Afghan Kabuli Rice Pulao (قابلی پلو)

This royal Afghan rice dish combines flavourful lamb, modest spices and a mouthwatering confetti of carrots and dried fruits on top.

If an Afghani makes you rice, it means they love you. Though Afghan cuisine features some iconic rice dishes, Afghanistan itself doesn’t have a big rice industry. Most of Afghanistan’s rice is actually imported from neighbouring Pakistan, which is famous for some of the finest basmati in the world. The daily staple for Afghanis is often bread; rice is for special occasions. Kabul - the capital city of Afghanistan - was a royal capital for centuries and commanded quality spices, dried fruits and rice from the best producing regions of Asia. Naturally, royal cookery styles trickled down into the regular population and had a lasting definition on the cuisine until today. Kabuli Pulao is a legendary rice dish from Kabul’s royal court. Unlike biryani, Kabuli pulao has a very modest spice masala that features only four spices. Like most Afghan dishes, chillies don’t feature whatsoever, so you may find everybody can get into this dish and love it. If you’re not a fan of lamb, feel free to replace it with beef. Let’s go!