Travel & Food - The One FOOD Afghanistan Is Obsessed With!! (Kabuli Pulao).

This is Kabuli Pulao, the national dish of Afghanistan. And today we're eating some of the best Afghan food in Kabul, including Chopan lamb kebabs. It's condensed with flavor. Afghan ice cream that's hand churned for two hours. It's the perfect recipe for the intense sun of Afghanistan. And we'll see how Afghanistan's most popular dish is made from start to finish. Good morning, welcome to Kabul, Afghanistan. And we just arrived. It's actually this little mall here. This is the restaurant and we got here at the perfect time. They're about to start making the Kabuli Pulao right now. This is getting exciting. They're about to start on the national dish. This is the ultimate dish that you have to eat when you're in Afghanistan, Kabuli Pulao. And at this stage, oh yeah, they're washing the rice right now. They have all the lamb which has been braised. I believe in sesame oil already. They've done that ahead of time. The jacuzzi is ready. They've cleaned it all out. But it's huge, like you could actually take a bath in the size of that pot. But all the ingredients are ready. The big tub of carrots is over there. They're gonna add raisins. We're gonna see the entire process before we eat it. Oh, it's time. Oh man, the process has begun. And then he starts with carrots. Those are yellow carrots, sweet carrots. And he just sprinkles them into the bottom. That's gonna form the base of the pulao. Oh, oh, a tray of lamb goes in. That's actually very strategic. At first goes in the ribs and the other parts. And now he's starting to layer in the drumsticks, the lamb legs. There's definitely a, I mean, there's a lot of strategy involved in this dish. And if you make a mistake, it could result in the rice not being the correct texture or the meat not cooking properly. There's a lot that could go wrong. But luckily, they're very experienced. They know exactly what they're doing. And those layers are gonna be essential in the recipe for the pulao. Is that salt? Oh, what a process. Bilal. Yes, sir. What type of oil is that? So this is sesame oil. Our friend here sources it straight from northern Afghanistan. Wow, okay. And they use that oil to cook the meat in the morning. So first they braised the meat in that oil. That's right. And now they're re-adding that sesame oil, which is infused with the lamb flavor already. That's right. And I love it when he starts feeding it back in, just flooding it out with that sesame oil that the meat has been braised in. That's the key step. That's the key signature flavor of their style of kabuli pulao with the sesame oil. And then what is this? A little spice goes in. Is it cumin? Cumin? Okay. Okay, next up for the raisins. Oh, and it goes right on top of that carrot. The carrots kind of sprinkled on so many raisins. You can see the layers coming together, the aromas. The meat is starting to bubble. That sesame oil is starting to just fully infuse. You can already tell it's going to be infused with the flavor of the lamb, the sweetness of the carrots, and the sugariness of the raisins all together. Oh, and this is before even the rice has gone into the pot yet. But I think the rice is coming soon. I wish you could smell the aromas coming out of this pot right now. The sesame oil, the braised flavor aroma of lamb, the sweet carrots and raisins. It's all coming together. You have to smell this aroma. It's unbelievable. Okay, it's time for the rice. Wow, that is a mountain of rice. The chef has to continually balance the rice with the amount of liquid. So he keeps feeding in a little bit of broth, a little bit of water, a little bit of spice. He keeps balancing it, measuring the rice to see the texture, to see the ratio of rice to liquid. And then at the precise, exact time, he then puts on the lid, which is huge. It's a gigantic lid. But once that lid is on, there's no going back. You cannot break that seal. You need that steam and that vapor to cook the rice, to cook the lamb, everything evenly through. So you've got to be exact. You've got to be precise. Chef knows exactly what he's doing. But that's all ready to go. Now it's got to cook for a bit over an hour, they said. And the pulao will be ready. To say I'm excited to try it is an understatement. The amount of steam. Oh, that aroma. Man, he opens that lid of the pulao. That steam, it smells incredible. Just this cloud of steam and vapor, steam just hit my face. Oh, the softness of my skin after that. Oh, that smells incredible. Oh, what a move. This is what we've been waiting for. Oh, cooked with expertise