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 fled Afghanistan with their family in 1987. 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 they had left behind.

Most of 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.

With beautiful food and location photography, this compilation offers insights into the origins and heritage of Afghan cuisine.

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 international newspapers and websites and is undertaking a Fellowship for Social Equity funded by the Atlantic Institute in New York. Parwana is her first book.