Khuroki Milli

Behold osh: the national dish of many a Central Asian nation. When I visited Uzbekistan six years ago, I saw this on my plate pretty much at every meal. It's the traditional food served to guests and at significant events like circumcisions, weddings, funerals, etc... It can do real damage given the feast or famine eating culture here. It's oily, really starchy, and takes about a week to digest. People warn that you should only eat it for lunch and then wash it down with a lot of water. Inspite of the dangers, I find myself craving it from time to time. Dilya, oshpaz extraorinaire at the Aga Khan Humanities Project office, cooks the best osh in Dushanbe for a crowd of 25 every Friday. Here's how she does it:

Soak 5kg rice in warm water for about an hour

In the mean time, build a wood fire in a converted oil barrel. Dilya's helper Jengo usually takes care of this.

Heat 1.5 liters of oil in a seasoned osh kazon.

Fry 3kg of beef in oil until it turns red.

Add 1kg of julienned/matchstick-cut carrots and 1kg chopped onions.

Then 2-3 piolas of soaked chickpeas and a few spoonfuls of cumin and barberry

Pour in the soaked rice, 6 liters of water, and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil and then cook over a steady medium-low fire for two hours.

Garnish with chopped cukes and tomatoes, hot pepper spread, chopped herbs, and chakka, a tangy dairy dip.