Aushak is an extraordinary Afghan dish of delicate dumplings filled with leeks and scallions, nestled on a bed of creamy, garlicky yogurt, and topped with richly spiced meat sauce and mint. It takes some time and effort to prepare the dumplings, but if you're someone who's willing to do a labor of love to create something truly special, I promise you - your dinner guests will thank you!
In This Recipe
Occasionally, a dish comes along that's so extraordinary it stops you in your tracks. Aushak is one of those dishes.
With each delectable bite, you can taste the love and care that went into its preparation: the tangy garlic yogurt sauce, delicate leek and scallion-filled dumplings, beautifully spiced meaty tomato sauce and bright fresh herbs.
Aushak reminds me of Turkish manti, another deliciously complex dish of stuffed dumplings with yogurt and tomato sauce, that I discovered on a trip to Istanbul. Both aushak and manti are typically reserved for special occasions due to their intricate preparation and how extraordinary they are.
A huge thank you to our friends Jim and Randal, for inviting us to dinner and introducing us to Aushak. Jim, former chef/owner of the acclaimed Boston restaurant Rauxa, wrote up his excellent recipe for me, on my request, which I'm thrilled to pass along.
Granted it's a lot of work, but I love having a recipe that lets me create something truly special for friends and family, something they might not otherwise experience.
Ingredients
Here's what you need for the yogurt sauce:
- Greek yogurt - I prefer the richness of whole milk yogurt but low fat is fine too
- Garlic - grated or squeezed though a garlic press
- Fresh mint - Afghani cooks would use dried mint but good quality dried mint is hard to find; fresh mint also works well.
For the dumplings you'll need:
- Leeks - buy the thickest leeks you can find. If you can only find skinny leeks, double the quantity
- Scallions - look for a generous bunch
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Dumpling wrappers - store-bought wonton wrappers work great
Here's what you'll need to make the meat sauce:
- Ground lamb - I've read that you can substitute ground beef though I haven't tried it
- Aromatic vegetables: onions, garlic, jalapeño peppers
- Tomato Passata - a smooth, rich tomato purée made from ripe plum tomatoes. If unavailable, substitute with good quality canned whole peeled plum tomatoes and puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Tomato Paste - you only need a tablespoon but it adds a lot of umami (savory) flavor
- Spices: sweet paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander
- Harissa - not a traditional ingredient in Afghan cuisine but it provides a good kick of flavor and spice.
While Aushak is a multi-layered dish that takes time to prepare, you can break down the process into manageable steps. The dumplings can be prepared in advance and frozen, and the meat sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
If you decide to tackle this recipe, you might want to invite a friend to help make the dumplings or make it a family activity. Spending time together stuffing dumplings can be more relaxing and fun than you might think!
A Walk-through of this recipe, with photos
Make the filling for the dumplings: Sauté the leeks and scallions in a little olive oil until tender. Add garlic and spices and continue to cook until the leeks and scallions start to caramelize. Set the filling aside and let it cool.
Tip for Preparing Leeks: Leeks usually have sand and grit stuck between the layers. To remove grit, cut leeks in half lengthwise, slice crosswise and rinse thoroughly.
Set up a work area for wrapping the dumplings: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with water. To keep the wrappers from drying out, put them in a plastic bag or cover loosely with plastic wrap. You'll need a work surface like a cutting board. You'll also need a fork and a teaspoon.
To form the dumplings, place a generous teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Dip a finger in the water bowl and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper from corner to opposite corner, creating a triangle. Then use a fork to crimp the edges and form a tight seal.
Store the dumplings - once the dumplings are formed, you can keep them in the fridge for a few hours on the baking sheet, or you can freeze them until you're ready to boil them. (See recipe card notes for more details about storage and freezing)
Make the meat sauce - brown the lamb in a large heavy pot. Transfer it to a bowl and wipe out the pot.
In the same pot, sauté the onion, jalapeños and garlic, until tender. Then add the tomato paste, ground spices and harissa paste.
Return the browned lamb to the pot and add the tomato passata. Simmer the sauce until it's nice and thick, about 25 minutes.
Assemble the Aushak - Just before dinner, get a big pot of water on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, smear some of the minty garlicky yogurt onto 4 plates. When the water comes to a boil, add the dumplings, boil them for 3 minutes and drain them.
Place 5-7 dumplings on the yogurt and top with lamb sauce.
Garnish with mint and cilantro and serve.
Time Saving Strategies
- Make the leek and scallion filling a day ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Make the dumplings ahead of time and freeze them for up to 2 months in an airtight container (see recipe notes for more details).
- Make the meat sauce a day ahead and store it, tightly covered, in the fridge. Reheat in a covered saucepan, over low heat, until hot.
Aushak is a traditional Afghani dish that the whole world needs to know about - it's truly one of the best things I've ever tasted!
If you try this Aushak recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintRecipe
Aushak
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A stunning Afghan dish featuring delicate boiled dumplings filled with leeks and scallions, nestled on a bed of tangy garlic yogurt sauce and topped with richly spiced meaty tomato sauce. Perfect for special occasions, this dish requires some time and effort to prepare but the reward is a truly unforgettable meal.
