Aushak

I've stared a new project for my blog curating a stand alone page of websites and blogs dedicated to the cuisine of one culture. A resource to look around the globe. While I was looking for resources for that I came across a blog about Afghanistan at Afghani Culture Unveiled, and these delicious looking dumplings. I found them Friday and planned to make the dumpling Saturday night to enjoy on Sunday. While out hiking Saturday I found a lot of wild chives so I picked them to put in the filling with the leeks and green onions. Because I had so many I used a lot in the filling, something I would leave out if buying them in the store.

1 pkg. wontons
olive oil
4 leeks
1 bunch green onions
1/2 c. chives (optional)
1 tsp. salt
generous sprinkle red pepper flakes

1 c. plain yogurt or sour cream
pinch salt
3 cloves garlic
1 leaves fresh mint, chopped

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef (lamb is traditional)
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp. coriander
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Fresh mint

I actually made the garlic sauce the night before to let the garlic sit and flavor the sauce. So stir everything together, cover, and leave in the fridge.

Remove the roots of the leek as well as the tough stem. You should have a piece that is about 3 - 4 inches in length. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse really well, leeks tend to harbor a lot of dirt. Slice really thin and place in a large pan with the olive oil. Add the sliced green onions, chopped chives, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the leek is tender.

Fill the wonton wrappers with about a teaspoon of the leek mixture. Wet two of the sides of the wonton with water and fold it in half to make it a triangle. Press flat to get the air out and press tightly to seal the sides. If they don't seal well they will open up when you cook them.

Boil a large pot of salted water.

In a spate pan saute the onion in olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Add the ground beef (or lamb) and cook, crumbling, until the meat is 75% done. Add the tomato sauce, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

In that large pot of salted water add a third of the dumplings. Cook just until they float and are translucent. They will probably also be puffed. Remove and drizzle lightly with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking. Repeat until all the dumplings are cooked.

To serve layer on a plate, dumpling, meat sauce, yogurt sauce, and fresh sliced mint. 

Enjoy!