Kabuli Pulao (Spiced Lamb Pilaf) from Afghanistan (2024)

Kabuli Pulao is an Afghan Pilaf Recipe made by cooking lamb with a delightful blend of spices. The lamb is then piled high on the rice and served with carrots, raisins, and toasted almonds. This Afghan National Dish is one you don’t want to miss!

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This Kabuli Pulao Recipe was the very first recipe I ever published on my blog back in 2018 and it remains my favorite recipe to this day. This dish is warm and homey, flavorful and exciting, and I’ll never forget the first time I tried it.

The sugar and raisins make for a sweet base, while the lamb and onions add the perfect savory elements on top. The rice is soft and pillowy, but the almonds and carrots add a delightful crunch.

This recipe is everything you could want in a dinner: fun textures, delicious flavors, indulgent, and fun to learn about. It is the national dish of Afghanistan and is also commonly served in Afghan restaurants around the United States.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly a time-consuming dish and a labor of love. In fact, this Kabuli Pulao Recipe is usually only made and enjoyed during special occasions in Afghanistan. But if you’re at home right now wanting to get a taste of the world, this recipe is perfect for that, no special event required. And I promise, it is so worth the effort.

Recipe Origins

Kabuli Pulao (also known as Qabuli Palow and Kabuli Palaw) is a traditional Afghan dish said to test the cooking skills of those who make it. It is so tricky, and also so important to cultural celebrations, that it is said a woman’s marriage prospects rely on her ability to make an Authentic Kabuli Pulao Recipe (seems like it could even be considered the most important thing a woman in Afghanistan could learn how to cook!).

This Afghan Pilaf was developed by the wealthy families of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, who could afford to use ingredients like almonds and meat in their rice. These cooks also had the luxury of time to caramelize the carrots to perfection and the skill to balance the flavors of cumin, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. Carrots and grapes (or raisins) are commonly grown in the area, which is why they are included in the rice dish.

As ingredients have become more widely available, the recipe has spread to all the people in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan as well. The special dish is prepared for every celebration, and it is tradition for the women of the family to learn to make it at an early age.

This dish is also called Qabili Pulao, which is a Dari word for “learned” or “well-accomplished”. This references the fact that only a learned chef could make it correctly.

Don’t worry, readers– After making the recipe in this book, you’ll be the perfect marriage prospect for any partner 😉

Why Make this Recipe?

1. Delicious: As I said above, this is one of the BEST dishes in the world… I truly, truly mean that. Try experimenting with it at home!
2. “Travel” to Afghanistan: Afghanistan has kind people, interesting culture, and delicious food. But unfortunately, it is a difficult time to visit or experience the country at all. For now, I’m going to have to settle for cooking Afghan food at home. This dish is also commonly eaten in Pakistan alongside this Pakistani Chicken Karahi Recipe.
3. New Flavors: Some of the flavors in this dish likely aren’t ones that you have tried before. But it’s so fun to experiment with new things, so mix up your Char Masala and get cooking!

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

1. Lamb: Lamb can be tough to find. Try calling ahead to your local middle eastern store to see if they carry it. I put in a call to my local butcher, and they were able to debone a lamb leg for me and turn it into cubed pieces, which worked perfectly. You can also use lamb shanks if desired but I recommend leg of lamb.
2. Char Masala: You can buy this spice blend at the store in your spice aisle or make it at home. I highly recommend making your spice blend at home because freshly crushed, whole spices make a huge difference in the flavor, especially cardamom! If you can’t find char masala and want an easy replacement, Garam Masala will do in a pinch!
3. Rice: This recipe calls for Basmati rice, which is very easy to find in the United States. Traditionally in Afghanistan, a lot of cooks will use Sella rice, which is parboiled. Sella rice has a great aroma and it also soaks up other flavors very easily which makes it great for Palaw. Either will work for this dish.
4. ​​Carrots: I cheated and bought a bag of matchstick-cut carrots. You can cut them by hand if you prefer, but using the store bought bag cuts SO much time off of the recipe.
5. Raisins: I would recommend normal-sized raisins as opposed to jumbo. You can use golden raisins or regular raisins.
6. Spices: Green cardamom pods, cinnamon bark, cloves, cumin seeds, and salt. You can add black pepper if desired.

Do I Have to Add Raisins?

Many Afghans will tell you that adding raisins and sweet carrots is absolutely paramount to this dish, and I agree! Kabuli Pulao is not Kabuli Pulao without raisins!

The good thing about the sweet raisins in this dish is that they camouflage so well into the rice. Instead of sticking out, they complement the dish without calling too much attention to themselves. If you’re on the edge, I’d encourage you to add them.

If you have a picky eater, I’d recommend cooking the raisins and carrots on the side but not adding them to the serving platter. That way, each eater can scoop carrots and rice into their bowls if desired.

Some Afghans will tell you that they don’t eat the raisins when making this dish, so don’t feel TOO bad if you choose not to eat them.

Love raisins in savory dishes? Try this Cuban Picadillo Recipe which also has raisins. If you love rice recipes, check out this Chicken Machboos from Bahrain or this Baghali Polo from Iran.

