Aush (Afghani Chili)

Aush is a delicious and exotic alternative to American-style chili. It's not too spicy but combines intriguing flavors. I adapted this recipe from a traditional Afghani family favorite. It may be cooked in a slow cooker, Dutch oven, or soup pot. Try it also with ground lamb or ground turkey.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 613 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons dried mint
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 (16 ounce) package fettuccine, broken in half

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; remove beef with a slotted spoon to a large pot, reserving drippings in the skillet. Cook and stir onion in reserved drippings until golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon and add to beef in the pot. Stir tomatoes with juice, garlic, red pepper, cumin, chili powder, mint, garam masala, garbanzo beans, and spinach into beef mixture; simmer over low heat for 3 to 6 hours.

Step 2

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat; stir in fettuccini and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well; stir pasta into the chili along with sour cream. Serve hot.