Afghanistan is officially in the books, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start this project.

Everything turned out delicious.

The flavors were unlike anything I’ve made before. They were subtle at first, but every bite seemed to reveal something new. Sweet carrots and raisins, warm spices, tender lamb… it all came together beautifully.

I also learned a few things along the way.

For starters, I’ve never rinsed rice before.

Apparently I’ve been doing rice wrong my entire life because this recipe had me rinsing it over and over until the water ran clear, then soaking it before cooking. It felt a little excessive at the time, but the finished rice was light, fluffy, and absolutely worth the extra effort.

One thing that surprised me was the way the lamb was cooked. Instead of serving it on top of the rice, it gets layered underneath. As the rice finishes cooking, all of those juices work their way up through the pot. It seemed strange when I first read the recipe, but after tasting it, I completely understood why it’s done that way.

Then there was the Sheer Chai. Yes, it’s actually pink.

The recipe uses a tiny bit of baking soda to help create the color, which honestly made me a little nervous. Things got even more exciting when the tea decided to bubble over and make a mess of my stove, but in the end it worked. The finished tea was lightly spiced, creamy, and a beautiful shade of pink.

The naan was another pleasant surprise. I’d actually never had naan before, so I had no idea whether I’d made it correctly. Thankfully, my husband has eaten plenty of it over the years, and after one bite he looked at me and said, “This is perfect.”

I’ll take that.

This meal reminded me exactly why I wanted to start this project. I got to spend an afternoon learning new techniques, trying ingredients I’d never cooked with before, and making a meal I probably never would have attempted otherwise.

One country down.

Next stop: Albania.