Afghan 'Kabuli Pulao' at Puran Dhaka

Puran Dhaka is always ridiculously famous for having varieties of Biryani or Kebab or any dish to the people of Dhaka. One of the nostalgias is always its Haji Biryani, notwithstanding those recent feedbacks; quite similarly, but recently, another sensation of foody Bengalis has been found—Kabuli Pulao with the original Afghan recipe, or so they say.

In Afghanistan, Kabuli Pulao is a national dish to be served on festival occasions; in Bangladesh, walking from the Lalbagh Fort and passing through the Nawabganj Jaame Mosque brings a person to Jaitun Biryani House, where the Afghan dish is served every day. 

Well, beef is served every Friday, and on other days, only mutton is available; this article will discuss the mutton one, but without the meat, the rest will be the same for both cuisines.

Seeing the dish served with hefty rice reminds Bengali literature lovers of the story "Probash Bondhu" by Syed Muztaba Ali, although the amount is not quite comparable. 

The abundance of Raisins, Cashews, and Almonds is overtly visible; in addition to the vibrant colour of the slices of carrots, these make a beautiful colour palette that might be seen in movies. 

Into the bargain, the dish contains a piece of mutton of a moderate size placed within the crammed Basmati rice, a dedicated bowl of juicy masala, and a salad.

As for this writer's experience, the piece of mutton was not entirely edible; it would have been if he were okay with a heap of fat. Still, the well-cooked meat was delicious on the edible side—thanks to the chef. 

The Basmati rice they provided was absolutely fine, and it was the essence of the cuisine—as it is the original Afghan recipe, with the rest being the additionals.

A person can enjoy the food in two different ways: one is without the masala, and the other is with it. Most Bengali people meet their thirst through the second way; thus, they enjoy the succulents of the dish. 

Apart from that, for someone who does not feel the urge to taste some saucy ingredients in addition to the Pulao, it should be fine for them, considering the rice is soft and well-cooked. To make it this smooth, a different kind of oil—in Afghanistan, they use sesame oil—had been used.

The masala they provide includes ingredients like cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and some kinds of aroma—the Afghans make an intoxicating, rich, smoky aroma by drying Black Cardamom over a fire—that makes a person feel quite full. 

Although the original Afghan cuisine is served with many supplements: Afghan Green Sauce, Garlic Yogurt Sauce, Afghan Salata, etc, at Puran Dhaka, we do not get to experience those, perhaps expectedly so.

The restaurant manager said that their chef and owner—Mahajan, in his own words—worked at an Afghan restaurant for a total of 4 years; coming back to Bangladesh, he started the cuisine at this restaurant—Jaitun Biryani House—earlier this year. 

Every day, after he cooks, he sends the dish to the restaurant at about 12:30 p.m., and it stays available until 3:00 p.m., approximately. The Mutton Kabuli Pulao is priced at Tk 340, whereas the Beef Kabuli Pulao is at Tk 330; so, with respect to price, there is not much difference between the dishes.

There is an abundance of food enthusiasts in Bangladesh, so an Afghan cuisine—Kabuli Pulao—would be a dynamic choice for many individuals. Also, for people who like to try different foods and scrutinize those, this would be an ideal dish; if they had the opportunity to experience the original one, the scrutinization would be epic. 

To that end, people should try different cuisines if they can: enjoy, scrutinize, or merely experience the moment.

khalidsaifullahkhanjuel@gmail.com