I first had Afghani cuisine after immigrating to the United States. Since then, I have mostly
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| Lamb shank with rice cooked with lentils |
associated the cuisine with kebabs. Then I was introduced to
Panjshir, a fine dining restaurant in
Falls Church, VA where I was first introduced to Afghani curries. They are very similar to Indian curries, but watered-down with respect to spice levels. Then came
Aracosia, a fine-dining restaurant (also reasonably priced) with two locations in Washington DC and Mclean, VA. It has become my culinary home when it comes to Afghani cuisine.
Aracosia has a pretty large menu, which includes appetizers prepared with vegetables like roasted eggplant and squash, potato and leek turnovers or
sambosas, dumplings with veggies and/or meat, and lots of kebab platters. But the dishes I crave the most are the aforementioned curries or stews (Kormas) and the chutneys/sauces that they serve complementary with bread. Of the latter, I prefer the avocado and mango chutneys.
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| Squash sambosas |
The meat-based entrees will leave you a feeling of being satiated yet wanting more. Some of my favorites are lamb shank, chicken Lawan, and Rumi's chicken. The meats are cooked well and served with greens or veggies like eggplant and served on a bed of basmati rice and served in reasonable portions. On their lunch menu, they even have a lamb shank served with rice cooked with lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas, akin to a
khichadi. They not only have several vegetarian options for vegans but also several preparations made from veal and beef.
Finally, I also enjoy the overall ambience due to the comfortable seating, light music, and outstanding service.
If you are in the DVA and in mood for South Asian cuisine, this is a must-try!!
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