Grapevine Leave’s Posset

 Written by: Wajiha Sayar

Shamila and her brother, Omar go to the castle. Shamila asks Omar that why their cousin, Waheed did not come with them to the castle. Omar replies that Waheed’s friend made him angry for his decisiveness and it caused him to give up coming to the castle. Meanwhile, Lalo Mama comes and after greeting he asks about their discussion.

Shamila talks about the bad habits of some people and gives an example of her cousin, Waheed who could not come to the castle.

Lalo Mama takes them inside the castle and asks Shamila about the cause of Waheed’s not coming to the castle.

Shamila replies that one of Waheed’s friends has the bad habit of deceiving others. Lalo Mama says that sometimes such habits cause problems for others and then he opens a window for the information of Shamila and Omar.

Window:

In the window, a grandmother is telling a story to her grandchildren about a merchant, a shepherd, and a trickster.

Once the merchant bought 120 sheep and gave them to a shepherd for keeping.

Months passed, not only the sheep did not increase, but they decreased. When the merchant asked the reason, the shepherd replied that some sheep died due to a disease. The merchant did not accept, and he hid in the barn at night to find out what is happening.

 After some time, the shepherd entered the barn and took the fat sheep, and sold them to a butcher.

The merchant argued with the shepherd but the shepherd did not accept that if he had sold the sheep.

The merchant sued the judge for the shepherd's betrayal. The shepherd wanted his trickster friend’s help in this issue and promised that he would pay him.

The trickster told him to tie his head with a scarf; not to talk and when the judge asks him a question, he should pretend that the merchant has beaten him on his head and he has lost his talking power and he should make the sound of a sheep, baa.

When they went to the court, the trickster complained that that merchant has beaten the shepherd on his head and he has lost his sense of talking.

When the judge asked about the issue from the shepherd, the shepherd bleated and moved his head.

The merchant wanted to defend but the judge decided in favor of the shepherd and imprisoned the merchant.

When the shepherd left the court, his friend wanted his fee but the shepherd was bleating. The trickster wanted his money again and again but the shepherd continued to bleat. The shepherd went home and the trickster became angry and he was trapped in his trick.

Lalo Mama closes the window. Meanwhile, the cook of the castle brings some food to Lalo Mama.

Shamila asks about the name and how to cook the food. Lalo Mama says that it’s called Vine leaves’ posset (vine leaves’ Dolma) and he opens a window about this food.

Window:

In the window, Selai goes to Naheed’s house and wants her to cook vine leave’s posset, one of the famous foods, of their area.

Nahid says that vine leaves’ posset is one the Turkmen’s foods and most of the residents of the northern part of Afghanistan cook this food.

Selai asks about the ingredients of posset.

Naheed says, “About 20-30 young leaves of the grapevine; 500 grams ground meat; a half cup of rice; tomatoes, pepper, spices; ghee, and salt as much as needed.

First, we cook the ground meat and boil the rice and then we add ghee into a pressure cooker and fry tomato paste. We wrap the above-mentioned items in the leaves of vinegar and tide them with a string. Then we put them inside the pressure cooker and mix with the fried tomatoes and add half of cup of water to it and leave it on the fire for 15 mins to cook in the pressure cooker. After 15 mins, the grapevine leaves’ posset is ready and we bring them out of the pressure cooker and add yogurt and spearmint to them.

Lalo Mama closes this window too. Shamila thanks Lalo Mama to teach them the cooking of grapevine leave posset.