Aushok-Spinach Filled Pasta
Submitted by alicia25
Aushok are Afghan spinach-filled dumplings made with egg roll wrappers, served with garlicky yogurt, tomato korma sauce, and a coriander-spiced beef sauce. Three bold sauces, one unforgettable bowl.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThink of aushok as Afghanistan’s answer to ravioli, and honestly, they might have the edge.
Fresh spinach, green onions, and cilantro get seasoned with coriander and cayenne, then folded into egg roll skins. Quick, clever, no pasta maker needed.
But the real magic is in the triple-sauce situation.
First: a cool, garlicky yogurt. Second: a silky tomato korma sauce with onions simmered tender and blended smooth. Third: a savory ground beef sauce fragrant with coriander and garlic.
Layer them all over those plump little dumplings and you have a dish that hits every note: creamy, tangy, meaty, herbal, and just a little spicy.
Chef Tips
- Use egg roll skins (not wonton wrappers, which are too thin) for dumplings sturdy enough to hold the filling and soak up all three sauces.
- Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the spinach before filling. Wet spinach means soggy dumplings that fall apart.
- Seal the edges with a dab of water and press firmly. Any gaps will open during cooking and you’ll lose the filling.
- Make the korma sauce first, since it takes longest. The yogurt and meat sauces come together quickly while the korma simmers.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the filling, wash and chop into small pieces spinach, green onions and cilantro. Mix greens with spices and olive oil. Place egg roll skin on working surface. Place a heaping teaspoon of spinach mixture in the middle of the eggroll skin. Using your finger, wet edges of eggroll skin with water and fold in half, sealing edges. Aushok is traditionally made with round pieces, but if you use the square, fold into triangles.
For the Yogurt, mix all the ingredients together Adjust seasoning to taste. Grind onion and ½ cup of water in food processor or blender. For the Korma sauce, slice the onion very thin. Boil the onion in 3 cups of water until the onion becomes tender, approximately 15 minutes. Strain the water. Put onion in blender with remaining ingredients. Blend well. Put sauce back into saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer until sauce thickens. For the meat sauce, mix blended onion and beef together and brown in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup water and remaining ingredients to meat and cook 20 to 25 minutes over medium-low heat.
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