Afghanistan Consulate plans to conduct food festival in Hyderabad

Hyderabadi foodies have something to look forward to in a month or so, as the Afghanistan Consulate in the city is planning on conducting a food festival in the city, before the month of Ramadan this year.

Speaking to media here on Wednesday, Muhammad Suleman Kakar, Consul General of Afghanistan at the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Hyderabad, said India and Afghanistan have been neighbours historically and now there is good bilateral trade between the two countries. “With this food festival, we plan on having a cultural exchange specifically between Telangana and Afghanistan.”

Afghan food is rich in its use of meat and dry-fruits, often perfectly using the two together, in dishes like the Kabuli Palaw, which is a rice and meat based dish, cooked along with various dry-fruits and nuts. In fact, the Kabuli Palaw is the National Dish of Afghanistan.

The upcoming Afghan food festival, being planned in



conjunction with CD Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO, will see chefs from Afghanistan dishing out various types of Afghan kebabs, dumplings called Mantu, palaws and more, in addition to giving out a taste of Afghan dry-fruits, apricots, apples and pomegranates.

The food festival will also feature a variety of cultural activities, showcasing the ethnic dances and music from various regions of Afghanistan, as Charu Das of the CD Foundation explained, “We conducted a cultural exchange program earlier between Delhi and Kabul and now we plan on doing the same between Hyderabad and Kabul.”

Kakar also spoke about the educational exchange that happens between the two countries and said there are about 200 Afghan students currently pursuing various courses in Hyderabad. “The technical education in India has enabled a lot of good work in Afghanistan as our students to study here and return to work for our country. ,” he said.