Last evening I was invited to dinner at the apartment of one of the two new Afghan immigrant families I am helping learn English. The occasion was a thank you to the group who sponsored them to Canada, including me for the time I spend with them each week.

The apartment is small, but in traditional Afghan fashion they had laid out the feast for 11 people on a tablecloth on the floor with plates etc. arranged around the perimeter. Two rice dishes, one with delicious lamb hidden beneath, the other with saffron and pistachios, kofta (tasty meatballs in a tomato sauce flavoured with spices I couldn’t name).

I just looked up a recipe:

For Meatballs (Kofta)
– 1 lbs ground beef
– 1 large onion, chopped in big pieces
– 2 green chilies, chopped
– 1 cup cilantro, chopped
– 1 tsp garlic paste
– 1 tsp salt, or to taste
– ½ tsp black pepper
– ½  tsp coriander powder
– ½  tsp cinnamon powder
– ½ tsp cumin, ground

For the Sauce (curry)

– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 2 medium tomatoes, pureed
– 2 Tbsp tomato paste
– 1 tsp garlic paste
– 1 tsp salt, or to taste
– ½ tsp black pepper
– ½ tsp turmeric powder 
– ½ coriander powder
– ½ cup Yellow split peas/chana daal, cooked 90%
– ½ cup oil

https://www.heratkitchen.com/post/kofta

There didn’t seem to be the yellow spit peas in this version (although I’ve had Kofta that did). The tastes I didn’t recognize: turmeric/coriander in the sauce, the coriander/cinnamon/cumin in the meatballs. Delicious on the saffron rice.

There was also:
A minty bowl of finely diced salad
A spinach dish – Sabzi – I could see finely chopped spinach and onion, I assume garlic
Some potato fries – which seems to be a common companion dish
And a custard dessert with cherry jello on top

A lot of work for these young people to undertake.

The challenge, of course, was getting down to sit on the floor – none of us guests are young. At 80 I can get down and up again – I do it a lot when I’m laying out quilt pieces on the floor – but I’m past sitting on the floor, let me tell you! I could not find a comfortable position other than with my legs stretched out in front of me with my back supported by the sofa behind me – taking up too much space for this group and my feet in everybody’s way! I tried sitting on my feet, on my bum with my feet tucked in on my right, on my left, lotus position – I could sustain no position for very long.

I loved the meal and the conversation and friendship. I paid for sitting on the floor – this morning when I got out of bed, I could hardly move. Once my morning dose of Tylenol and Lyrica kicked in and after an hour of Aquafit in the pool I could finally move.

In spite of the sitting challenge, I will certainly do it again!