food & dining
Plov, an Iconic Tajik Dish by Way of
Boulder, Colorado
Keri White
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 elabo-
rate 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 social-
ize 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 jamba-
laya … you get the picture. I was able
to recreate a vegetarian version of the
dish here.

Photos by Keri White
Plov | Pareve
Serves 8
The plov I enjoyed at the teahouse was
well-seasoned rice mixed with vegeta-
bles and chickpeas and topped with
Plov A column at the Dushanabe Tea House
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
fi ne but, if desired, it could be topped
with meat, fi sh 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 1
2 8
6 2
1 1
2 6
cups medium-grain rice
(such as basmati), rinsed until
water runs clear
tablespoon oil
onions, chopped
carrots, chopped
cloves garlic, minced
tablespoons cumin
tablespoon turmeric
teaspoon pepper
teaspoons salt
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 fi sh. ■
Keri White is a Philadelphia-based
freelance food writer.

Todd, Howard, and Zachary Katz, want to BUY your:
diamonds, gold, watches, silver, coins, and estate jewelry.

We have been buying in the Delaware Valley for over 44 years
and we pay more because we know the value of
your diamonds & jewelry.

Meet us at our office (appointments preferred)
or we will come to you:
Katz Imports
723 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-0197 Howard’s cell: 215-850-6405
Diamondpaige2@hotmail.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
29