to perfection. Now here's the true test to see how all the ingredients underneath came out. Oh, all the meat is buried in the rice. Literally the moment, and actually before even the pulao was ready, the crowd had started to gather at the restaurant. People lining up, people bringing their own dishes for takeaway. This is where the true test of the mastery of pulao is actually dishing it out and also assembling it. So he has to dig down because you want an equal, perfect ratio of the rice and juices of the carrots and the raisins and of the lamb, all for a perfect portion. Oh, you can see that lamb, it actually looks like it's melting. It's gonna fall off the bone. Got sesame oil fully infused. It smells unbelievable. We're getting the full option. This plate is for us. He starts with rice. All the lamb goes on top, all the leg. Two full legs. And then dishing out the carrots, the raisins just splattered on top. Wow. Okay, the wait is finally over. All of the work. And what I was noticing as we were watching them make this kabuli pulao is just the skill that's involved. That's right. Like you have to know exactly all the different steps and how to make it. And if you mess up one of those steps, you could actually probably ruin the entire pot. That's right. There's also an interesting story to share about this dish that you might not expect. But I think we better taste it first before we share anything else. Dude, Bilal, this is a monumental moment. Should you strategize and go in for rice first? The preference is if you want to grab a piece of bread or you just do it without. Oh, I didn't expect that. But that's also a preference. Some people don't use a bread at all. And it's like testing the waters. Yes. Let's go for a piece of the meat. Yeah. Look at that. It's just shakable. You just put your thumb through it and it just slides. Oh, it's like butter. Okay. With bread, a little bit of that rice. Kind of dab it into that sesame oil. That's right. It's so unbelievably fragrant. Oh, wow. The lamb, the sweetness of the carrots, the fluffiness of the rice, the fragrance of the sesame oil. It's like the flavor is, it hits your tongue. And you're like, wow, that's amazing. But then you just keep tasting the complexity. It grows. And you even taste the gentle Afghan spices mixture. A little bit of cumin, like the clove flavor to it. That's right. Okay, we need another bite immediately. For sure. Oh, there's like no knives needed. It just completely falls off the bone. Get in some of those rice, some of the carrots, some of the raisins as well. That's a good bite. Squeeze a little bit. That is incredible. It's like a soft pillow of rice and lamb in your mouth. It's actually cooked to perfection. For Afghan people, what does Kabuli Pulao mean to you? It's a dish that everybody loves. It's the national dish. I would say it's the crown of our dinner table, lunch table. I must add that the word Kabuli, a lot of us, a lot of people are confused with the province or the city of Kabul. Yeah. But actually, the dish Kabuli has nothing to do with the city of Kabul or the province of Kabul. It's a method, and it's actually spelled with Q instead of a K. It's a method that is used to cook this dish. It's called Kabuli or Kabuli. So a lot of people confuse it being from Kabul, but it's not. Wow. It's more of a northern Afghanistan, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz. That's where it originated. But yeah, that's so surprising. When you think about Kabuli Pulao, and then we're in Kabul, and it's the national dish of Afghanistan, you kind of automatically think Kabuli means Kabul. Right, right. But that's interesting that it actually is not associated with Kabul, and it actually comes from a different region of Afghanistan originally. That's right. Although it's enjoyed across the country now, right? Right, right, absolutely is. And I must add, there's different types of Kabuli Pulaos. This is Uzbek Kabuli Pulao. Okay. Specifically. Okay. And we have the legs in there too that I cannot wait to dig into. And then also you can add that when it gets, because since it's a lot of meat and a lot of sesame oil, it's considered overwhelming. The salad, yeah, with a little bit of spice kind of balances it. Nice, okay, okay. Then again, mixed in with the rice. Keep adding bits of lamb to your bite as well. Yeah, that's fantastic with the onions and the green chili as well. Excited to try the green chili. Oh yeah, actually, that has some spice to it. Oh, that's the type of chili that goes up your nose a little bit. Oh, oh, that hits the spot. Wow, that's