Afghan winter foods: landi, haleem, ashak, kichiri and qurut

Photo: Anagoria · CC BY-SA 4.0

Landi: dried meat

Landi is dried meat, and Pajhwok writes that it "is a traditionally known food in Afghanistan and it is consumed during winter seasons." Many families dry it at home, and others buy it at the market. In January 2023, Pajhwok found dried sheep meat at 750 afghanis a kilogram in Kabul. A seller in Pul-i-Kheshti said he sold up to 150 kilograms a day, and another said he sold up to 3,000 kilograms over the winter. Some buyers send it to relatives abroad, because it cannot be made there.

Wikipedia describes landi palao as a rice dish made with the stock of salted, sun-dried chicken or mutton.

Prices change every year. Ask the weight and the price before the seller cuts, and look at the prices page for the cost of staples.

Haleem: the warm bowl

Haleem is "mostly enjoyed in the cold winter months of Afghanistan," writes Humaira Ghilzai of Afghan Culture Unveiled. It is a warming dish made with meat, oats and wheat. Because chicken is expensive, she writes, it is made with beef at home. Traditionally it is served in a bowl with brown sugar and a generous amount of hot oil on top.

Ashak and mint

Ashak is a dumpling filled mainly with leeks. Wikipedia lists it as a dish of Kabul, topped with garlic and mint qurut or garlic yogurt, and with a sauce of seasoned ground meat and red kidney beans. The Indian magazine Down To Earth, writing about Kabul families, says that winter "is heralded by the strong aroma of fried mint leaves": dried mint is fried in hot oil and poured over the dumplings at the end. A vegetarian sauce of kidney beans or chickpeas is also made.

Kichiri and qurut

Kichiri is rice cooked with mung beans. SBS publishes a Herat family recipe that cooks rice and split mung beans with braised lamb or beef and serves the meat under the rice. Wikipedia lists kichri qoroot among the Afghan dishes and describes qurut as a hard, very sour dried dairy product, made from sheep's or goat's milk and served with aushak, mantu and kichri.

Dried fruit and nuts on the longest night

On Shab-e Chella, UNESCO says, families prepare broth, sweets and dried fruits and nuts for the gathering, with red fruits such as pomegranates, watermelons, beetroots, jujube and grapes. Read about the night in Shab-e Chella and about the fruit in Kandahar's pomegranates.

Eating warm, staying safe

The dishes above are cooked indoors. If you heat the room with a stove or brazier, read how to heat your home safely first. For the cold in your city, see winter in Afghan cities.