Adapted from a Recipe by Jim Becker - former chef/owner of Rauxa Cava Bar and Restaurant in Somerville, MA
Ingredients
YOGURT SAUCE
- 1 ½ cups full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or squeezed through a garlic press
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 6-8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus more mint to for garnishing (see below)
DUMPLINGS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and cleaned (note 1)
- 1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large garlic clove, grated or squeezed through a garlic press
- 1 package of square wonton wrappers (note 2)
MEAT SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground lamb
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and pith removed, finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet, not smoked)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons harissa (note 3)
- 24-ounce bottle of tomato passata (note 4)
TO SERVE:
- 2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves, slivered
Instructions
YOGURT SAUCE
- Mix yogurt, garlic and salt together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir mint through just before serving. This can be made several hours ahead.
FILLING
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté leeks and scallions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper crushed red pepper and garlic and cook for another few minutes until leeks and scallions start to caramelize. Transfer filling to a small bowl and let cool.
WRAPPING
- Prepare your workspace (see photos in post) - Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with water. To keep the wonton wrappers from drying out, place them in a ziplock bag or cover them loosely with plastic wrap. You'll also need a clean, flat surface like a cutting board, as well as a teaspoon and a fork.
- Take a wrapper and place a heaping teaspoon of leek filling in the center.
- Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.
- Fold wrapper diagonally over filling, corner to opposite corner, to form a triangle.
- Press out any air pockets and pinch edges tightly. Using the tines of the fork, crimp edges to ensure a tight seal. Place dumpling on prepared baking sheet and repeat process until you've used up all the filling. You should have 25-30 dumplings.
- Refrigerate dumplings, on the baking sheet, lightly covered with plastic wrap, until ready to boil, or freeze them for up to 2 months (notes 5 & 6)
SAUCE
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and brown it in one piece, on both sides. Then break it up using a wooden spoon, and continue to cook, stirring, just until it loses its pink color. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl. Pour off the fat and wipe out pot.
- In the same pot, heat remaining tablespoon of oil and sauté the onion, jalapeños and sliced garlic over medium heat, until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and harissa to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 3o seconds or so, until fragrant.
- Return the lamb to the pot and add the tomato passata. Simmer the sauce gently, partially covered (to prevent spattering), until nice and thick, 25 minutes or so. Sauce can be made up to a day ahead. (note 5)
ASSEMBLE
- Heat the meat sauce, if needed.
- Bring a large pot of water, with a tablespoon of oil added, to a boil. (the oil prevents sticking)
- Stir chopped mint into the yogurt and smear about a quarter cup of yogurt onto each of 4 plates, using the back of a tablespoon to spread it around, creating a bed for the dumplings.
- Boil the dumplings for about three minutes and, using a mesh skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer them gently to a colander to drain.
- Place 5-7 dumpling on top of the yogurt. Cover dumplings with lamb sauce and and garnish with chopped cilantro and mint. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leeks - look for large leeks that are at least an inch in diameter. Leeks shrink a lot when cooked so when in doubt, buy more. Thoroughly clean the leeks to remove any grit - cut them lengthwise, then crosswise, and then rinse well under cold running water.
- Wonton wrappers can be found in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores. I use Nasoya Wonton wrappers . There are approximately 50 wrappers in a 12-ounce pack. If you can't find this particular brand, look for wonton wrappers, also called wonton skins, that are 3 to 3½ inches square.
- Harissa - I used Les Moulins Mahjoub organic Tunisian Harissa traditional brand. DEA Harissa in the yellow tube is another good choice. Some brands of harissa are labeled "hot" which you may want to avoid unless you like a lot of spicy heat.
- Tomato Passata is a smooth, rich tomato purée made from ripe plum tomatoes. You can find it at many grocery stores. It typically comes in a tall glass bottle. If unavailable, substitute with good quality canned whole peeled plum tomatoes, and puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Make-ahead and Storage - You can make Aushak dumplings ahead of time and refrigerate them on the sheet pan for several hours, until ready to boil. Or you can freeze them on the sheet pan. Make sure they are in a single layer, not touching. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Lamb sauce can be made a day ahead. Cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
- Freezing - Uncooked dumplings can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook, simply boil them from frozen, following the directions above.
- Nutrition Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil, simmer
- Cuisine: Afghan
Lisa
Thanks Jim - this dish is a treasure. I've made it for several dinner parties and my guests can't stop raving.
Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious
Holy moly, Lisa! This recipe sounds incredible, I can’t wait to make it!
Lisa
Thanks for your note Elizabeth! If you make this, keep me posted. I really love it - I hope you enjoy!
Eddie
This dish is on a whole other level. The flavors are insanely delicious and while it's time consuming to make, the steps are very straightforward and well laid out in the recipe. Even I was able to pull it off! Thanks Panning the Globe and Jim!
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi Eddie! I'm so glad you made this and loved it. Thanks for the great 5 star review!