I had the good fortune to travel to Boulder, Colorado, recently. It is a beautiful place with an interesting food scene.
The Boulder Dushanabe Teahouse, an iconic building and restaurant, can be found adjacent to the downtown corridor. The building, surrounded on the exterior with colorful and elaborate tilework, was a gift to the city of Boulder from Dushanabe, its sister city and the capital of Tajikistan.
Artisans in Tajikistan painstakingly created the teahouse using traditional tiling, plaster, painting and carving techniques, then disassembled it and shipped it to Colorado. The gift was intended to symbolize the bond between the cities, as Tajik teahouses serve as places where friends meet and the community gathers to socialize over cups of tea. Tajik artisans later visited Boulder to reassemble the teahouse, which is now a popular restaurant and purveyor of teas.
We had lunch there — their chai is famous, the tea menu resembled a wine list at a swanky restaurant and the cuisine was varied and delicious.
Given that I was in a Tajik restaurant, I was duty-bound to try the traditional food, so I opted for the “plov.” And darn if it didn’t remind me of how connected we are around the globe through food.
The plov that I enjoyed reminded me of Persian polo, Indian biryani, Spanish paella, Low Country perlau, West African jollof rice, Cajun jambalaya … you get the picture. I was able to recreate a vegetarian version of the dish here.
Plov | Pareve
Serves 8
The plov I enjoyed at the teahouse was well-seasoned rice mixed with vegetables and chickpeas and topped with grilled beef. I have since learned that it is a classic Central Asian comfort food.
The version below is vegetarian, but traditional plov is often made with beef or lamb that is braised along with the rice mixture. This plov stands on its own just fine but, if desired, it could be topped with meat, fish or chicken or served as a side to accompany a main dish.
The Dushanabe Tea House served this with a delicious pickled salad of cilantro-infused cucumber and onion ribbons that was fresh and bright, a perfect complement to the rich and hearty plov.
3 cups medium-grain rice
(such as basmati), rinsed until water runs clear
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, chopped
8 carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups vegetable broth or water, or half broth/half water
1 cup raisins
2 cups chickpeas
Sprigs of cilantro for serving
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil, and add the onions, carrots and garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the spices and continue stirring. Add the rice and stir to coat it.
Add the liquid, stir and bring it to a boil. Add the chickpeas and raisins. Lower the heat, cover it and simmer until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir to ensure that all liquid is absorbed, and taste for seasoning.
Top the plov with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve it as is, with naan or top it with additional vegetables, meat, chicken or fish.
