How to make the perfect vegetarian plov

The perfect vegetarian Russian plov is a glorious mound of perfectly cooked basmati rice, jeweled dried fruit and crunchy nuts.

Check out my brand-new video on how to make this amazing gluten-free and dairy-free dish!

The first taste

Years ago (isn't it amazing when your blog is old enough so you can say that?!) I published a recipe for my grandmother's perfect vegetarian Russian plov. The recipe was fairly successful. It even started what I consider a minor controversy over the provenance of plov (or pilaf, pilau, or however your cultural background calls this great dish). 

Yet over the years, the recipe faded a bit in the annals of this blog. You guys moved towards greener pastures, going ga-ga over desserts and one-pan wonders. Old favourites like my eggplant shakshuka and vegetarian Argentinian empanadas continued raking up views. And my perfect vegetarian Russian plov? It faded into obscurity.

Becoming part of the ReOrdered kit

Until last year, when JDC Entwine approached me to develop a cookbook for their amazing project, the ReOrdered global Passover toolkit. Featuring recipes from four Jewish communities (Russian, Moroccan, Sarajevo and Ethiopian), this cookbook took months of research, recipe testing, and endless love. It ended up being full of recipes I am incredibly proud of - including my perfect vegetarian Russian plov and my dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate macaroon pyramids.

To accompany the cookbook and the ReOrdered global Passover toolkit, I produced a couple of recipe videos. This is my video on how to make the perfect vegetarian Russian plov - I encourage you to give it a try the next time you are looking for a dairy-free, gluten-free vegetarian main course, or for a grain accompaniment for a festive meal. I promise that you won't be disappointed!

Watch the video

It is a misconception that former USSR Jews are all Ashkenazi. As the USSR spread over an extraordinarily large and diverse territory, incorporating 15 countries and a myriad of peoples, its cuisine was also incredibly varied. The Soviet Union attempted to nationalize its food through several editions of State-sponsored cookbooks. At first, the cookbooks incorporated foods and ingredients from all over the country; but they dwindled to relying on basic, non-exotic products as the transportation systems collapsed and food shortages mounted. Throughout it all, proud Jewish traditions preserved different customs from Kiev, through the Ural Mountains and all the way south to Azerbaijan. This vegetarian Russian plov borrows from the Ukrainian roots of my grandmother, but also incorporates many traditional Sephardic ingredients from the more Southern USSR Jewish communities.

You can find the recipe for my perfect vegetarian plov here, or order your own copy of the ReOrdered global Passover toolkit.

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