Afghan Kadu Bouranee

By pikassob

Sweet Pumpkin is a popular Afghani sidedish. Kadu = Pumpkin and Borani refers to a class of Afghan dishes prepared using a yogurt based sauce (chaka). Thus, Afghan Kadu Bouranee, also called as Kadu Boranee or Borani Kadu, is basically a sweet pumpkin curry like preparation made by frying chunks of peeled pumpkin with an assortment of typical Afghan spices, tomatoes, herbs, and condiments, and then topped with the traditional chaka (a type of sour yogurt), mint, and cilantro. Kadu Boranee, like many other Afghan dishes, shares a common lineage with a type of pumpkin curry popularly prepared in Tajikistan

Ingredients

• Sweet Tomato Sauce:
• 2 lb Fresh pumpkin (or banana squash)
• 1/4 cup of Corn oil
• 1 tablespoon Crushed garlic (Don used 3 tablespoons)
• 1 cup of Water
• 1/2 tablespoon Salt
• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 4 oz Tomato sauce
• 1/2 ts Ginger root, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon Freshly ground coriander Seeds
• 1/4 ts Black pepper
• Yogurt Sauce: 1/4 ts Crushed garlic, 1/4 tablespoon Salt, 3/4 cup Plain yogurt
• Garnish: Dry mint leaves, crushed
• Yogurt Sauce:
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt

Preparation

Step 1

Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2" to 3" cubes; set aside.

Heat oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Fry the pumpkins on both sides for a couple of minutes until lightly browned.

Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in frying pan.

Cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.

To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint.