Dimlama

Layers in the pot

Dimlama belongs to vegetable season. Chunks of meat, usually lamb, go into the bottom of the cauldron with a little tail fat, followed by rings of onion, carrots, potatoes, aubergines, sweet peppers and tomatoes, all crowned with cabbage leaves or wedges of cabbage. Each layer is seasoned with salt, cumin and pepper, with garlic and herbs tucked in. The lid goes on tight and the pot braises over a low flame for an hour and a half to two hours; the vegetables release so much juice that hardly any water is needed.

It is never stirred. The cook lifts it carefully onto a large platter, keeping the layers intact, and everyone eats with spoons.

A garden dish

Dimlama is cooked most often in spring and summer, when the bazaars overflow with vegetables. In the orchards and country houses around Samarkand it is made in a big cauldron over an open fire, cooking itself while the guests drink tea. Some versions add quince or cherry plums.

Did you know?

The name comes from the Uzbek verb dimlamoq, ‘to cook covered, in its own steam’. The same method gives a meat-free dimlama of vegetables alone — a good choice if you want something lighter — and in summer the dish often appears on teahouse lunch menus.