Make Plov, Not War: The Rice-and-Meat Dish With Peacemaking Potential

Make Plov, Not War: The Rice-and-Meat Dish With Peacemaking Potential
Plov is traditionally prepared in a large, shallow pan called a kazan. olko1975/Shutterstock
Updated:

Plov is a hearty and meaty rice-based meal from Central Asia. The dish is widely considered the progenitor of rice pilaf and a cousin to paella. Native to present-day Uzbekistan, plov has spread throughout the former Soviet republic, where it varies by region. Some renditions include chickpeas. Azerbaijani plov contains dried fruit. Ukrainian plov often is made with chicken.

But every plov will include carrots, onions, garlic, and some kind of meat. It’s traditionally prepared in a large, shallow pan called a kazan. A heavy wok, large frying pan, or Dutch oven is probably the closest approximation that most of us have in the kitchen.

Ari LeVaux
Ari LeVaux
Author
Ari LeVaux writes about food in Missoula, Mont.
Related Topics