AFGHAN RICH MILK AND ALMOND PUDDING-KAJKOOL-E-FUQARA

                                                         

By Humaira

Today's recipe is an edited excerpt from Helen Saberi's cookbook, Afghan Food and Cookery. When I first started blogging, Helen's book was the guiding light to balanced spicing and naming of dishes. Two years ago, I was very honored when Helen reached out with a generous compliment about my work. Since then, she has kindly contributed several recipes to this blog - Qaymaq Chai, Tea and Hospitably in Afghanistan, Quince and Yogurt Trifle, and Afghan Fish Stew. Today's recipe is a sweet dessert pudding, kajkool-e-fuqara, a perfect addition to your Nowroz celebration.

Excerpt from Afghan Food and Cookery:

The name of this rich milk and almond pudding, which is flavored with rosewater, ironically means "beggar’s bowl". There are many variations of the same dessert found in Iran and the Middle East, usually known as keshkul-e-fuqara.  The recipe below is an Afghan version.

Kajkool, is the word for an oval bowl made either of wood, metal or a coconut.  These bowls were carried suspended by a chain from the shoulder by fuqara or beggars.

Fuqara, who call themselves “the paupers of God”, are like dervishes who devote their lives to seeking God and are not interested in ownership of property or worldly goods. They travel from house to house begging for food. Donations of food (and sometimes money) are placed in the kajkool that is eventually filled with different kinds of food. 

A faqir or beggar is considered to be a holy man with special healing powers and in exchange for the food he prays for the people, often sprinkling them with rosewater from a gul-ab-pash, a type of glass or metal bottle with a sprinkler.

The name of this rich milk dessert is derived from it being sprinkled and decorated with a variety of nuts and coconut, symbolizing the kajkool being filled with a variety of food.

Kajkool-e-Fuqara

Rich Milk and Almond Pudding  

1 cup plus 1 ounce blanched almonds (135 grams)

1 ounce  blanched pistachio (25 grams)

1/2 fresh coconut or 1/2 cup dry chopped coconut

3 heaped tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch

3 1/2 cups milk (1 liter)

1 1/4 cups sugar (275 grams)

1/4 cup rosewater (55 milliliter)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom 

Pour 8-ounces of boiling water over the one cup of blanched almonds in a bowl and leave to soak for about 15 minutes. Blend the mixture in a blender and puree.  Strain the almond milk through a double layer of cheesecloth or muslin into a bowl, squeezing the cloth to extract as much milk as possible. Set aside.

Meanwhile flake or roughly chop the other almonds and the pistachio and simmer them in a little water for a few minutes to soften. If using coconut, remove the flesh and grate.  Set the almonds, pistachios and coconut aside.

Mix the cornstarch with a little of the cold milk into a smooth paste. Bring the remaining milk to boil with the sugar, adding the paste gradually. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid sticking. Bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently until the mixture thickens. It is very important not to have the heat too high and to stir constantly as this mixture easily sticks and burns.  If it does stick, do not scrape the bottom of the pan—this would impart a burnt taste to the dish.

Add the rosewater, milk of almonds and cardamom­–simmer gently for two minutes. Leave to cool a little and then pour on to a large flat serving dish and decorate with the blanched and shredded almonds and pistachios and the grated coconut, if used.

AFGHAN COCONUT, ALMOND, CARDMOM PUDDING - FIRNEE

By Humaira 

Firnee is a sweet, cardamom-scented Afghan pudding that is usually reserved for holidays and special events. Firnee is paraded out at the end of each of  occasion with each hostess putting her own personal “stamp” on the dish -- rose water in one, nuts in another – giving each firnee its own unique flavor.

Coconut, almond and pomegranate firnee

My personal favorite is a firnee that is gently scented with cardamom and topped with chopped pistachios. However, recently I added coconut and almonds to the pudding while it was cooking. It was heavenly delicious and I had to share this news with you.

And although it’s not traditional, I like to serve the dish topped with fresh seasonal fruit such as pomegranate. The photos reflect a traditional firnee and one decorated with fresh fruit.

