A Comforting, Layered Dish Perfect for Cozy Nights
Turkish pasta is going viral right now, but it has me craving Afghan pasta all over again 🤍
If you’ve been here for a while, you might remember me sharing this recipe on my old website. It is comforting, flavorful, and beautifully layered. And honestly, it is perfect for a cozy Ramadan iftar.
This is the first official recipe in our Ramadan Recipes Series ✨
Recipe inspired by and adapted from @maryamzekria on TikTok and Instagram. Please be sure to check out her page as well.
This Afghan pasta recipe combines a rich, spiced beef tomato sauce with cool yogurt and fresh herbs. It is hearty, filling, and ideal for feeding a family after a long day of fasting.
🥩 Ingredients
Beef Sauce
1.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried mint
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne or 1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp tomato paste
15 oz can tomato sauce
Yogurt Sauce
Plain yogurt
Salt
Dried mint
Optional: minced garlic
Toppings
Sautéed green onions
Chopped cilantro
Dried mint
👩🏽🍳 Instructions
Sauté the onion in oil until soft and translucent.
Add the ground beef, minced garlic, and all seasonings. Brown well, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook until the beef is fully done.
Once the water reduces, add the tomato paste and sear it into the beef for deeper flavor.
Add the tomato sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes until thickened.
Cook your pasta separately according to package instructions. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with a few spoonfuls of the meat sauce to lightly coat.
Lightly sauté the green onions in oil.
Prepare your yogurt sauce by mixing yogurt with salt, dried mint, and optional garlic.
✨ How to Layer Afghan Pasta
Layering is what makes this dish special.
Start with:
Yogurt at the bottom
Pasta
A little more yogurt
Green onions
Meat sauce
Repeat one more layer.
Top with fresh cilantro and dried mint.
Serve warm and enjoy 🤍
Why This Is Perfect for Ramadan
This Afghan pasta is one of those dishes that just feels like comfort. The layers, the warmth, the balance of yogurt and spice, it’s the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table. It’s easy to prep ahead, filing without being too heavy and also high in protein!
If you try this recipe for iftar, let me know how it turns out. I love seeing your recreations.
Be sure to save this recipe for later and share it with someone planning iftar this week.
Looking for more easy Ramadan recipes?
Explore the Halal Food Santi Ramadan Recipes Series!
Until the next halal find,
HalalFoodSanti 🍽️
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