Update: This unkulchered Blogger format will not allow me to post poetry in stanzas. That's what messed up this post initially. So if you want to read the poem that inspired this recipe, you will have to go elsewhere for the opening lines of "The Ballad of the King's Jest" by Rudyard Kipling. The finally legible recipe is, of course, available below.
Wash and dice vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, onions and eggplant are the ideal mix.
Gather spices. I would use a generous tablespoon each of cumin, cinnamon and garlic powder, along with a dash of ginger, red and black pepper, and a generous teaspoon of salt.
Pour just enough oil into a stew pot to cover the bottom. When it is hot, pour in all the spices and fry them for a minute or two. This infuses their flavor into the oil.
Add all your diced veggies and stir them around until they are coated thoroughly. "But what of the fat-tailed sheep?" you ask. Well, there are plenty in Kabul's bazaars, but they are a little scarce in the States, so you can substitute with ground beef or chunks of stew beef. Toss them in along with the vegetables.
Let everything fry and sizzle together for ten minutes or so, and then add about two cups of water and a couple of generous spoonfuls of tomato paste. After stirring well, cook with the lid on for another 20-30 minutes. You might need to add more water a time or two. And there you have it. The amounts pictured in this recipe would only be sufficient for a couple of Afghans, but should feed 6-8 ordinary mortals.
