This recipe comes from Helen Saberi’s book – The Afghan Food & Cookery. Pilaf or pilau is a classic Afghan dish. The use of yogurt is also classic and it makes a delicious sauce. Ground red pepper is commonly found in North African & some Asian dishes, if you cannot find it use hot paprika or a mix of regular paprika with a little cayenne added.
“Salata is always light and crunchy, making it a perfect counterpoint to Afghan cuisine’s heavier dishes. Some Afghan cooks consider it a point of pride when the diced vegetables are small and uniform in size. The result reminds a little of a colorful bowl of confetti. For those in Afghanistan who can afford fresh vegetables, salata is a staple on the Afghan table. If you can’t get your hands on any decent tomatoes, hang onto the recipe until you can.” Modified recipe off http://www.afghancooking.net by Humaira Ghilzai and Katie Morford.
Rechta (pronunced rish-ta) is a dish comprising of flat noodles and a chicken sauce (Marga bil djedj). Many people buy rechta noodles from the market already made – as many women add to their income by selling them. Rechta noodles keep very well in the freezer. You’ll need a pasta machine for this recipe…
This is a classic Algerian ‘salad’ dish. You can either grill the tomatoes & peppers over an open flame, deep fry them or roast them. My family loves this recipe & we always mop it up with fresh bread! You can also serve this as part of a mezze selection. The vinegar is of course optional but it acts as a flavour enhancer so I do recommend at least trying a little of the salad with a few drops of vinegar on!
Here is the second of my Algerian bourek recipes. I have also posted a Chicken & Preserved Lemon Bourek recipe. This cheese & potato bourek is another of my family favourites & there never seem to be enough! You can use phyllo dough instead of the spring roll sheets. You can also add a few finely chopped olives in place of the gherkins. If you’re not familiar with making bourek, have a look at the NA*ME Fourms Bourek Demo: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=310912
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