 Kabuli pulao | |
| Alternative names | Kabuli pulaw, Qabili palaw, Qabeli palao, Qabili Uzbaki, roz Bukhari, Bukhari rice |
|---|---|
| Type | Rice |
| Course | Lunch,dinner |
| Place of origin | Afghanistan,Uzbekistan |
| Region or state | Central Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | Afghan cuisine,Uzbek cuisine |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Steamed rice,raisins,carrots,nuts andmutton,lamb orveal |
Kabuli pulao (orpulaw) is a variety ofpilaf made inAfghanistan andUzbekistan. It is known in Afghanistan asQābilī palaw (Dari:قابلی پلو,pronounced[qɑːbɪˈliːpaˈlaw]), and in Uzbekistan as theOsh palov (pronounced[ɒʃpɐˈlɒɸ]), with neither country referring to it by the name ofthe city. In English the dish tends to be known by the nameKabuli. InSaudi Arabia it is known by the nameBukhari rice (Arabic:رز بخاري,romanized: ruzz Bukhārī), after the city ofBukhara, Uzbekistan.
The core ingredients aresteamed rice mixed with caramelized carrots and raisins as well as marinated meat. Kabuli pulao is commonly garnished with almonds and pistachios. Saffron may be added to either the rice, the sauce or the garnishes.[1][2] Varieties of Kabuli pulao have spread from Afghanistan to different parts of Western and Central Asia and Pakistan.[3]
Although referred to in English as "Kabuli" (see§ Etymology), the dish did not originate in Kabul. More likely, the dish originated at the border of Northern Afghanistan with Uzbekistan.[4] Additionally, longstanding communities of northern Afghans and Central Asian émigrés in Saudi Arabia have collectively referred to themselves as "Bukhari's"[5] (despite not all being from Bukhara), and have marketed this dish in the region as "Bukhari rice".[5][6]
A variation of Qabili made by Uzbeks within Afghanistan is also referred to as "Uzbeki palaw". The Uzbeki version differs from traditional Afghan palaw preparation in that it doesn't steam the rice (sof method), but instead boils the rice until all liquid has been absorbed (dampokht method).[7] Palaw dishes form a specific and longstanding tradition of rice preparation in the region, likely dating back as far asBactrian times.[8]
"Kabuli" may be a misspelling of "Qabili", which comes from Persianقابل. The name "Qabili" appears to have been applied early on to a complex pilaf dish in Persian-language contexts, with the first written Qabili pilaf recipes appearing during theSafavid period in Ali Bavarchi's 1521 manuscriptKār-nāma ("The Manual"). This work currently constitutes the oldest cookbook in Persian.[9]
"Pulao" arises from a common transcription of "pilaaf" across various languages.[10] In Persian,پلو is often transcribed as "palao", "palaw", "palau", etc to reflect the Classical diphthong/aw/, which is preserved in Dari,[11] and is otherwise often transcribed "polow" or "polo" to reflect Iranian dialects, which have largely lost the diphthong.
Qabeli palaw is considered a festive and important dish due to the emphasis on quality of the ingredients, as well as being a widely known dish of Afghan cuisine. The dish may be served as a main course, accompanied by traditional side dishes or prepared as part of a banquet.[12]
If Saudi publics as well as those visiting the country for trade, pilgrimage and labour, consumed heaps of Bukhari rice in Afghan-run eateries, diners from Afghanistan would take up their positions in more modest cafes serving authentic northern Afghan dishes accordingly: Qabili palaw Uzbeki (Uzbek-style rice with meat), chaynaki (meet cooked with chickpeas in a teapot), seekh kebab (meat grilled on skewers), and kaala pacha (stewed cows feet with black pepper). Such eateries are mostly located in parts of Saudi cities that are and have been for decades home to sizeable and long-standing communities of Central Asian émigrés and northern Afghans, collectively referred to as the 'Bukharis.'
This isQabili pilau as prepared by the Uzbeks using thedampokht method of cooking rice. It is, I think, a quicker and simpler way than thesof method
The older one is theKār-nāma dar bāb-e ṭabbāḵī wa ṣaṇʿat-e ān "Manual on cooking and its craft," written in 927/1521 by Ḥājī Moḥammad-ʿAlī Bāvaṛčī Baḡdādī for an aristocratic patron at the end of the reign of Shah Esmāʿīl I Ṣafawī (907-30/1501-24).
The diphthongs aj and aw are preserved in Dari, e.g. 'find' /pajdā/, 'rice' /palaw/