good. Bilal, whenever you have a giant bone on the plate, there's only one thing you can do. Too tempting. Let's go for it. The entire leg, two legs. Oh, it's like a double. You need both hands for this bone. Bilal, here we go. Oh, that's tender. My entire mouth is full of lamb right now. It's just melting with the juices and the fat. The quality of the lamb is also unbelievable. They source their meat from northern Afghanistan, where they originate from. Okay. I'm glad you liked it. Could not be happier eating Kabuli Pulau, hanging out with Bilal in Kabul. Kabul's best chopan kebabs are still coming up, but first, we're stopping to try an original Afghan fast food. We are driving on our way to the next spot to eat today, where we're gonna try something I was really looking forward to trying, and it's called an Afghan burger, but I think it's gonna be unlike any other burger you've ever seen. We're in the kitchen now. We're gonna see the entire process, how the Afghan burger, the famous, the legendary Afghan burger is made. Oh, hard-boiled egg goes on a piece of that salami. Oh, look at those fries. They look amazing. So crispy. Oh, man. He's touching them right out of the oil. Iron hands. Oh, reaches up for a handful of salad. There's cabbage, cilantro, coriander. Oh, and the seasoning. So here it is. We got it. This is the Afghan burger, which has become kind of a fast food trend around this entire region. Like when I was in Pakistan, I had an Afghan burger made by an Afghan. It's like everything you could possibly dream of when it's like 2 a.m. at night that you'd wanna eat, all wrapped within bread. So it's actually not a burger at all, but it's bread, it's some processed meat, it's chips or fries, there is some vegetables, and then there's some sauces on the side. And then he just tightly wraps it up. And oh, not to mention that seasoning, which smells peppery, which smells extra salty. Can't wait. So Bilal had to step out for a minute. So I'm gonna try this one on my own. Oh, okay. First bite of the Afghan burger before we move into the sauces. Let's try it out. Oh, that seasoning powder. It's so good. It's like acidic. It's salty. It's slightly peppery. Oh, those fries are awesome. Like slightly chewy, slightly creamy, and slightly crispy on the edges. I love how right before you order it, it just drops all the fries for the second fry into the oil, crispifying them up before just like dumping them a mountain into the Afghan burger. Okay, let's add some sauce. Oh, it just kind of drizzles in. Oh, it looks like a little bit of a, it's kind of like a runny, it's like a little bit of a mayonnaise-y sauce. Oh, that sauce, that takes it to the next level. That tanginess, that vinegary-ness, that pepperiness. With the crunch of the salad. Now let's try the next sauce. Oh, oh, this is, oh, look at the color of that. That one looks pretty awesome too. That has more of a sweet taste to it. Also very good. And also kind of vinegary as well. Both of those sauces complement it well. And on that bite, I got to the, it's like a bologna, that's what it is. It's like bologna. Yeah, like fried bologna, deep fried bologna. This is like a, a warm fast food hug that you've been dreaming of. Wrapped up in bread. Kind of like dangerously tasty. Like once you start eating this, you can't stop. We drove a little bit outside of the center of Kabul, and we're gonna have some dessert. Specifically, Afghan-style ice cream. This place, they hand make their Afghan ice cream, and it's just three ingredients. It's milk, it's sugar, and it's cardamom. And then they make it themselves. They have it on ice. He really just rocks it, going back and forth to create that friction, to make it colder, to keep it icy, to freeze that ice cream. It's an art. It is a process. They take pride in their ice cream, and it looks phenomenal. And now he's gonna scoop it out. He scoops on, actually, double scoops of ice cream. He stacks them on top of each other. But the real highlight is when he reaches in with the ice cream scooper into the bucket of kaymak, which is like the creamiest, buttery cream of the creams, and scoops that directly on top, and then finishes it off with a spoonful. I think it must be crushed. Some kind of crushed nuts go on top. I love there's a puddle of milk on the bottom as well. My first time trying Afghan ice cream. The richness of the kaymak, with that cardamom. Mine just towered over. Oh, mine fell over. But that perfect combination of the richness of the kaymak with the cardamom-infused ice cream and crushed almonds on top. Oh, it's really good. Along with the kaymak, sometimes