Customer Reviews

Award Winning Low-Fat Afghani Cooking

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am an American married to an Afghani and this cookbook after practicing for over seven years, this cookbook in one reading took all the I thought and was told, the difficulty and mystery out of the Afghani way of cooking. I have even been told by many of my in-laws that I cook now better then most Afghani woman. It could be also that most of my in-laws grew up having the cooking done for them and as for us Americans we grow up cooking for ourselves. I considered my self a very experienced cook and this cook book was SO easy and had delicious recipes.

I am an inexperienced cook, but I am engaged to a native Afghan who misses his mom's cooking, so I ordered this book. I've made four recipes so far, and he has been thrilled with each one! In Afghanistan, hospitality is paramount, and a cook can show honor to a guest by using lots of oil to cook with. This book takes American tastes into account and reduces much of the excess oil in these traditional recipes. The flavors are intricate but very delicate and aromatic. I highly recommend this book!

I was first introduced to Afghani cooking when browsing through the Minneapolis reader's choice awards for restaurants and came across "Da Afghan" restaurant. The food was fantastic. When I heard they had a cook book, I was a bit surprised and skeptical.

Well, I am happy to say my family and I have thoroughly enjoyed this cook book for at least 10 years. And yes, I was able to re-create and share some of my favorite dishes from the restaurant. From simple to complex, you're going to find something enjoyable whether you're short on time or planning a major get-to-gather. In my opinion, the kabob recipes are worth the cost alone. However, when you add in recipes for the Naan bread, chutneys (tomato and cilantro are my favorite), Aushok (spinach filled pasta), and various lamb recipes (kofta kabob in particular) you have a real bargain. Here's what the book covers in total: Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Entrees, Kabobs, Vegetables, Sauces, Desserts, Beverages, and some miscellaneous stuff in the back.

If you already enjoy Afghani food, or are exploring the possibilities, get Afghan Cooking and place your time and effort into authentic recipes. I was astonished to re-create some of my favorite dishes from an award-winning restaurant right at home.

I have some Afghan friends and wanted to make them an authentic Afghani dinner. I found this book and was able to make a wonderful meal. The recipes were easy to follow and I didn't have any problem finding the ingredients. I have since made several more of the recipes and found them all to be delicious.

This cookbook is full of fantastic recipes that are mostly simple for a chef becoming familiar with Afghani cooking and yet delicious. A few of the ingredients can be tricky to find but are well worth a trip to a specialty grocer.

We used to have a wonderful Afghani restaurant in our neighborhood that served a number of the dishes in this cookbook. I find that the results of the recipes in this book is almost identical to what we had in the restaurant. The recipes for Afghani naan and the tomato and cilentro chutneys that are served with it are some of our favorites! We use the cilentro chutney as an accompaniment to meat, eggs and even as an ingredient in coleslaw....great stuff!! Afghani cooking does not require a lot of exotic ingredients that are hard to get. The cooking techniques are not terribly involved or time consuming and the resulting food is good for you! I really recommend this cookbook as a way to add variety to your cooking without becoming a slave to your kitchen.

Coming from Afghanistan, I think this book is a disappointment. Either I am not afghan enough to appreciate the recipes or this book (and by that, the cook or the author) needs some more learning...

It is a quick guide for the gastronomes wanting to try out something "Afghan" ... but be sure that the real thing a million (if not more) times better.
Regards