Mastava

Mastava is a thick Uzbek soup of rice, beef and vegetables, simmered with tomato and often made with rice left over from plov. It is a practical home dish. The rice that remains after a pot of plov goes into a second pot with meat, onion, carrot and tomato, and the soup thickens as the rice softens in the broth.

What it really is

Beef is simmered with onion, carrot, tomato and black pepper until tender. Rice is then added and cooked in the broth until it breaks down and gives the soup its body. The result is closer to a thick stew than to a clear soup. Leftover plov rice is common in this dish because it is already cooked and softens quickly. Mastava is a soup, not a dry rice dish like plov, and it is cooked in liquid rather than fried. The classic version contains no wheat, dairy, egg or nuts.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl, with the rice soft and the broth thick.
• With flatbread on the side for tearing, and eaten with a spoon.
• Sometimes finished with fresh herbs.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat, beef, and say whether the broth is made from it.
• Describe the soup as rice-based and thick, so guests know it is filling.
• Flag allergens: the classic version has none of the declared allergens, but list any flour, cream, noodles, cheese or butter the kitchen adds. Name the flatbread as wheat.
• Say whether the rice is cooked for the soup or left over from plov, since guests often ask.