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Chapter One

Cheese Soup

Churu

The mixture of hot chili with the pungent,mold-ripened churu cheese, after which thesoup is named, is a uniquely Tibetan combinationof flavors. Blue cheese makes agood substitute for churu.

    This recipe is popular in the region ofKongpo, where it is usually eaten for breakfastwith tsampa dough.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 onion, chopped
oil for frying
1 tomato
1 jalapeño chili
2 tablespoons blue cheese or Churu, page 118
1/4 lb. chopped beef
1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground emma (Sichuan pepper)
5 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch

Fry the onion in oil till brown and soft. Add thepaprika, garlic, and ginger and fry briefly. Add themeat, stirring constantly, and then add the chili justbefore the meat is fully cooked. Turn the heat downlow and add the cheese. When the cheese hasmelted, add the tomato and water. Mix the cornstarchin a little extra water (about 1/4 cup) and pourit into the soup while stirring. Bring to the boilwhile stirring and remove from the heat as soon asthe soup has thickened slightly.

Roasted Potato Soup (*)

Shogo Tang

This soup is best when the potatoes areroasted in the ashes of the cooking fire. Youcan reproduce the smoky flavor by broilingthe potatoes until they are slightly charred.Don't use a blender or the mixture willbegummy.

INGREDIENTS:

3 potatoes (use large waxy potatoes or smallish
baking potatoes)
1 tablespoon butter
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 dried red chilies, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground emma (Sichuan pepper)
4-5 cups water, broth, or Tibetan tea
1 green onion, chopped

Broil the potatoes until brown and slightly charred,turning once. This will take about 40 minutes.When they are done, and cool enough to handle,peel them and chop the skins.

    Fry the garlic, ginger, chili, and emma togetherin butter in a soup pot. Add the potatoes andchopped potato skins, and mash them with thespices, adding the liquid gradually. The potatoesshould be slightly chunky. Heat thoroughly, stirringto prevent sticking.

    Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving.

Roasted Eggplant Soup (*)

Duluma Jen

Eggplant does not grow in Tibet, but it isvery common in India. This recipe, from theTibetan settlement at Bylakuppe in southernIndia, shows how traditional cookingmethods have been adapted for the unfamiliarproduce found by the Tibetans inexile. Very similar in technique to the traditionalShogo Tang (Roasted Potato Soup,page 23), the smoky flavor suits the eggplantvery well and stands up to the fierceheat of the chilies. "We sweat when we eatthis!" says Tsering, who uses half a cup ofchili for four people, but a more subtle versionwith less chili is also very good.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Japanese eggplants, or 1 large globe eggplant
1 tablespoon butter
I inch fresh ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 dried red chilies, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground emma (Sichuan pepper)
1 tomato
4-5 cups water, broth, or Tibetan tea
1 green onion, chopped

Cut Japanese eggplant in half lengthwise or globeeggplant in 1/2-inch slices. Brush the cut sides witha little melted butter. Broil until brown and slightlycharred, turning once.

    Remove the charred skins from the eggplant andgrind the flesh briefly in a blender or mortar andpestle. If you use a blender, add 1 cup of the water,broth, or tea to blend easily. It is best if still slightlylumpy, with a few flecks of skin remaining.

    Fry the garlic, ginger, chili, and emma togetherin butter in a soup pot. Chop the tomato and add itto the fried mixture along with the eggplant. Continuecooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.Stir in the remaining liquid and heat through.

    Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving.

Corn Soup (*)

Ashom Tang

Corn soup is popular in Dharamsala,served with slight variations at many of thecafes and restaurants that cater to travelersin this colorful mountain town that is theheart of the Tibet community in exile.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 square (12 oz.) firm tofu
3 cobs fresh corn and 1 tablespoon cornstarch,
      or 1 15-oz. can creamed corn and 1/2 cup frozen
      (or canned) whole kernel corn, drained
4 cups water
1 green onion, chopped

Sauté the onion in butter or oil in a soup pot untilbrown and soft. Add the paprika, garlic, and gingerand cook briefly. Add the tomato and the tofu,cut into small cubes, along with the water. If usingfresh corn, cut it from the cob and add it to the pot,along with the cornstarch mixed in a little extrawater. If using canned and/or frozen corn, addthem both now. Bring to a boil, and simmer for aminute, stirring to prevent sticking.

    Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving.

Milarepa's Nettle Soup (*)

Sabtuk

The story of the twelfth-century saintMilarepa holds a special place in the heartsof Tibetans. Wronged by greedy relatives,he studied magic to wreak vengeance. Theeffect was so spectacularly successful thatremorse moved him to seek enlightenment,suffering endless ordeals to prove his devotionto his teacher. His legacy includes thehundreds of Dharma poems that he composedextemporaneously, still sung todaywith the simple and powerful beauty offolksongs.

    Milarepa's ascetic practices included adiet of nettles, remembered in this soupfrom western Tibet. The toxin that causesnettles to sting is destroyed by cooking. Theleaves are rich in iron and vitamin C, andalso contain protein.

    In Dharamsala, if you wake up early youmight see elderly women using small metaltongs of scissors to pick nettles by the roadside,choosing the smallest, most tenderleaves from the top of the plant. Early morningis the best time, of course, to avoid runninginto neighbors who turn up their nosesat the idea of eating weeds.

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups broth or water
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground emma (Sichuan pepper)
1 lb. nettle leaves
salt to taste

Boil the broth or water with the ginger, garlic, andemma. Fill another pot with water and bring it tothe boil. Dump the nettles into the boiling water toblanche them for a moment. Remove from the heatand immediately drain the nettles, squeezing outany excess water. Chop the greens and add themto the spiced broth. Let it boil again for a few minutesand add salt to taste.

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Excerpted from THE LHASA MOON TIBETAN COOKBOOK by Tsering Wangmo and Zara Houshmand. Copyright © 1999 by Tsering Wangmo and Zara Houshmand. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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