PRICE IS RIGHT AFGHAN HOUSE IN NORTHRIDGE SERVES IT UP CHEAP AND DELICIOUS.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

You won't eat any better in the San Fernando Valley for under $10 in a full-service restaurant at dinnertime than at the Afghan House in Northridge.

And currently there's a lunch kebab deal on breast of chicken (murgh) or ground beef (shami) for $3.99 with salad, basmati rice and a soda that's also almost too good to pass up, especially if you live or work nearby.

For those unfamiliar with Afghani food, it appears to combine Middle Eastern and Indian elements. Skewered meats, basmati rice, yogurt and cucumber are the mainstays at this restaurant.

The somewhat limited, but obviously sensible, menu at Afghan House offers three excellent appetizers - two of them utilizing yogurt - six satisfying kebab entrees, one lamb specialty, a beef recipe, two vegetable main courses, one impressive dumpling entree and three vegetable side dishes.

That's it.

Unfortunately, not all are always available. One night two entrees and two side dishes couldn't be ordered.

But with what they do have, the kitchen does well.

One of the appetizers, for example, a large portion of steamed leek and onion-filled dumplings with a yogurt and ground meat sauce, garnished with a sprinkling of mint, is absolutely delicious and definitely large enough for two to share. Called aushak ($3.99), they're similar to Chinese steamed dumplings, though more delicate. The assertive sauce hints of an Italian ravioli or agnellotti pasta.

A similar dumpling offering, only this one's an entree titled mantu ($9.99), comes forth with a generous portion of onions, herbs and ground beef-filled goodies, more spherical in shape than the leek dumplings, but with just as delicate a dough wrapping.

Again there's a yogurt and meat sauce accompaniment with this dish, also, supposedly, peas as well as sauteed vegetables. But the peas are hardly discernible.

It hardly matters. This is a delectable plate and worth every bit of the $10 charged.

Incidentally, Afghan House serves a small cucumber and tomato salad with its dinner entrees and brings out a surprise white custard dessert at no extra charge.

That might deter extra appetizer orders. But it's a mistake to leave without trying the two potato inspirations ($1.99 each): one of envelope- shaped turnovers stuffed with potato and onions and served with a yogurt dipping sauce, and the other of little reddish batter-covered potato puffs accompanied by a lovely, tart and hot jalapeno chutney.

Kebab-wise, the skewered chicken entree ($6.99) gets my vote as the best all around in taste and texture. Both the lamb chops ($9.99) and ground beef ($5.99) run a close tie for second. For the undecided, there's a combo kebab plate with lamb, chicken and beef ($9.99).

Of the side vegetable opportunities ($3.99 each), both the sauteed spinach (sabzi) and the sauteed eggplant (buranee badenjan) should not be passed up.

'Tis said that the Afghans know how to cook spinach better than anyone else in the world. And there's certainly some truth to this. Just order a dish here and you'll notice not only gratifying garlic and onion-induced flavors, but other spicing and seasoning that gives the spinach additional flavor nuances that make it virtually irresistible.

Yet it's doubtful if you'll run across a more tasty presentation than the Afghan way of preparing eggplant, either.

Sauteed in small, thick rounds, the eggplant arrives in a dark, reddish-brown sauce with a white yogurt topping. Again, for the price, the serving is quite bountiful.

Wash this down with the refreshing, traditional yogurt and mint beverage called dogh (99 cents per glass) and you'll appreciate that there's a fine Afghani kitchen producing bargain-priced meals locally, every day of the week.

AFGHAN HOUSE

The restaurant: Afghan House.

Where: 8516 Reseda Blvd., Northridge.

When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Recommended items: Leek and onion dumplings, potato puffs, potato turnovers, kebabs (chicken, lamb loin chops, seasoned ground beef), ground beef dumplings, sauteed spinach, sauteed eggplant, yogurt and mint drink.

How much: Starters and sides from $2 to $4, entrees from $7 to $10, dessert $2.50, lunch special (chicken or ground beef kebab with salad, rice and soda) $4. No alcohol. Major credit cards.

Reservations: Taken. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three stars for food; three stars for service; three and one half stars for value.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Afghan House owners Monir, left, Saleha, Zahir and Wahid Ibrahimi stand in the dining room of their Northridge restaurant, which is furnished with antiques that date back more than 100 years.

(2) Afghani food combines elements of Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, such as kebabs, rice and aromatic spices.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News