After enjoying numerous meal of Asian origin, Afghans meals are said to be tasty, flavorful, and nutritious owing to the remarkable ingredients mixed.
The flavorful dish share similar culinary tradition with various countries such as Persian, Indian, and Central Asian, though their recipes differs from others.
Afghans unique way of preparing dishes reflects to their diverse cultural heritage .
Cooking Afghani popular food, some ingredients like carrot, chicken, lamb, tomatoes, rice are needed in order to make hard- to-resist meal.
Let’s explore 15 popular Afghan food & Health Benefits
1. Kabuli Pulao
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When you look around Afghanistan street, you would see Kabuli Pulao dish, it is actually a popular food consumed widely not just in Afghanistan but other Asian countries.
Kabuli Pulao consists of long-grain basmati rice cooked with lamb, carrots, raisins, varieties of spices.
Afghanistans usually garnish Kabuli Pulao with Fried almonds or pistachios. This enables our body to obtain certain essential nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, folate, caroteneoid, flavonoids among others.
2. Mantu
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Mantu is among the traditional food commonly seen in every restaurant in afghanistan. It is a dumplings packed with seasoned ground lamb or beef and onions.
Mantu is incredibly good when you eat it with a tangy tomato-based sauce and topped with yogurt and dried mint.
There are substantial amount of nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, selenium, lycopene, flavonoids, quercetin.
3. Ashak
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Ashak is another forms of dumplings which resemble mantu. It contains leeks and served with a savory tomato and yogurt sauce.
4. Kebabs
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Kebabs consists of pieces of marinated lamb or beef, or chicken grilled.
Kebabs can either be eaten with naan bread, chutney or yogurt.
5. Bolani
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It is a traditional bread that is served with yogurt or chutney. Bolani is flat in appearance and usually filled with mashed potatoes, onions, and spices.
Bolani is fried until crisp; if you’re a cardiovascular disease patient, opt for other traditional food as it contains high amount of oil compared to some of Afghan native food.
However, bolani contains some amount of protein, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidant.
6. Aush Soup
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Aush is a popular Afghan soup prepared with noodles, lentils or chickpeas and various vegetables.
Aush is typically garnished with herbs and spices and usually topped with yogurt or a squeeze of lemon.
Adequately consumption of Aush Soup provides vitamin C, vitamin A, dietary fiber, iron, selenium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, flavonoids, quercetin, zinc etc.
7. Shorwa
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Shorwa is a popular Afghan soups, made from meat or legumes.
These soups are seasoned with aromatic spices and can be enjoyed as a standalone dish.
8. Firni
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If you have eaten rice pudding, you have a memory of this famous Afghan dessert. Ingredients such as ground rice, milk, sugar, cardamom
Serve with some toppings like almonds, rose water to harness all the nutrients found in it. These nutrients include protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, carbohydrates, and antioxidants.
9.Qormah
People do not only consume qormah because of the taste but due to the abundance of nutrients in it. This enables our body provides required nutrients for many bodily functions.
10. Haft Mewa
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Haft mewa is refers as fruits salad made with mixture of dried fruits and nuts
Adding some healthy ingredients, such as raisins, senjed, pistachios, hazelnuts, prunes, walnuts or almonds, and plum make it a nutritious salad.
It popularity in afghanistan reveals it potent in the body owing to the various nutrients like dietary fiber, iron, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium among others.
11.Gosh-e-Fil
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A sweet pastry often served during family gathering, and parties. The dough is topped with pistachios and sugar.
12. Mastawa
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Mastawa is a highly nutritious rice as, prepared from rice, sun – dried mutton, organ peel, as well as spices to improve it nutritional value.
13. Quroot
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A traditional food cheese, often eaten as side dish with many Afghani foods like Ashak, Mantu, or Qeshla. Quroot contribute greatly in digestive system as well as immune system.
14. Shomleh
During summer people tend to consume more of fluid to remain hydrated, shomleh is one of those drink often preferred. It comprises of water, yogurt, fresh mint as well as grated cucumber.
There’s no doubt that it contains a plethora of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C, vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, selenium, bioactive compounds and carbohydrates.
15. Osh Pyozee
If you’re calcium deficient, consider incorporating osh pyozee as it supply calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, among others.
Popular Afghani food Health Benefits
Promote immune system: They are typically loaded with protein, vitamin C, B12, vitamin A, calcium, selenium, iron, vitamin E, antioxidant which aid immune improvement.
Promote heart health: Incorporating various Pakistani dishes allow your body obtain vital nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, dietary fiber, antioxidant that are capable of decreasing obstruction in the blood vessels.
Promote eye health: you can decrease symptoms related to eye defects by frequent intake of Pakistani foods owing to the ingredients used in cooking them. These ingredients include tomatoes, onions, turmeric, cabbage, among others. Vitamin and antioxidant help eliminate factors causes muscular degeneration.
Maintains Skin & hair: As mentioned earlier, they contain large amounts of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, these are said to enhence skin and hair growth.
Weight reduction: Those on weight reduction plan can benefit from consumption of Pakistani foods as many of them are low caloric foods. The dietary fibre may help delay onset of hunger and makes you feel full.
Conclusion
There are numerous dishes locally prepared in afghanistan, be sure you consume adequately.
15 popular Afghan food & Health Benefits include Osh Pyozee, Shomleh, Haft Mewa, to name a few
