onion, tomato, chilies) in addition to hen seasoned with saffron; and two in style Iranian kebabs, barg (skinny slices of beef) and jujeh (jojeh), bone-in Cornish hen. For non-meat eaters, there’s a salmon kebab as nicely.

In Afghanistan — as in all of kebab-centric Central Asia — skewers are flat and vast (suppose sword as an alternative of knitting needle) which retains the kebabs from spinning once you flip them. “You simply don’t put the meat on a skewer and name it a day,” Mosaver stated. “Particularly with the kofta, you need to hold your palms moist, however not too moist, or the meat will fall off. Not moist sufficient, and the meat will burn.” He makes use of his fingers to make grooves down the size of the kebab; the ridges will get an excellent char whereas the valleys will stay juicy.

At Kabul Kabab, kebabs are accompanied by two spicy chutneys, a crimson one which will get its coloration and warmth from bell peppers and crimson chilies, and a sinus-clearing inexperienced one made with sizzling chilies, cilantro, garlic, lemon and vinegar. Right here within the New York space, there’s at all times a 3rd possibility, the so-called “white sauce” that was apparently invented by Naheed Mawjzada’s father-in-law, Mohammad Rouzyi.

Rouzyi is a legendary determine in these components: His first place, Afghan Kitchen, opened in Hell’s Kitchen in 1981 and extra satellites in Manhattan and Queens adopted.

A yogurt sauce seasoned with dill and mint is widespread in Afghanistan, however Rouzyi’s large thought was so as to add mayonnaise, an ingredient that doesn’t exist there. “White sauce” (it by no means acquired a catchier identify), with its creamy-tangy richness, hit the large time when it was adopted by New York Metropolis’s halal carts, which, in flip, birthed the fast-food chains Halal Guys, Shah’s Halal, Naz’s Halal and extra — a lot of that are owned by Afghans.

In Afghanistan, freshly baked naan is the usual accompaniment to kebabs, however on Lengthy Island, they’re often served with rice. There are dozens of variations, from zereshk (made with tart barberries), palau and norinj palau (orange peel, nuts, saffron and rosewater) to zamarud challow, or “emerald” rice, given its verdant look by spinach, leeks, dill and cilantro.

These could also be uncommon birds on Lengthy Island, however each Afghan restaurant serves Kabuli palau, the nationwide dish. The standard Kabuli palau (and you may even see it as Qabili/Qabeli and pilau/polo/palaw), stated Mosaver, is made just for particular events and the seasoned rice is baked over chunks of lamb. Right here, it’s extra usually made with a meat broth and served alongside a kebab or a braised lamb shank, as at Sarwary’s Kabul Grill.

At Afghan Kitchen 44, Kabuli palau obligation usually falls to Mawjzada’s cousin, Zarlasht Siddiq. She soaks the rice in a single day, then boils it briefly earlier than returning it to the pot with seasonings and broth, mixing it with a kafgeer, a form of perforated paddle. Siddiq simmers the rice till she hears the crackle meaning it has began to dry out and type a golden-brown crust on the underside. Siddiq then lays a fabric over the pot (this protects the rice from droplets of condensed steam) and bakes it for 35 minutes.

The outcome? Lovely, fluffy rice, with each grain separate and distinct. The standard gildings of raisins and candied shredded carrots might shock you nevertheless. “Both you like it, otherwise you need nothing to do with it,” quipped Kabul Kabab’s Mosaver.

Kabuli palau is often made with brown basmati rice, however white basmati, challow, is the accompaniment of selection with greens. Sarwary says that he’s most happy when consuming okra, spinach, potatoes, pumpkin or his favourite, kidney beans. The key, he says, is within the considered use of seasonings.

“Pakistani and Indian meals — there’s a lot spice it obscures the meals. Persian, Turkish — there’s not sufficient spice, they boil the rice, put butter on prime and that’s it. Afghan meals, it’s simply good.”