Afghan Rice

Afghan Palau  (basic Afghan rice, via Zaki's Mom)

- Rinse the amount of rice you wish to make to remove dust or musky odors (we use roughly 1 cup for 2-3 people)

- Soak the rice in a large bowl for minimum 2 hours in water, 6 hours for best results (this allows the rice to absorb the water and makes the grains longer in size than traditional rice)

- Bring a pot of water to boil 

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Once boiled, take a ladle full of boiling water into a tiny bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt then set aside, drain soaked rice with colander in sink, then pour  back into boiling pot

- Cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes 

- Crucial step: After 2 minutes, while stirring, check the rice grains to make sure they are not too soft or hard  (Take a rice grain in your finger, break with your thumbnail, if ready it should break in half easily, if too hard leave to boil more.  Another way of checking is to bite a grain in your mouth, rice should be somewhat soft, but not 100% cooked inside, also when rice grains appear longer, this means it's ready)

- Drain rice in colander 

- Put the rice back into pot and add 1/2 ladle full of olive oil, add previously made salt water mix, add 1 tablespoon of Bombay Biryani Mix, stir together gently.  (Optional time to add a few raisins)

- Put lid on pot, set in oven for 20 minutes. - After 20 minutes. turn oven down to 200 degrees, rice can either be eaten immediately or sit (to keep warm) up to 10 more minutes.

This is a basic rice palau, there are many different style of palau in the Afghan world.  His Mom taught us a basic staple rice to make and eat with other dishes we're learning.

   It's worth noting that most Afghans have their "own way" for making palau.  I've watched his Sister-In-Law make palau and she does some steps differently or cooks for longer or add red food dye for color.  Essentially these small differences are only notable to Afghans because I don't taste a huge difference.  Personally, I'm proud of my palau and Zaki approves.  I've now made it multiple times on my own, tweaking some parts of the recipe to suit us and our needs.  The more I make it the better it gets.

   It's also worth noting, Afghans and their rice is kind of a big deal.  My experience as a White American, we may steam some white rice from time to time to go with fish, or our own stirfrys, but I've never made or had rice like this at home.  Rice in the Afghan world is an art form, and they will all tell you Afghan rice is the best rice.  Period.