✨ Newdinner
Kabuli Pulao
Afghanistan's celebrated national dish — long-grain rice cooked in spiced lamb broth, crowned with caramelised carrots, plump raisins, and tender braised lamb.
⏱ 150 min🔥 720 kcalHard
★4.9(512)
🇦🇫
Afghan Lamb Recipes
22 recipes using lamb — Kabuli pulao, mantu, bolani — fragrant, spiced dishes from the crossroads of Asia.
These 22 afghan lamb recipes are ready in about 116 minutes on average, with 260–820 kcal per serving, and 23% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
22
recipes
116 min
average time
517 kcal
avg per serving
23%
easy recipes
How Afghan cuisine cooks with lamb
Afghan cuisine — Kabuli pulao, mantu, bolani — fragrant, spiced dishes from the crossroads of Asia — brings its own distinctive techniques and seasonings to every ingredient it touches. When Afghan cooks work with lamb, they reach for its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, boiling, frying and steaming.
A tender, distinctively rich red meat at home in fragrant, spice-forward and slow-cooked dishes. In this collection it's most often cooked with ground coriander, turmeric, fine sea salt, ground cumin, raisins and tomato paste. The dishes here span afghan classics ready in as little as 45 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Ashak — Afghan Leek Dumplings is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 1,654 ratings.
22 Afghan Lamb Recipes
✨ Newstarter
Mantu
Delicate Afghan steamed dumplings filled with spiced minced lamb and onion, served on a bed of garlicky yogurt and tomato sauce — a celebration dish of exquisite flavour.
⏱ 100 min🔥 480 kcalHard
★4.8(394)
✨ Newdinner
Korma Sabzi — Afghan Spinach and Lamb
A fragrant Afghan lamb stew cooked down with spinach, leeks, coriander and dried fenugreek leaves until deeply green and intensely flavoured.
⏱ 110 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
★4.8(1,432)
✨ Newdinner
Ashak — Afghan Leek Dumplings
Delicate Afghan dumplings filled with spiced leek and spring onion, served on a bed of yoghurt and topped with a rich lamb and tomato sauce and dried mint.
⏱ 105 min🔥 560 kcalMedium
★4.9(1,654)
dinner
Mantu
Afghanistan's celebrated steamed dumplings — delicate pasta parcels filled with spiced minced beef and onion, served on a bed of yogurt and topped with a rich tomato-chickpea sauce.
⏱ 120 min🔥 520 kcalHard
★4.9(780)
dinner
Qabili Palau
Afghanistan's national rice dish — a fragrant lamb pilaf topped with caramelized carrots, raisins, and toasted almonds, the crowning achievement of Afghan cuisine.
⏱ 150 min🔥 680 kcalHard
★4.9(1,230)
dinner
Afghan Aushak (Leek Dumplings)
Delicate Afghan dumplings filled with scallions and leeks, topped with meat sauce and yogurt.
⏱ 90 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.9(312)
dinner
Afghan Kabuli Pulao
Afghanistan's national dish — fragrant lamb rice with caramelized carrots, raisins, and whole spices.
⏱ 120 min🔥 620 kcalHard
★4.9(456)
dinner
Qabili Palau (Afghan Rice with Lamb, Carrots and Raisins)
Afghanistan's national dish and crowning glory — tender lamb braised in aromatic spices, served on a mound of fragrant rice studded with sweet carrots and plump raisins.
⏱ 180 min🔥 650 kcalHard
★4.9(356)
soup
Shorwa (Afghan Lamb and Chickpea Soup)
Afghanistan's essential everyday soup — bone-in lamb and chickpeas simmered in a fragrant tomato and vegetable broth with turmeric, coriander and cinnamon. Ladled over flatbread for a complete meal.
⏱ 135 min🔥 440 kcalEasy
★4.7(287)
✨ Newdinner
Kabuli Pulao
Afghanistan's national dish — fragrant long-grain rice steamed over lamb shanks, crowned with caramelised carrots, raisins, and pistachios.
⏱ 175 min🔥 820 kcalHard
★4.9(1,240)
✨ Newdinner
Aushak (Afghan Leek Dumplings with Yoghurt and Lamb)
Afghanistan's celebration dumpling: paper-thin pasta filled with sautéed leeks, topped with garlic yoghurt and spiced lamb sauce.
