Turkmen Plov

Turkmen plov is a rice pilaf from Turkmenistan, cooked with mutton, onion and carrot and known locally as palaw.

Plov is a family of rice dishes shared across Central Asia. The same dish is made in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, and each cook and household has a version of their own.

What it really is

Rice is cooked in a pot with pieces of mutton, onion and carrot, seasoned with cumin and salt. The meat and vegetables are first cooked in fat until they colour, then the rice and liquid go in and the pot simmers until the grains are tender and have taken up the stock and meat juices. The carrot is cut in thin strips and mixed through the rice.

The rice is the dish; the meat flavours it.

How it's served

• Hot, from a large pot or wide dish, with the meat mixed in or laid on top.
• Shared from the centre of the table, as a main dish for a group.
• On its own as a full meal, with other dishes ordered separately.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat as mutton or lamb, since the classic version uses mutton.
• Use "Turkmen plov" as the name, and add "palaw" in brackets if the menu wants the local name.
• The standard recipe has no common allergen, but ask whether the stock contains celery and whether the kitchen adds any nuts.
• Mark the dish as containing meat and fat, since it is not suitable for vegetarian guests.
• State whether the portion is a single serving or a shared dish, since sizes vary.