Photo: Josie Withers
The Ayubi family never set out to be restaurateurs. It was the last thing on Farida and Zelmai Ayubi’s minds when they fled Afghanistan in 1985. After crossing the border into Pakistan, they eventually found refuge in Adelaide (via Melbourne), where they sought comfort in Farida’s ancestral Afghan recipes.
The dishes provided a sense of calm and familiarity and since opening neighbourhood restaurant Parwana Afghan Kitchen in 2009, the flavours of their homeland continue to connect them with the community.
Everything is made to be shared, from pesh ghezah (small appetisers) to mains. There’s ashak, fried dumplings filled with gandana (leek) topped with lamb kofta sauce; little pops of mince in a rich tomato sauce flavoured with onion, clove, coriander seeds, and curry powder. A drizzle of garlic yoghurt dressing eases the heat delivered by a flash of hot oil infused with ground turmeric and dried mint. Fragrance is king here. Each dish begs for a quiet moment to simply inhale. Even in liquid form, like the rose sharbat, a traditional drink made with rose syrup. It’s a heady floral mix that’s infused with jelly-like basil seeds, which jumps from the glass. And while they don’t serve alcohol the small BYO charge goes towards feeding those in need. It’s just one of many small examples of how community goes beyond the plate at Parwana.
Visually, kabuli palaw steals the show. Afghanistan’s national dish is a comforting mix of sella basmati rice kissed oh-so-delicately by cumin and cardamom, intermingled with matchsticks of carrot (fried until barely soft), plump sultanas, and crunchy almond slivers. While not so pretty, banjaan borani delivers love via eggplant simmering in a tomato base that warms the mouth gently with waves of turmeric, chilli, coriander, and garlic. The eggplant, sliced lengthways, is best mopped up with tandoor baked flatbread. Gosht (grilled Afghan meats) arrive marinated in yoghurt and topped with a traditional spice mix.
Determining what contributes to the flavour orchestra is half the fun. Afghan meals are typically served with an assortment of relishes and chutney sabz is a highlight. Fresh mint, coriander, green chilli, garlic, limes and white vinegar tumble in a coarse paste; green like the Afghanistan landscape Farida and Zelmai remember so fondly from their childhoods.
The décor is a love letter to Afghanistan. Two main dining spaces, one painted vivid blue and aqua, the other soothing pink and terracotta, are strung with framed family photos. Staff (often family members) move fast across a kaleidoscope of colourful ceramic tiles but are never too busy to share a memory, of which there is a bounty. Savour in their stories, be it on the plate or through conversation – 15 years on and Parwana remains a must-visit in Adelaide.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