⏱ 125 min🔥 720 kcalHard
★4.9(396)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Kabuli Palaw (Rice with Lamb, Carrots and Raisins)
Rice cooked in a fragrant lamb broth, topped with sweet caramelized carrots and raisins, Afghanistan's national dish.
⏱ 130 min🔥 540 kcalMedium
★4.3(33)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Qorma-e-Sabzi (Braised Spinach and Meat Stew)
Tender lamb or beef braised with a large quantity of spinach and fresh herbs until deeply savory, a comforting Afghan home-cooked stew.
⏱ 125 min🔥 380 kcalMedium
★4.4(71)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Kebab-e-Kubideh (Grilled Minced Meat Skewers)
Seasoned ground lamb or beef pressed onto flat skewers and grilled over charcoal until charred and juicy, an Afghan grilling staple.
⏱ 55 min🔥 380 kcalEasy
★4.1(37)
✨ Newsoup
Afghan Shorwa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup)
A clear, comforting lamb broth simmered with chickpeas, potatoes and carrots, a foundational Afghan home-cooked soup.
⏱ 120 min🔥 360 kcalEasy
★4.4(69)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Meat Patties)
Flattened, coarsely textured ground meat patties studded with tomato and coriander, pan-fried until crisp-edged, a beloved street food.
⏱ 45 min🔥 360 kcalEasy
★4.6(65)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Kofta Challow (Meatballs in Tomato Sauce over Rice)
Spiced ground meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce, served over fluffy long-grain rice, a beloved Afghan family dinner.
⏱ 70 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.2(70)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Do Piaza (Onion-Heavy Lamb Stew)
Lamb braised with a generous double portion of onions until they nearly melt into the rich, deeply savory sauce.
⏱ 135 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.2(73)
✨ Newstarter
Afghan Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves and Vegetables with Rice)
A mixed platter of grape leaves and vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes stuffed with a herbed rice and meat filling.
⏱ 100 min🔥 260 kcalMedium
★4.6(77)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Maash Wa Berenj (Mung Bean and Rice with Lamb)
Rice cooked together with tender mung beans and spiced lamb, a hearty, protein-rich one-pot Afghan meal.
⏱ 100 min🔥 460 kcalMedium
★4.5(58)
✨ Newdinner
Afghan Qabili Palaw with Carrots and Raisins
Fragrant basmati rice layered with tender lamb, caramelized carrots and raisins, Afghanistan's celebrated national dish, qabili palaw.
⏱ 120 min🔥 680 kcalMedium
★4.8(62)
Choosing & preparing lamb
How to choose
Look for firm, pink-red meat with white (not yellow) fat. Quick cuts: chops and rack; slow cuts: shoulder, shank and leg for braising and roasting.
Prep & storage
Lamb loves bold seasoning — garlic, rosemary, cumin and mint cut through its richness. Trim excess fat, and rest after cooking as you would beef.
When is it done?
Best served pink at 55–60°C / 130–140°F for chops and racks; tougher cuts go low and slow until meltingly tender.
Nutrition
Rich in complete protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, with more flavour-carrying fat than lean beef.
Classic flavour partners: rosemary, garlic, mint, cumin, yoghurt, lemon
Afghan Lamb Recipes — FAQ
How long do Afghan lamb recipes take to make?
Most of these 22 Afghan lamb recipes are ready in around 116 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Afghan Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Meat Patties), takes about 45 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 180 minutes.
How many calories are in Afghan lamb dishes?
Across this collection they range from about 260 to 820 kcal per serving, averaging 517 kcal — Afghan Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves and Vegetables with Rice) is the lightest option at 260 kcal.
What is the easiest Afghan lamb recipe for beginners?
Korma Sabzi — Afghan Spinach and Lamb is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 110 minutes. 23% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
What goes well with lamb in Afghan cooking?
In these recipes, lamb is most often paired with ground coriander, turmeric, fine sea salt, ground cumin, raisins and tomato paste. Afghan kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
How do I know when lamb is properly cooked?
Best served pink at 55–60°C / 130–140°F for chops and racks; tougher cuts go low and slow until meltingly tender.
More Afghan Recipes by Ingredient
Lamb Recipes from Other Cuisines
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