Afghan Aushak (Leek Dumplings)

About This Recipe

Aushak is one of Afghanistan's most celebrated dishes — thin pasta pockets filled with chopped leeks and scallions, boiled until tender, then layered with a spiced ground meat sauce and cool, garlicky yogurt. The contrast of hot pasta, warm spiced meat sauce, and cold yogurt is extraordinary. Despite requiring multiple components, each is simple, and the result is one of the great dumplings of the world.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 largeegg
• 1/2 cupwater
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 3 cupsleeks and scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 tspcayenne pepper
• 1/2 tspsalt (for filling)
• 400 gground beef or lamb (for sauce)
• 1 largeonion, chopped (for sauce)
• 2 tbsptomato paste (for sauce)
• 1 tspcumin (for sauce)
• 1 tspcoriander (for sauce)
• 2 cupsplain yogurt
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced (for yogurt)
• 1 tspdried mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, egg, salt, and water. Knead 8 minutes until smooth. Rest covered 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix chopped leeks and scallions with cayenne and salt. Let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture.

3. 3

   Make the meat sauce

   Sauté onion until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Add tomato paste, cumin, coriander, salt, and a little water. Simmer 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Make the yogurt sauce

   Mix yogurt with garlic and salt. Set aside at room temperature.

5. 5

   Shape and boil

   Roll dough thin. Cut into circles or squares. Fill each with a teaspoon of leek filling and fold, sealing edges. Boil in salted water for 5–6 minutes.

6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Spread yogurt on a plate. Arrange cooked aushak on top. Pour meat sauce over. Sprinkle dried mint. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Make vegetarian by omitting meat sauce and adding extra yogurt

• •

  Add tomatoes to the meat sauce

• •

  Use spinach instead of leeks in the filling

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Components store separately for 3 days. Boil dumplings fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions