The kids try to get as many raisins as possible in each scoop of rice. Majid beams with pride as everyone devoured the meal.

"I never go to restaurant or other party," Majid said, "because my wife's cooking is delicious."

CHABLI KEBAB

1 pound ground or minced lamb, beef or turkey
1 finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 egg
2 diced tomatoes
2 diced spicy green pepper
1/2 cup flour

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together by hand. Wet hands with salty water (to keep meat from sticking) and pat meat mixture into patties. Place in pan and fry in corn oil until they look like hamburgers. Serves 4-8, depending on size of patty. Serve with Sallata as a condiment.

CHICKEN KEBAB

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup water
8 chicken pieces (legs, breast, thigh, etc.)
Hot oil
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 cup vinegar
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1 orange pepper

Place the onion in the water to soak. Deep fry the chicken in hot oil. Do not discard the oil! Save it for frying the Baghlan Rice/Qabuli Palau.

In a bowl, mix the garlic paste, vinegar and onion with water. Place fried chicken in a bowl and pour garlic vinegar mixture over it. Massage it into chicken.

Chop the peppers and spread into bottom of 9-by-11-inch pan (or whatever will fit the chicken) and put chicken on top. Pour the rest of the vinegar mix on top. Sprinkle dried cilantro and black pepper on top.

Cover pan with foil and put in oven to simmer at 350 for 15 minutes or so. Serves 8 adults.

BAGHLAN RICE/QABULI PALAU

8 cups of rice (or as many cups as people being served)
1/8 cup salt
4 chopped carrots
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 cup chopped almonds
Pinch of cardamom
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste

Soak rice in water overnight or for 4 hours or more. Drain rice and put it in boiling water over stove. Add the salt. Let it slow-boil for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain rice.

In the pan with chicken oil, fry chopped carrots and raisins. Take carrots and raisins out of oil when done. Strain the oil and add 1 tablespoon sugar to oil. Heat until dissolved.

Pour heated oil and sugar over rice. Put rice mixture into pressure cooker for 20 minutes at medium pressure.

After cooking, mix in cardamon, cumin, carrots, raisins and almonds to rice. Add salt to taste.

SALLATA

Cilantro
Green onion
Tomato