Ali Baba offers many Afghan treasures

The cuisine of Afghanistan is spicy, but mildly so, and except for the chutney, not at all hot. Plates arrive with pillow-sized portions of two kinds of rice - challow, in which the grains are cooked, seasoned with cumin, then baked; or pallow, another baked rice with more spices and oil.

You'll find dishes here that are also Turkish (like Ali Baba's dumplings, called mantwo, which are "mantu" in Turkey); Persian (pallow with raisins and glazed carrot strips); and Indian or Pakistani (several curries).

In fact, Aziz is Pakistani; he was born in Kashmir, India; raised in Lahore, Pakistan; and has lived in Cambridge for the last four decades. As a boy, his family's cook was often Afghan because his father preferred their food. "The fat is removed and it is healthy," says Aziz. He knows Kabul, because it was "a very cosmopolitan city," where his family went often for visits.

Ali Baba isn't anything like Helmand, the East Cambridge restaurant with stunning yellow walls, deep red carpets, and stylish presentations. This Porter Square spot is rough and ready, the food more like someone's home cooking, the wait staff not quite able to keep up with people entering all evening, sweeping drafts through the room. A large grill at one end, surrounded by plexiglass walls, fills the place with a delightful smoky smell that makes you hungry. But it looks odd plunked down in the dining room.

Some of the little white dishes on the table are sleek and beautiful, but most of the decor, including rugs here and there, seems like an afterthought. The food, however, is all homemade - bread, dumpling wrappers, even ice cream. To add to the homey feel, the waitress sets a dish down in the middle of the table and announces, "Your dinner is served."