Before that night, I was ethically against mixing sweet and savoury together. But that was before that night. That night, I learnt that sweet + savoury combinations have the potential to be insanely good - but only if all the flavours are balanced juuuuust right. Afghani Pulao/Kabuli Pilau just gets that combination ohhhhhh so right! The way the sweet, juicy raisins and carrots complement the savoury, moreish meat and the mellow, soft flavour of the spice-infused rice. I was sold, for life. After that night, I stopped wanting burgers and chips on the nights I went out for dinner. I began to actively search for Afghani restaurants to eat at- because now, the only thing that appealed to me was a sweet and savoury flavour party. And then soon, I became brave enough to try to cook it myself. And eventually, I set out to develop a solid, successful recipe for it, to share with you. The results? It’s now a firm favourite in our home. It’s my go-to menu item to serve on dawats, Eids and any special occasion. I’ve cooked this for small gatherings and large crowds and it’s never let me down. I cannot even put into words how safe this recipe feels to me, because I know it won’t fail me. You see, there are quite a few essentials for a good Kabuli Pilau, which took me quite some time to learn. Whilst I am not Afghanistani, nor do I have any Afghanistani influences on my cooking, I have learnt by asking friends, researching on the internet and of course eating out from as many Afghan restaurants as possible.

Here is what I have concluded make a darned good Kabuli Pilau:

Here we have it! Those are my essentials for The Rice From Heaven! I am very happy to be sharing this recipe with you all. It’s one that my little brother and husband regularly request from me and I love it all the more because I had to go through many botched attempts before I found the perfect recipe for me! Enjoy, with love x

📋 Recipe

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