When I was growing up in Washington, D.C., my family often dined at the Afghan restaurant Khyber Pass, where we fell hard for aushak. Each of us got our own platter of the dumplings, which were stuffed with slivered green onions and splashed with two sauces: minced meat in tomato gravy and warm yogurt with mint. I’ve had the dish only a few times in my life since, so I was thrilled to reencounter it at Helmand, a newcomer in the storefront that Noon O Kabab outgrew. Chef-owner Wahid Tanha steams the aushak so the filling shines through the translucent housemade wrappers like emerald ore. He opts for a lentil-tomato sauce, nubbly and glossy, in which a yogurt drizzle makes appetizing eddies. Though meatless, greaseless, and only lightly seasoned, this dish is rib-stickingly hearty and layered with flavor. It’s listed as a shareable appetizer, but it’s all I want. The kebabs, which look great, can wait. $6.95 for three, $15 for eight. 4661 N. Kedzie Ave., Albany Park