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Kok choy
Uzbek green tea with the 'qaytarish' pouring ritual
In an Uzbek chaikhana, from Tashkent's shady teahouses to the courtyards of Khiva, the first thing to arrive is a teapot of kok choy, green tea, with small bowls (piala) and a plate of raisins, almonds and sweets. The host performs qaytarish: pours a bowl, tips it back into the pot, and repeats three times to blend the brew, then serves each guest a bowl only half full, a sign they should stay and be topped up. Green tea is drunk with plov to cut the oil, and all through hot summer days. Chef's tip: use water just off the boil (about 90°C) and warm the pot first; boiling water straight from the kettle makes Chinese green tea taste harsh.
- Total time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil, then leave it for 1–2 minutes until it reaches about 194°F.
Step 2: Rinse a teapot with a little of the hot water to warm it, and pour that water away.
Step 3: Put 2 tsp loose green tea (Chinese gunpowder or Uzbek no. 95) in the pot, pour in about 150 ml water to wet the leaves and pour it off at once; this rinses the dust.
Step 4: Fill the pot with the rest of the water, cover and leave for 3 minutes, until the tea is pale gold and smells grassy.
3 minStep 5: Pour a piala (bowl) of tea and tip it back into the pot. Repeat three times. A mistake newcomers make is skipping this: the first cup comes out weak and the last bitter.
Step 6: Pour each guest a half-full bowl, passing it with the right hand, the left on your heart. Top up often, and serve with 3 ½ oz raisins, almonds and dried apricots on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 2 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kok choy take?
- About 8 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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