Recipe Story
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"Noni Afghani"

We headed north out of Kabul on horseback over the Paghman mountains. After my horse fell and got winded, we had to take it slower and ended up spending the night in the open.

Riding over a rise in the dusk we came across a scene from biblical times. A flock of sheep in a make-shift pen tended by a couple of young men, an old Shepard sitting by a small fire by his goat-skin tent, and two women tending a cooking fire.

We approached and exchanged greetings in halting Farsi. The Shepard waved at us to sit beside him and share the fire. He called out to his womenfolk to make more food.

I walked to where they were; they smiled and motioned me to sit beside them. I watched them bake noni on hot stones.

After a simple supper, we rolled out our sleeping bags and lay under the stars – the old Shepard nodding off by his tent, his family chatting softly by the fire, an occasional sound of the sheep shuffling in the makeshift pen – a moment frozen in time I will fondly remember.

Noni Afghani

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 cup corn oil
1 Egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon caraway seed

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup warm water, sugar and yeast.
2. Let it proof for 10 minutes, until foamy.
3. Place flour in a large bowl, and stir in salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the corn oil and yeast mixture.
4. Stir this in & add small amounts of water until you have produced a soft, moist dough that can be handled.
5. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 5 minutes.
6. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
8. Punch the dough down. Divide dough into 8 equal parts & roll each part into a ball.
9. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball into an oval shape 6 to 7 inches long & 1/2 inch thick.
10. Use a fork or dull knife to draw three lines on the top of each loaf
11. Brush each noni with the egg mixture and sprinkle some cumin seeds.
12. Place the loaves on an ungreased baking sheet.
13. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the loaves are shiny and golden brown.