Originating in Tibet, this is the ultimate comfort meal to warm your bones …
Author and cookery teacher Torie True shows home cooks how to bring authentic Indian food to your own kitchen in her book Seven Kitchens where she draws on her travels in India as well as meticulous historical research to create flavourful and accessible recipes. The book takes the reader through the vibrant kitchens of India’s past and present – from familiar favourites like vindaloo, korma and biryani – to lesser-known dishes of Goan Portuguese, Indo-Chinese, Syrian Christian, Parsi and Tibetan Nepalese origin, such as courgette and prawn foogath, whole fish pollichathu, duck roast or country captain chicken.
VEGETABLE THUKPA (NOODLE SOUP)
“The weather can be chilling in the foothills of the Himalayas, so noodle soup or stew is one way of gaining nourishment and warmth. Originating in Tibet when the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India in 1959, the tradition of cooking this dish spread far and wide. It continues to be hugely popular in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. I included a recipe for chicken thukpa in my first cookbook Chilli & Mint, so this is a deliciously simple vegetable version perfect for chilly days.” @chilliandmint
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tsp fine salt
1-inch piece (15g) of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin batons
6 spring onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 large carrot, cut into thin 1-2 inch batons
1/4 white or savoy cabbage, finely sliced
1-2 fresh chillies, halved lengthways (deseed for less heat)
Handful of fresh coriander stems, finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp light soy sauce
600ml vegetable stock
1 tsp honey
3 nests of egg noodles
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan and then add the onion and salt. Keep it moving around the pan for 3 minutes before adding the ginger batons, three quarters of the spring onions and the garlic.
2. After a minute, add the carrot and cabbage. Fold them into the contents of the pan, then add the fresh chillies, coriander stems, black pepper, lemon juice and soy sauce, followed by the vegetable stock. Simmer for 8 minutes and then add the honey.
3. Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a separate pan according to the packet instructions (they usually take around 6 to 8 minutes).
4. If you need to top up the soup with more liquid, ladle some of the starchy cooking water from the noodle pan into the soup pan.
5. When the noodles are cooked, drain them and divide between serving bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, then scatter with the fresh coriander leaves and reserved spring onions.
Notes: I like to add a dollop of hot sauce to this thukpa – see the recipe on page 176 of Seven Kitchens. This is great as a light meal or starter, but if you want to make it heartier and more filling add protein such as tofu.
From Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage (Meze Publishing €29). Food Photography by Tim Green.