Page 44 - Seniorstoday May 2024 Issue
P. 44
generously flavoured with dill, parsley,
radishes and cucumbers; Lagman, which
means ‘stretch the dough’ is a delicious and
hearty noodle stew, which has meat onions,
carrots, peppers tomatoes and potatoes
seasoned with cumin seed parsley and
basil. A fried version with tomatoes and
onions and peppers is finger licking tasty;
A vegetarian version is available almost
Kosmonavtlar Metro Station
everywhere. Uzbekis love dumplings
- Manti, Chuchuvara, Guzlama - are
served with yogurt and fresh salad called
Achichuk. Walking in the lanes of these
cities one sees such a variety of homemade
breads – Lepyoshka, that looks like a giant
bagel, Kutabi and Tandy Naan - being
sold at street corners. There are communal
ovens dotted along the way where women
The Chorsu Bazar
bring their prepared doughs to bake.
Food Nothing tastes quite as delicious as a
“This magical, marvellous food on our freshly baked bread just taken out of the
plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a oven. Another popular dish is the Korean
story to tell. It has a journey.” – Joel Salatin influenced eggplant where the diced
Uzbek cuisine is one of the most exquisite vegetable is cooked with herbs and spices.
and flavourful and it will leave you But the soul of Uzbeki food is plov, which
longing for more even after leaving the is rice cooked in a certain manner with
country. Traditional Uzbekistan cuisine mutton fat, to which is added small bits of
is influenced by the various traders meat, shreds of carrots, quince, and raisins
that passed through over the centuries and served with sweet local tomatoes and
- Chinese, Turki, Mongolian, Indian and freshly baked bread. In the vegetarian
travellers from East Asian countries as version the ubiquitous potato is the star!
well as the large planes of wheat and grain Variously called Pulao, Pilaf in different
found across the country. Although heavily parts of Asia, it is the Central Asian sister
meat-based, we vegetarians were very to a biryani, and every region has its own
absolutely awed by the meatless and vegan variation of the recipe. There are special
choices offered. ‘Plov Centres” and they cook the dish in
Some must-try national dishes are: plov, giant cauldrons called Kazans over an open
shurpa, lagman, manti and somsa - a flaky fire. Everyone you meet in Uzbekistan will
baked - very much like our samosa and a tell you that their mother’s plov is the best
popular dish eaten at all times especially at and urge you to try a portion. The meal is
breakfast; naan bread called goma stuffed finished with traditional sweets- Halwa,
with cheese, spinach, potato or pumpkin Baklava and Nawat, which is made from
and eaten with challop, a yogurt based dip, sugar syrup and grape juice.
44
