Easy Kabuli Pulao Recipe; Make Tasty Afghan National Pilaf

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The famous Kabuli pulao, as the name states, is a traditional dish that belongs to Afghanistan. This dish is delicious and highly demanded in Afghan cuisine. Kabuli pulao was usually made by the higher classes of society in Afghanistan who had the opportunity to afford the materials and prepare this mouthwatering dish. By the passage of time, it was spread all over Afghanistan.

Lets learn about Easy Kabuli Pulao Recipe!

Table of Contents

Kabuli Pulao History

This dish is also called Qabali pulao. The word Qabali came from the Dari language, which means to be able to. Later, it was considered that only those who had extraordinary skills as a chef could make the best Afghan-style pulao or pilaf.

This unique national Afghan dish has steamed long-grained rice in it. Caramelized carrots, raisins, almonds, and last but not least chunk of lamb or chicken, which is highly optional, can also be added.

Kabuli pulao has a unique taste and fragrance, which comes from special spices Like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and even turmeric.

Kabuli pulao is also known to be the ancestor of the Yaki Pulao. If you desire to read further about Kabuli pulao, you should never miss the description of Arminius Vambery, a Hungarian professor who traveled a lot to central Asia especially Afghanistan.

He learned a lot and did a lot of research about the oriental languages and at the same time observed the lifestyle and also the eating habits of the people.

According to Arminius Vambery:

Kabuli pulao is delicious and has a fantastic taste of savory and sweet. It has crunchiness from fried carrots and raisins that add sweetness. The taste is heavenly.
For decorating, you can add pistachios along with chopped cashews on top as well. He added that people of Afghanistan love Kabuli pulao mainly due to the fact that it has a perfect combination of available materials with sophisticated taste.
Arminius Vambery

How to Make Kabuli Pulao?

Ingredients

For preparing Kabuli pulao, you do not need a lot of ingredients. All you need are stated as below such as:

Chicken, meat, lamb (these ingredients are optional, and you can choose either one.)
Rice
Carrot
Onion chopped
Almond chopped
Oil
Garlic (paste will be better)
Garam masala powder
Ground cardamom
Raisins
Sugar
Ground cinnamon
Ground black pepper
And salt to taste

Directions

Step One

For preparing easy Kabuli pulao recipe, first, wash two cups of rice. Add water to the rice, stir, and drain the water. Repeat these steps till the water is clear after stirring. Add a tablespoon of salt and let the rice soak for an hour.

Step Two

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan, chop an onion, and add them into the pan. Heat the onion till making it golden. Add four ground cloves of garlic and heat for about 3 minutes. Then add 500 gr sliced meat to the onions. Stir and saute them till making them brown. If you want to cook chicken Kabuli Pulao, use chicken slices instead of meat.

Step Three

Now it is time to add spices. Add ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, one teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir over the heat for about 2 minutes, and then add 1 ½ cups of water. Cover the pan and let it cook for one hour.

Step Four

Bring a frying pan, and toast 1/3 cup sliced almond with 4 tablespoons of oil. Remove toasted almonds from the pan. Saute 1 ½ sliced carrots in the frying pan on medium heat. Stir the carrots till making them slightly colored. Add 1 cup of raisins to the frying pan and stir till the raisins become plump. Sprinkle two teaspoons of sugar and stir till making them caramelized.

Step Five

Heat a pot of water with one tablespoon of salt till boiling. Drain the soaked rice and pour them into the boiling water. Let it boil for 6 minutes until the rice is almost soft.

Step Six

Remove the cooked meat with ½ cup of broth. Add parboiled rice to the existing broth. Make 3 or 4 holes in the rice with the end of a fork to release the steam better. Place lamb on half of the rice, then pour the rest of the rice on the lamb. Place carrots and raisins on the rice. At last, pour the reserved broth on them.

Step Seven

Place a paper towel over the pan. Cover the pan on medium heat for 5 minutes, then cook it on low heat for 25 minutes.

How to serve Kabuli Pulao?

Serve the rice on a platter. Place the meat in the middle of the rice. Place raisins and carrots on the rice and sprinkle toasted almonds on them.

Bonne appetite, your tasty Kabuli pulao is ready.

We hope you try and prepare the easy Kabuli pulao recipe at home and enjoy it. Tell us what all you added for decorations on top of your dish and how it tasted. We would be glad to hear more from you.

If you like this recipe, we recommend trying other recipes with rice in Cooking County.

FAQs about Kabuli pulao

What are the kabuli pulao ingredients?

the main ingredients are rice, carrot, Meat (chicken, beef, or lamb), onion, garlic, garam masala powder, cardamom, and raisins.

What to serve with kabuli pulao?

You can serve this dish with yogurt, fresh salads, chutneys and pickles, bread (naan).

Kabuli Pulao | Afghan National Pilaf

Recipe by ShayanCourse: Main coursesCuisine: AfghanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

Calories

410

kcal

The famous Kabuli pulao is an Afghan dish made of caramelized carrots, rice, raisins, almonds, and lamb or chicken, which is highly optional.

Ingredients

2 cups rice
2 tablespoon salt
8 tablespoons oil
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
500 gr sliced meat or chicken
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sliced almond
1 ½ sliced carrots
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

First, wash two cups of rice. Add water to the rice, stir and drain the water. Repeat these steps till the water is clear after stirring.
Add a tablespoon of salt and let the rice soak for an hour.
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan, chop an onion and add them into the pan. Heat the onion till making it golden.
Add four ground cloves of garlic and heat for about 3 minutes.
Then add 500 gr sliced meat to the onions. Stir and saute them till making them brown. If you want to cook chicken Kabuli Pulao, use chicken slices instead of meat.
Add ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, one teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir over the heat for about 2 minutes.
Add 1 ½ cups of water. Cover the pan and let it cook for one hour.
Bring a frying pan, and toast 1/3 cup sliced almond. Remove toasted almonds from the pan.
Saute 1 ½ sliced carrots in the frying pan on medium heat. Stir the carrots till making them slightly coloured.
Add 1 cup of raisins to the frying pan and stir till raisins become plump. Sprinkle two teaspoons of sugar and stir till making them caramelized.
Heat a pot of water with one tablespoon of salt till boiling.
Drain the soaked rice and pour them into the boiling water. Let it boil for 6 minutes, and the rice is almost soft.
Remove the cooked meat with ½ cup of broth. Add parboiled rice to the existing broth.
Make 3 or 4 holes in the rice with the end of a fork to release the steam better.
Place lamb on half of the rice, then pour the rest of the rice on the lamb.
Place carrots and raisins on the rice. finally, pour the reserved broth on them.
Place a paper towel over the pan. Cover the pan on medium heat for 5 minutes, then cook it on low heat for 25 minutes.
How to serve Kabuli Pulao?
Serve the rice on a platter. Place the meat in the middle of the rice. Place raisins and carrots on the rice and sprinkle toasted almonds on them.