Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen

Parwana Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen

By Durkhanal Avubi

Winner of the Art of Eating Prize for Best Food Book of the Year 2021

Authentic Afghan recipes with family narratives and stunning photography Parwana tells one family’s story of a region long afflicted by war, but with much more at its heart. Author Durkhanai Ayubi’s parents, Zelmai and Farida Ayubi, fled Afghanistan with their young family in 1987, at the height of the Cold War.

When their family-run restaurant Parwana opened its doors in Adelaide, Australia in 2009, their vision was to share an authentic piece of the Afghanistan the family had left behind—a country rich in culture, family memories infused with Afghanistan’s traditions of generosity and hospitality. These recipes have been in the family for generations and include rice dishes, curries, meats, dumplings, Afghan pastas, sweets, drinks, chutneys and pickles, soups and breads. Some are celebratory special dishes while most are day to day dishes. Each has a story to tell.

With beautiful food and location photography, this compilation offers valuable insights into the origins and heritage of Afghan cuisine and a fresh perspective to one of the oldest civilizations.

About the Author 
Durkhanai Ayubi is a freelance food writer and restaurateur involved with the day-to-day responsibilities of two family-run eating places: Parwana and Kutchi Deli Parwana. She has written for a number of international newspapers and websites and is currently undertaking a Fellowship for Social Equity funded by the Atlantic Institute in New York. She is the daughter of Afghani refugees Zelmai and Farida Ayubi who settled in Australia to raise their family. She tells the family story from her perspective, channeling her mother and father’s memories and recipes. Parwana is her first book.

Details:
Pages: 256
Format: Hardback, 2020
ISBN: 9781623718756
Imprint: Interlink Books
Illustrations: full-color photography