This recipe is so special! It’s a friend’s family recipes, and you all know how much I cherish family recipes. I love exploring cuisines, and recently realized I don’t know much about Afghani food. I mean, we’re in the same region so our food draws lots of similarities, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it, Evolving Traditions style, and get some authentic, true Afghani recipes.

A friend of mine form College, Mujtaba, happens to be back in his hometown Kabul, so I reached out to him and he sent me detailed recipes and videos that his sister made of some of their family favorites. I can’t wait to share the treasure of recipes I was sent, but this one is my favorite. Afghani Rote, or sweet naan. Similar to Sheermaal, but just different enough to stand out and make a permanent place in my kitchen! The recipe is simple, with most ingredients being staples in your home. Let’s get into this family recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need for 4 rote. You can easily half the recipe:

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups flour (you may need a little more)

1/2 tsp crushed cardamom seeds

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 heaping tsp yeast

1/2 tsp salt

sesame seeds and kalongi to sprinkle

You can easily mix this by hand, no need for a stand mixer.

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Start off by mixing together the eggs, oil and yogurt. Add the sugar and mix until combined. In a small bowl mix the flour, yeast, salt, and cardamom seeds.

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Add to the egg mixture in two batches. Knead the dough until combined. If the dough is too runny or sticky add a little more flour as needed. Knead until the dough is smooth, then rest the dough in a greased bowl for 30 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky, but still easy to handle. Preheat your oven to 415 F.

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Divide the dough into 4 portions, and roll each portion out into a circle. You can cut any design into the dough, I did a snowflake design. Brush the root with a little oil, then sprinkle over with a mixture of sesame seeds and kalongi (nigella seeds) and lightly press them into the dough. Transfer the Roht onto a greased baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and golden brown. Cut into slices and serve warm.

It goes great with chai, coffee or kehva. Enjoy!