Afghan bolani recipe: Chicken-stuffed, fried flatbreads with chutney make an irresistible snack
When I’m in the mood snack food, I typically crave something that falls under one of three flavor combinations: crispy and starchy, savory and spicy, or tangy and refreshing. If I can eat it with my hands, that’s a bonus.
Flipping through the pages of Durkhanai Ayubi’s gorgeous new cookbook, “Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen,” I came upon a recipe that promised all of the above in a single dish: A stuffed, pan-fried flatbread called bolani.
Ayubi, an Afghan refugee who now calls Australia home and works with her family in two restaurants after which her book is titled, has fond memories of the hand-rolled flatbreads, which she says are typically prepared with family and friends and fried on a traditional Afghan flat-iron pan called a tawah. The recipe, like all of those in the book, comes from the deep trove of traditional recipes of Ayubi’s mother, Farida Ayubi. The bolani are best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the pan, and can be packed with an assortment of fillings, such as chives and cilantro, mashed spiced potatoes or winter squash. Here, ground chicken and diced onion is mixed with crushed coriander seeds, garlic powder and just enough ground red pepper to make you reach for the accompanying bowl of bright, tangy, herbaceous chutney sabz or cool yogurt.
The dough comes together quickly and needs two brief rises on the counter before it can be rolled out, stuffed with the morgh kofta and pan fried until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Enjoy the bolani as a snack or a full meal — or with a cup of sweet tea, as Ayubi suggests. For me, this savory Afghan treat is a new staple for weekend snacking.
Make ahead: The dough needs time to rise twice, the first time for 30 minutes and then for about 10 minutes.
Storage: The bolani can be refrigerated for up to three days. To reheat, heat a pan over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil. Fry them for about 2 minutes per side to crisp them back up.
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