Afghan Ashak (Scallion Dumplings with Meat Sauce)

About This Recipe

Afghan Ashak is a real, traditional Afghan dish, known as Scallion Dumplings with Meat Sauce. A regional spelling and variation of aushak, delicate scallion-filled dumplings topped with meat sauce and garlic yogurt, a celebratory Afghan dish.\n\nAshak, closely related to aushak, reflects regional Afghan variations in naming and preparation, with this version emphasizing a slightly thicker meat sauce topping alongside the traditional yogurt layer.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Afghan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for dough)
• 220 mlwarm water
• 4 cupschopped scallions
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for filling)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 500 gground beef(for topping)
• 1yellow onion(diced, for topping)
• 1 tspground coriander
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 300 mlwater, for topping sauce
• 400 gplain yogurt
• 3garlic cloves(minced, for yogurt sauce)
• 2 tbspdried mint(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, salt and warm water into a firm dough, kneading for 8 minutes. Rest covered for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Combine chopped scallions with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Roll and fill

   Roll the dough thin and cut into circles. Place a small amount of scallion filling in the center of each, fold in half, and seal the edges firmly.

4. 4

   Boil

   Cook the dumplings in batches in gently boiling salted water for 6 to 8 minutes until they float and the dough is fully cooked.

5. 5

   Make the meat sauce

   Cook ground beef with onion and coriander until browned, then add tomato paste and water, simmering for 20 minutes into a thick, hearty sauce. Separately, mix yogurt with minced garlic and a pinch of salt.

6. 6

   Serve

   Arrange the boiled dumplings on a platter, spoon the garlic yogurt over them, then top generously with the meat sauce, and finish with dried mint.

Variations

• •

  Use leeks instead of scallions for a slightly different, milder filling flavor.

• •

  A vegetarian version skips the meat sauce, relying on extra yogurt and perhaps a lentil topping.

• •

  Add a drizzle of dried mint oil over the top for extra fragrance.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions