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As the second of nine siblings, Janat Bibi Qaderi started taking on responsibilities around her home in Afghanistan from an early age. She learned to cook as a teenager and took an immediate liking to it. Throughout her life, from Afghanistan—which she fled with her family as refugees—to Pakistan to Canada, her love for cooking has been constant.
“It’s mostly for people,” she tells The Ismaili Canada, speaking through her daughter Shala Qaderi, who acts as a translator. Janat Bibi’s favorite part of cooking is watching others enjoy the food she makes, whether it’s her large family—she has seven children and 14 grandchildren—or the jamat. She likes making dishes for community events and celebrations.
For this issue, Janat Bibi shared a recipe for boulani, a stuffed flatbread, and one of the first dishes she learned. “It’s one of the special dishes of Afghanistan, and it’s something that everyone enjoys and it’s easy to make,” she explains.
Boulani is a stuffed flatbread often served as a winter comfort food in Afghanistan. Janat Bibi makes it regularly for her family and has prepared it for community breakfasts at her jamatkhana in Montreal.
Yield: 3-4 boulani
Prep time: 1.5 hours
For the dough:
For the filling:
For the chutney:
Prepare the dough:
Combine the flour, salt and oil in a stand mixer with a dough hook (The dough can also be mixed by hand). While mixing, gradually add water until the dough starts to stick together. It shouldn’t be too firm or too soft. Knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a kitchen cloth. Set aside for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling and chutney.
Separate the dough into three to four round pieces, each about the size of a tennis ball. Cover them with a kitchen cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
Prepare the filling:
Boil the potatoes until soft. Set aside. Once cool, peel them and grate them into a bowl.
Mix the cilantro, green onions, garlic, and leeks with the grated potatoes.
Add salt and green chili to taste, followed by the oil. Mix the ingredients well.
Prepare the chutney:
Mix the cilantro, green chili and garlic in a blender.
Place the yogurt in a bowl. Mix in the ingredients from the blender. Add salt to taste.
Prepare the boulani:
Place one ball of dough on a lightly floured surface. Flatten it into a thin circle (about the size of a dinner plate) using a rolling pin.
Spread some filling onto one half of the circle, leaving a half-inch edge. Take the opposite side of the circle and fold it over the filled portion. Press the edges to seal.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Place one boulani in the pan, flipping it over once the bottom has turned golden (usually 4 to 5 minutes). The boulani is ready when both sides look golden and crispy.
Repeat with the remaining boulani.
Enjoy warm boulani with the chutney.
