This is for aushak (آشک), one of my favorite Afghan comfort dishes. While I have yet to meet the bar that my khaleh set when I was a teenager and ate her aushak for the first time, it is something that I make whenever I am missing family. It’s also something that I involve my daughter with so she can be part of the process – because who doesn’t like making inter-generational dumplings (aushaks) in the kitchen?
I have also made a concession to the realities of my life and I don’t make the dough by hand anymore, but I’ve included it here as an option. Always good to do if you have the time! I’ve written this up using leeks, but the most authentic allium would be gandana…I don’t know what this is in English, but it can be found at Afghan markets in Northern Virginia and Fremont areas. I always serve aushak on a platter, even if it’s just my family of three on a weeknight. I like the presentation and it’s fun. Using store bought dumpling wrappers you can have this dinner completed in an hour.
This has always been my favorite Afghan dish and I always judge Afghan restaurants based on how they prepare it. It has even more special meaning for me this year, however, as it was the last meal I cooked for my mother for her birthday in March before we went into lock-down. I know it will be the meal I cook again for her when she comes into our house for dinner again – whenever that day may be. Insha’Allah.
Ingredients
Dough:
2 C flour
1 t salt
¾ C water
OR use a ready-made pack of dumpling wrappers (any wrapper will do. The key is that it’s for dumplings and not egg rolls; those are too thick).
Filling:
2 large leeks, white and light green parts chopped
1 t salt
¼ t cayenne
1 T oil
Meat sauce:
~1 T oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef or lamb
1 can tomato puree – regular size…14 oz?
Black pepper
Dried mint, to taste
Yogurt sauce:
2 C plain yogurt of any variety
5 cloves garlic, crushed with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle
Directions
Make dough: mix flour and salt in a bowl and add water to form a firm dough. Divide into 2 balls, wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 min. Roll out each ball, very thinly. Cut into 2” or 3” rounds or squares and cover with a damp paper towel.
Mix all the filling ingredients and sauté until soft. Add a small spoonful of filling to each dough round/square, wet the edge with water and crimp closed with the tines of a fork. Keep finished aushaks covered with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
Boil water in a large stock pot. Drop in about a dozen aushaks at a time and boil until soft and they readily float. Remove and place in a steaming rack over simmering water to keep warm.
Meat sauce: Sauté onions until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Once browned, reduce heat and add can of tomato puree. Add water if needed. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, so sauce reduces a bit. Keep warm while dumplings cook.
Yogurt sauce: Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Spread half the yogurt sauce on the platter. Add aushaks and cover them with the rest of the yogurt. Spread meat sauce over the whole thing and lastly crush dried mint over everything.
Recipe and video by APALA member Yasmeen Shorish. To learn more about APALA Community Kitchen, or to submit your own recipe, see the project page.