Firnee with fruit and pistachios

Cardamom Pudding with Pistachios

Firnee

6 tbsp. cornstarch

3 cups whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup sugar

Pinch salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup slivered almonds, roasted  (optional)

1/4 cup  coconut chips, similar to Trader Joe's  (optional)

3 tablespoons finely ground pistachios

1 cup pomegranate, raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries (optional)

In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of the milk to form a thin paste, stirring with a fork until smooth.  Pour the remainder of the milk and the cream into a medium-size saucepan and cook over high heat until simmering but not yet boiling. Add the sugar and salt and stir for about a minute until the sugar dissolves. Next, add the cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, stirring all the while. Add the cardamom, almonds and coconut - continue to cook, stirring continuously, another 5 minutes at a low boil until the mixture thickens.

Pour the pudding into a shallow bowl. Immediately sprinkle the nuts over the top of the firnee. If you really love the taste of cardamom, stir an extra ¼ teaspoon of it into the nuts before you top the pudding.

Refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours.You can make the firnee a day ahead of time. Serve with fresh fruit when they are in season for a splash of color.

Serves 4 to 6

Afghanistan, Afghanistani, Afghan , Afghani, Afghan Food, Afghan Cooking, Afghan Recipes, Afghan women, Afghan Culture, Kabul, Kebab, Middle Eastern Food, Flat Bread, Bolani, Nan, pomegranate, Afghan Spices, Afghan Restaurants

Afghan Culture Unveiled - Traditional Firnee

Traditional style with just pistachios

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

NEW BLOG, NEW WEBSITE AND NEW MOM'S SWEET WALNUT SOUP - LETEE

By Humaira

On Tuesday I received an email from Fiona, who lives in Cairo, asking why she hasn't received new posts lately.  It thrilled me to know someone reads my posts and actually misses them. Thank you, Fiona.  

This nudge made me realize that I owe you all an explanation. The past few months have been chock full of projects and big transitions.

Here is a list of what's been keeping me out of the kitchen - transitioning my fifteen year old daughter to high school, creating a website that encompasses my work in the past twelve years, (www.humairaghilzai.com) and revamping this blog so it's more intuitive and beautifully designed (www.afghancultureunveiled.com). Oh yeah, I've also been putting the final touches to my book, TWO WOMEN AND WARLORD, which will be going to a critique group in a few weeks. 

As for you my dear readers, I hope you will benefit from the new look and feel of the blog - lots of fun photos, a Gluten Free and Vegetarian section, something many of you asked for. Let me know how you like the new design. Make comments in the comment section of this post.

Staying on the theme of newness, today's recipe is an Afghan delicacy, letee, traditionally served to new mothers. Letee is considered a warming food that promotes healing, better metabolism and increased supply of mother's milk.

In Afghanistan, the birth of a baby is a special occasion consisting of many celebrations such as: naming of the baby on the sixth day of his or her life, 40th day party when the mother and baby are finally allowed to leave the house, baby's first hair cut and steps. All wonderful opportunities to get together as a family.

When my daughters were born Jeja, my mom, was not only instrumental in helping Jim and I take care of the little bundles of demand, she also prepared three meals a day with simmering hot bowls of letee, as a nourishing snack. I still fondly remember those days, me as a nervous new mother and Jeja, a reassuring force - bonding over food and the addition of more girl power in our family.

New Mom's Walnut Soup

Letee

4 cups hot water

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons of butter

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon cardamom

Dash of cinnamon

1/2 cup roasted, chopped walnuts or almonds

2 cups water, room temperature 

In a small pot, add four cups of warm water, stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Keep warm on low heat. 

Place a deep non-stick pot on medium heat, melt butter, add flour and stir constantly for around 8 minutes until the flour is golden brown. 

Gently pour the syrup in the large pot while stirring steadily with a whisk. As you add the water, a surge of steam will rise from the pot, be careful not to burn your hand. Add the cardamom and cinnamon; stir constantly until soup thickens. Reduce heat to low, add walnuts, continue stirring. Simmer for another minute. 

Add 2 cups of room temperature water stirring until all the lumps dissolve and the soup thickens, around 3-5 minutes. The soup should have the consistency of a crepe batter. Serve in a bowl, topped with chopped nuts and a side of pita bread or nan.