THE FOOD AND PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN

By Ilysse Rimalovski

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Christa Kirby (center) says Afghan cuisine is a blend of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern influences.

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Christa Kirby has always had a worldly perspective. An insatiably curious child and voracious reader, she dreamed of visiting every country and mastering every language.

This fascination would eventually influence her landing in Maplewood, her career and her tastebuds. Memories of 16 trips to Afghanistan, mostly in Kabul, remain scented with cumin, coriander and cardamom. Her work has taken her across North America, throughout western and northern Europe, and to other countries including Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Estonia, Ethiopia, India and Singapore.   

Kirby uses the creative arts as a kind of universal language, designing learning experiences that address conflict resolution, civil society building, communication and change management for various organizations worldwide.   

“When I explain the work I’ve done globally, it’s hard for people to understand what it feels like to be doing it,” she says. “I get such a depth of fulfillment from going to other places and helping people to see one another in their stories.”   

In her TEDx talk, “What Lies within Us: the Transformational Power of Creativity,” Kirby describes how stepping into a character’s story can offer people safe distance from their own trauma, letting them process grief, loss and hope before reconnecting it to their own lives.   

She earned her master’s degree from NYU as a licensed creative arts therapist specializing in drama therapy. Her work is grounded in the idea that we make meaning of our lives through the stories we tell. Eventually, she would become vice president of talent development and leadership practice director at Corporate Education Group. She integrates her global experience as a mental health professional with her passion for holistically developing leaders and teams.   

She spent five consecutive summers in Bosnia working with a team of therapists focused on healing and empowerment. Praised for “helping people see windows where they’d only seen walls,” Kirby earned an invitation to Afghanistan with an organization dedicated to addressing sexualized violence. That mission spanned six years.   

Meanwhile, Kirby’s friend, actor Mary-Louise Parker, was involved with the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, which was founded by Dr. Jane Aronson, who is based in Maplewood. It has since been rebranded as Rise Alliance for Children. Parker connected her with Aronson when a group of orphaned children from Ethiopia were coming to Maplewood. Kirby worked with the children and their host families, helping them process the enormity of that journey. She fell in love with the community and planted roots here in 2008.   

When Kirby is not travelling, she finds presence and joy harvesting fresh herbs and vegetables in her backyard garden and cooking. “When you look at the story of a country, it gets baked into the DNA of the people and the food,” says Kirby. She remains struck by the patience of Afghan cuisine, a blend of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern influences. It is characterized by slowly building flavor and toasting fragrant spices. Dishes such as eggplant borani, mantu dumplings and long rice transport her back to Kabul. “I fell for the food as much as the people,” she says.   

The recipes here are three dishes combined into one: a thin layer of garlicky Afghan yogurt sauce spread on the bottom of a serving platter, topped with sauteed pumpkin, ground lamb, drizzled with more yogurt sauce and finished with chopped herbs. Rice and bread are accompaniments.   

In Afghanistan, a traditional meal like this is communal, laid out on a dastarkhan, a cloth or rug spread across the floor, where family and guests sit cross-legged on cushions, shoes left at the door. The platter of food is eaten using torn pieces of naan or pita as a scoop rather than a fork.   

Although these recipes celebrate the rich flavors that characterize Afghani cuisine, we also recognize a country facing a severe humanitarian crisis as we send peace and dignity from our community to theirs.   

For further learning about the people of Afghanistan, The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America byMaplewood’s Rebecca Blumenstein and Diana Kapp was just released. A portion of the proceeds go to the Journalism Refugees Education Fund, providing local or international refugees who worked for the media with financial assistance to pursue educational opportunities.

Kadoo Borani (Sautéed Pumpkin)

Ingredients

1 winter squash, pumpkin or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or grated

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup water

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

red pepper flakes to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until translucent and just starting to brown.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes until tomato paste deepens to a rich red.

4. Stir in turmeric, salt, black pepper, cumin and coriander. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

5. Add 1/2 cup of water. Stir until tomato paste is fully incorporated with no lumps.

6. Add another 1/2 cup of water or more. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream: thick but pourable. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, checking and stirring often. Add more water if it thickens too much. Cook until tomatoes have fully broken down.

7. Add squash and fold into the sauce. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, checking and stirring until squash is fork-tender but not mushy.

Lamb Keema

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef or turkey)

1 onion, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

oil to coat pan

water

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil and then brown onions.

2. Add fresh ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring to prevent burning.

3. Add spices and stir.

4. Add tomato paste. Mix thoroughly.

5. Add meat. Cook for around 10 minutes.

6. Add 1/2 cup water to make a sauce-like consistency. This keeps the meat moist, infusing flavors into the meat. Cover for 10 minutes and cook on medium low heat. Add water as necessary to keep the mixture moist.

Afghan Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups plain yogurt, Greek style

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

salt to taste

water as needed

extra chopped mixed herbs for garnish

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, mint and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust as needed. Add water until the sauce can be drizzled. If you prefer a thicker consistency, add less water. The yogurt sauce can be used as a topping for stew, soup, salad, grilled meat and sandwiches or as a dip with pita or raw vegetables.

To serve, spread a thin layer of the Afghan yogurt sauce on the bottom of a serving platter, top with the sauteed pumpkin and lamb keema and drizzle with more yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with chopped herbs.

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Ilysse Rimalovski is a well-seasoned home chef and writer focusing on food, community and care. She is also an intergenerational aging advocate. Do you have a story to share? Please contact her at forilysse@icloud.com