he also adds on a scoop of fresh milk as well. I know it kind of sounds ironic, but it almost kind of tones down the sweetness, along with so many other dishes that we've experienced so far in Afghanistan. You cannot miss Afghan ice cream. Oh, it's a joy of life. It's the perfect recipe for the intense sun of Afghanistan. Mr. Ahmed Shah, he's been making it here for 35 years, and it was fantastic. Yes. Respect to Shiryak. Handmade ice cream. It's one of a kind. But next up, we're trying something I was waiting for all day long. I heard about this famous type of kebab in Afghanistan, and we're gonna go try it now. And this one is gonna be extra special because it's made by the Turkmen. And it's supposed to be one of the best Afghan-style kebabs. I am looking forward to it. Oh, it smells incredible. They're grilling everything right here. So, Bilal, what exactly is chopan kebab? So, the word chopan means shepherd. So, shepherd's kebab. Oh, okay, okay. So, it essentially means getting the lamb pieces to small sizes, skewering them, and then cooking them right on charcoal. Oh, man, smells good. It does. That's a fresh batch ready. We're gonna go, I think, upstairs. They have a few stories of seating, and we're gonna dig in. Oh, here it is. Now, the chopan kebab is here, fresh, right off the grill. And actually, they grill it pretty fast because they're pretty small pieces of meat. But what I love about this entire place and the entire neighborhood, actually, is you just get the aromas of the grilling lamb. The smoke fills the air of this entire building and the entire block. And that looks incredible. So, I noticed it's meat, fat meat, maybe? That's right. Definitely, every skewer has a big chunk of fat in there, too. So, yeah, Bilal, show us what we do. So, grab a piece of, yep, take a little boat. Okay. And then grab a skewer. Okay, just cradle it. Yep, grab one or two. Fat meat. Fat meat, and then just- Cradle it, slide it off the skewer. Here we go. Oh, yeah, the texture of it. And I got that fat that's crispy, but then it just juices in your mouth. It's so smoky, too. Bilal was telling me as we were downstairs that it's a young lamb as well. So, the meat is so tender. It's so, it's so fragrant. It's condensed with flavor. Try some spices on it, too. And right, yeah, right now, there's no spice, right? Just salt. I think just salt. Just salt. But you taste the pureness of that lamb. Oh, it's phenomenal. But they do have chili and sumac, is that it? Well, this is dried grape seeds. Oh, okay, it's not sumac at all. It's not sumac. Dried grape seed. That's right. Oh, cool. Oh, that's so good. Oh, nice, a tomato salad with it. Yeah, but Bilal was explaining to me that the skewers are small, but mighty in flavor. And that is exactly right. Oh, man, you just want to never stop eating it, actually. Oh, yeah, this one has the riblets in it. For this one, I'm going to season, do a little bit of seasoning, a little bit of the chili. I can't wait to try the grape seed bone-in. Oh, wow. Dude, with the riblets, with the fat, it is so incredibly tasty. Oh, man. That is the lamb of your dreams. On with that seasoning. You are not joking, Bilal. That lamb is insane. You might be able to hear a little banging in the background. There's some construction going on outside, but Kabul is developing and expanding. But really interesting facts about the, actually where the lamb comes from, right? Yes, it comes from an area called Antkhoy. And it's an area known for producing lambs and sheep that have a very distinctive taste. It's used in a lot of the Kaboulies in Kabul and Choban kebab as well. Sourcing meat from Antkhoy to Kabul is a big deal. And yet they're known for quality of ingredients. That's right. Lambs that are raised in Antkhoy are mostly pasture-raised. Okay. And they grow up on feeding mostly in the deserts and the mountains. I mean, that definitely contributes to why the lamb is so good. Yeah. Wow. So today we focused mainly on the national dish of Afghanistan and learning about Kabuli pulao. It was so good. But then the unexpected hero was the Chobani kebabs, which were so good. But yeah, another incredible day in Kabul, Afghanistan. A huge thank you for watching. And be sure to check out the next video for the ultimate Afghan food tour in Kabul that you're not gonna wanna miss. Welcome to Afghanistan. Thank you, thank you. Welcome every tourist here in Afghanistan. Thank you very much. We have a good country. See you here in Kabul Chicken Street. And the people have been amazing. Thank you. Take care. Nice to meet you. And see you on the next video.