Noosh Afghan Cuisine opens in Delta Twp. promising authentic Afghan dishes
DELTA TWP. — Khalid Mahmood was nine years old when his family moved from Kabul, Afghanistan, to mid-Michigan in 2001. He spent his middle school years learning to speak English and adjusting to a new culture.
But Afghan cuisine was always a constant at home. His mother, Nafessa, served lamb and beef kabobs and "chaplee," a spicy beef patty with qabli plow, rice served with sautéed carrots and raisins.
Authentic Afghan cuisine "is very unique and very different from all Middle Eastern Mediterranean food," because of the techniques and spices used to make the dishes, Mahmood, 32, said.
"I grew up eating this food and I love it," he added.
Mahmood, who graduated from East Lansing High School and lives in Okemos, thinks Greater Lansing will, too. Noosh Afghan Cuisine, his family's new restaurant in Delta Township, opened Saturday, offering authentic Afghan dishes.
The right location
The approximately 2,000-square-foot storefront Noosh occupies at 603 N. Waverly Road was previously home to Nola Bistro, which closed in April.
Mahmood had been looking for the right space for a restaurant since early this year. Setting up the eatery on the west side of the Lansing area is perfect, he said.
"The location is really great," he said, and it offers enough space for 75 seats inside and a few tables for outdoor seating.
At the heart of the menu are traditional Afghan rice, beef, chicken and lamb dishes. Many of them are made with coriander, cardamom or dried mint, Mahmood said.
"These are family recipes but also traditional Afghan recipes," he said, including firni, a pudding or custard. "It's sweet and has pistachios on top with cardamom."
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'Mom's cooking'
When Mark Mazurkiewicz of Lansing visited Noosh Afghan Cuisine on Saturday he wanted to try a few dishes he couldn't get anywhere else. That included the qabli plow and burani, fried eggplant with garlic yogurt sauce. Neither disappointed him.
"The eggplant one was definitely on the shortlist for when we go back," he said. "I'm definitely going to be heading back there again. It's nice having that variety and new places to try out new cuisines in the area that you just don't see everywhere."
When Mahmood was a teenager he preferred eating at home.
"You know, most kids would want to go out and eat and stuff but I just love my mom's cooking because I love our culture and our tastes," he said. "Just the way we cook our food, it's something I wanted to bring to the community."
Nafessa and Mahmood's two sisters, Mina and Sahar, are also involved in the business, he said.
He hopes Noosh is the first in a line of locations throughout the area and Michigan.
"I'm hoping for people to enjoy the food and learn more about our culture and Afghanistan," Mahmood said. "As we grow at the restaurant, I'm looking forward to more locations."
Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Noosh Afghan Cuisine opens in Delta Township
