Shivit oshi, sometimes called Khorezm lagman, is the signature dish of Khiva, the storied oasis city of the Khorezm region near the Turkmen border. Its astonishing green comes entirely from dill kneaded into the dough, a striking flourish in a desert cuisine. Traditionally a summer dish, it is so tied to its home that travelers seek it out specifically in Khiva, where it is served as a point of regional pride alongside a savory vegetable stew and tangy suzma.
The noodles are silky and springy with a fresh, grassy herbal note from the dill that's unlike any other pasta. The savory meat stew, tomato-sweet and warmly spiced, soaks into the strands, while the cool suzma threads a bright sour tang throughout. It's herbaceous, hearty, and unforgettably green.
Dill juice replaces much of the water in the dough, tinting it green and lending an herbal aroma while its fibers and the egg keep the thin noodles elastic. Serving the cool, acidic suzma against the hot stew balances richness and brightens the whole dish.
Variations
Stew made with beef or lamb; vegetarian versions; some serve the sauce on the side; potato or chickpeas in the vaju
On the Palate
Where Shivit Oshi sits in the Uzbek flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 50 min
- 115 min
Blend a large bunch of fresh dill with a little water, then strain to extract bright green juice.
Watch outBlend and strain hard for a bright green juice — this is what dyes the dough and carries the dill aroma, so squeeze every drop.
- 225 min
Knead flour, the dill juice, egg and salt into a smooth, deep green dough and rest it.
Watch outKnead until the deep-green dough turns smooth and springs back — a slack dough tears into stubby noodles instead of long strands.
- 312 min
Meanwhile soften onion, tomato, pepper and potato in oil for the vaju sauce.
- 430 min
Add cubed meat and a little water and simmer the stew until rich and tender.
- 520 min
Roll the rested dough thin, fold and cut into fine noodles, dusting with flour.
- 68 min
Boil the noodles in salted water until just tender, then drain.
Watch outPull the noodles the moment they're just tender — they keep cooking under the hot stew, so a few seconds too long turns them mushy.
- 73 min
Plate the green noodles and top with a spoon of suzma or yogurt.
- 84 min
Ladle the hot vaju stew over the top and garnish with extra dill.
