Thukpa Recipes

VEGETABLE THUKPA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Cook egg noodles at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Set aside.
• While egg noodles cook, heat mustard oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; fry until light brown, about 5 minutes. Add chiles, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cumin, and turmeric; saute for 1 minute. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and stir-fry for 6 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, yogurt, ajwain, soy sauce, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add egg noodles and simmer for 3 more minutes; stir in spinach, cook for 1 or 2 more minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

THUKPA

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, serranos, cumin and oil and process until smooth. Transfer the paste to a heavy-bottomed pot along with the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrot, bell peppers, beans, bamboo shoots and cabbage. Cover the pot halfway and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate. Once it is cool enough to handle, tear it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot.
• Add the noodles and lemon juice and simmer until the noodles are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt.
• Spoon the thukpa into bowls, garnish with scallions and bean sprouts and serve very hot.

THUKPA BHATHUK (TIBETAN BEEF NOODLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Boil the beef in 3 cups of water with bouillon, garlic and onion. When the broth starts to boil, turn down to medium and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn down to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes. The longer you cook this soup, basically, the better, so if you have time, let it continue to simmer.
• Meanwhile, peel the daikon (a potato peeler works well) and chop off the ends. Chop the daikon into thin, narrow strips about as long as your finger. Soak the chopped daikon strips in water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Soak for a few minutes, swishing around with your hand. Rinse well, several times, to get rid of salt and bitterness. Set aside.
• To prepare the dough, slowly add water to the flour and stir to incorporate and form a ball. Knead the ball a few minutes. Rub the ball between your hands to make a thick tube. Divide it into four pieces. Starting with one piece, roll it between your hands to make a long thin rope of dough. Flour your work surface and place the rope on the flour to keep it from sticking. Repeat with the other three pieces of dough until you have four long ropes of dough.
• To make the bhaksa, pinch off a piece of the rope of dough the size of the tip of your finger. Rub the dough with one finger in the palm of your hand to cause the little piece of dough to curl up. These little scooped pieces of dough are your bhatsa. Place them back on the floured work surface, adding more flour if necessary to keep them from sticking. Repeat until all the dough ropes have been used to make the bhatsa.
• When the beef has simmered for a sufficient period of time, add another 3 cups of water to the beef and bring it to a boil. When boiling, add the daikon strips and boil 2 - 3 minutes. Add the bhatsa and boil for 5 minutes. When the bhatsa is ready, it will rise to the top.
• Just before serving, add chopped spinach, cilantro, green onion, and tomato. These final ingredients should be fresh and not cooked through when served.

CHICKEN THUKPA

Steps:

• Cook noodles in boiling salted water until slightly undercooked.
• Drain and rinse; reserve in a large bowl.
• In a blender, mix all soup paste ingredients into a thick paste; reserve in a small bowl.
• In a sauce pan heat cooking oil; add soup paste, fry for 30 seconds or so.
• Add chicken broth; mix well.
• Bring to a boil; set heat to low and cook for a few minutes; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Add all vegetables into the soup mixture; cook for a few minutes or until tender.
• You may add more broth if a soupier consistency is desired.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To serve, pour soup broth into a serving bowl and add grilled chicken slices and cooked rice noodles. Serve immediately.
• Add hot chili sauce or tomato achar to the soup if you desire spicy soup broth.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.