Do I Have to Use Lamb?

Lamb is definitely the most popular meat choice for this recipe. While I’ll admit that it’s an expensive cut, if you can afford it, I would encourage you to splurge.

The lamb is so tender and delicious when cooked this way, and, in my opinion, it is totally worth the investment!

If you’d prefer a more affordable option, some Kabuli Pulao recipes are made with chicken instead.

How to Make Kabuli Pulao

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”iomORUiT” upload-date=”2021-10-09T20:48:20.000Z” name=”Kabuli Pulao” description=”This Kabuli Pulao is a perfect way to experience the flavors of Afghanistan. This Rice Pilaf dish is made with basmati rice, raisins, lamb, and the delicious Garam Masala seasoning. You are going to love the tender lamb and flavorful rice!” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

Step 1: Make the Char Masala

Toast the char masala ingredients until fragrant, then grind them up into a powder.

Step 2: Cook the Onion

Heat 2 Tbsp of ghee in a large pan.

Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. Set aside.

Step 3: Cook the Lamb

Add the lamb to the pan and allow the outside of the meat to brown, stirring often. Add the spices (char masala, cardamom, cinnamon) and 1 tsp of salt.

Stir the meat for 1 minute to coat with spices. Then add 1 ½ cups of water and the reserved onion into the pan. Cover and simmer for one hour.

Step 4: Prep the Toppings

While the meat is cooking, add ¼ cup of ghee to a small pan over medium high heat. Add the almonds and stir until golden brown and toasty. Use a slotted spoon to remove the almonds from the pan, leaving the ghee behind.

Add the carrots to the frying pan and fry over medium heat until brightly colored, stirring often.

Add the raisins and continue to fry, stirring until the raisins become plump. Sprinkle the carrot and raisin mixture with 2 tsp sugar and set aside.

Step 5: Cook the Rice + Steam

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice, return to a boil, and boil for 6 minutes. Strain.

Remove the lamb and ½ cup of liquid from the large pan. Add the cooked rice and 1 tsp salt into the pan.

Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke 3-4 holes in the rice. Place the lamb over half of the rice and the carrots/raisin mixture over the other half.

Place two paper towels (or a clean dish towel) over the pan and cover tightly with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat and cook for 25 more minutes.

Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

To serve, place the meat in the center of a large platter. Arrange the rice in a mound around the meat in the middle.

Top the lamb with the carrots and raisins. Sprinkle with almonds and serve!

Qabuli Palow Variations

As with any recipe, each Afghan family has their own twist on how to make an Authentic Kabuli Pulao Recipe. This recipe is a great representation of the famous Kabuli Rice, but there are plenty of changes you could make to it while still having a delicious dish. Try out these changes and see what you think:

• Extra Additions: Carrots, raisins, and almonds are the traditional choices for toppings on a good Kabuli Pulao Recipe. But I have also seen variations that include sesame oil instead of ghee or chickpeas on top of the rice. You can also add saffron to the rice for an extra kick of flavor.
• Change Up the Meat: This recipe uses lamb, but you can also substitute chicken (bone-in or boneless). You can also try mutton, which is similar to lamb but is just from an older sheep.
• Nuts: Instead of slivered and blanched almonds, try substituting pistachios! Or omit the nuts altogether.
• Make it Vegetarian or Vegan: If you want to make this Kabuli Rice vegetarian, simply omit the boneless lamb. If you want to make it vegan, omit the lamb and also cook the dish using oil instead of ghee.

Expert Tips

• I made this recipe according to the recipe instructions, but sometimes I wish that it had more meat. Feel free to use another pound of meat for a higher meat to rice ratio.
• You don’t have to rinse your rice before cooking, but I’d recommend it.
• To serve, you typically pile the meat into the center of the mound of rice. You can even cover it up with another layer of rice on top so that you can’t see it from the serving platter before serving.

Recipe FAQs

PS: You may not know this, but this was actually the first recipe I EVER made on my site. With all other updated recipes, I remove old photos and the old article, but in this case, I feel like it’s wrong to do so. I want to keep my old work around just so I can see how far I’ve come. For a trip down memory lane, scroll below the recipe card for a silly article and old photos 🙂

Did you like this traditional recipe showcasing Afghan cuisine? Don’t forget to check out these other traditional recipes I picked out just for you:

• Armenian Rice with Vermicelli
• Muhammar: Sweet Rice from Bahrain
• Algerian Sweet Lamb

I’ve been planning on and dreaming about this kabuli pulao for at least two months, and it did NOT disappoint.

When I conceived the idea for The Foreign Fork, I was in the middle of a 5 month trip to Europe. Taking 13 hour bus rides across Eastern Europe and living in the cheapest hostels you can find on HostelWorld doesn’t really allow for much money/space/time to be cooking 5 course meals from other countries.

But I was still so excited about my idea, so before I went to bed every night,I would plan the menus for my first couple of countries. Would you believe that I’ve been planning on and dreaming about this Kabuli Pulao for at least two months? The thought of putting raisins in my rice was so out of my comfort zone that I couldn’t wait to try it.

It did NOT disappoint.