Paloo is the Kirgiz version of a dish that in the Central Asia is commonly called Plov. It’s made of pieces of meat (usually mutton or beef, sometimes chicken) fried in a big qazan (a cast iron cauldron) and mixed with fried chopped carrots, jiuicai (Chinese chive) and cooked rice. The dish is garnished with fried garlic cloves and red peppers. Shirin Paloo is a vegetarian dish where meat has been replaced with dried fruits, such as prunes, apricots and raisins.

Gelin Budu, or “bride’s thighs” is the Turkmen-Iraqi name given to these soft and brown meat croquettes. The unique feature of this dish is the crust of rice worked with flour, that provides the croquettes with a unique taste and consistency.