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Afghan

Kabuli pulao

Non-vegetarian

قابلی پلو · qabili palaw

Afghanistan's national rice dish: long-grain rice cooked in a rich lamb broth with warm spices, then crowned with tender lamb, caramelised carrot strips, raisins and nuts.

Kabuli pulao is an Afghan rice dish from Afghanistan, ready in about 2 hours 45 minutes and made with lamb shoulder, basmati rice and carrot. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
2 h 15 min
Total
2 h 45 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
784

Ingredients

6 servings

For the lamb

For the rice

For the topping

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof pot and fry the onions (opens in a new tab) until deep brown. Add the lamb and garlic (opens in a new tab) and brown on all sides.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the water and salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently until the lamb is tender.

    • 75 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Simmer until the lamb is tender and no longer pink inside.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, heat the oil for the topping in a frying pan and cook the carrots (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes until just tender. Sprinkle with the sugar (opens in a new tab) and cook until glossy, then add the raisins (opens in a new tab) for a minute until they plump. Set aside. Toast the nuts in the same pan.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Lift out the lamb. Measure the broth: you need about 750 ml (top up with water or reduce). Par-boil the drained rice in a large pot of salted water for 4–5 minutes until just softening, then drain.

  5. Step 5

    Return the broth to the pot with the cumin (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), garam masala (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab). Add the rice, bring to the boil and cook uncovered until the broth is absorbed. Bury the lamb in the rice and spread the carrots (opens in a new tab) and raisins (opens in a new tab) on top.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  6. Step 6

    Cover tightly and bake (or cook on the lowest stovetop heat) until the rice is fluffy and tender.

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly (within 1 hour), refrigerate, and reheat only once until piping hot.

  7. Step 7

    To serve, scoop the rice onto a large platter, place the lamb in the centre or underneath, and pile the carrots (opens in a new tab), raisins (opens in a new tab) and nuts on top.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
Afghanistan · Well documentedAlso popular in PakistanMore food from Afghanistan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Boiled, Steamed, Sautéed
Taste
sweet & savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, rich, nutty
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Basmati rice · Carrot · Raisins · Onion · Garlic
Techniques
Baking · Toasting · Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom almonds, pistachios
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

784 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 497 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy784 kcal158 kcal
Protein26.2 g5.3 g
Carbohydrate87.3 g17.6 g
Net carbohydrate83.8 g16.9 g
Sugars13.9 g2.8 g
Added sugars2.1 g0.4 g
Fibre3.6 g0.7 g
Fat36.7 g7.4 g
Saturated fat12.4 g2.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol70 mg14 mg
Sodium887 mg179 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
677 mg
Calcium
95 mg
Iron
5.7 mg
Magnesium
61 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
267 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
2.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: almonds, pistachios.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The browned onions give the rice its characteristic brown colour — take them dark but not burnt.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much broth, which makes the rice sticky instead of separate.

Serve with

  • Serve with a tomato–onion salad and Afghan yogurt sauce or pickles.

Food safety

  • Cool leftover rice quickly (within 1 hour), refrigerate, and reheat only once until piping hot.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Sprinkle with water and reheat covered in the oven until piping hot.

Variations

  • Uzbek plov (Uzbekistan): A related Central Asian rice dish with lamb, yellow carrots and whole garlic heads.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

For the lamb

Used in steps 1, 2

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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