Tsampa Souptsam Thuk Recipes

TSAMPA SOUP/TSAM-THUK

Steps:

• To make sure your tsampa or roasted flour is fine enough, pass it through a fine sieve. Set aside
• Peel the daikon radish, then grate it on a coarse grater into long strands. Set aside
• Pour 3 cups of the broth into a wide heavy pot (4 quarts is a good size) and bring to a boil. Add the tsampa or roasted flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining 3 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add the radish strands and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes
• Meanhile, heat the oil or butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute gently for several minutes. Add the meat strips and 1/2 tsp salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, turning once, just until the beef has changed color, about 3 minutes total. Use tongs to lift out the meat and set it aside on a plate. Add the onion and oil or butter to the soup
• To deglaze the skillet, place the pan over high heat, add 1 cup water, and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to detach any browned bits of caramelized juices, then add the flavored water to the soup. (The recipe can be prepared ahead to this point and set aside for up to 1 hour. Or let cool, and refrigerate for up to 36 hours. Bring the soup to a simmer before proceeding)
• Add 1 cup more water to the soup and bring back to a simmer. Add the meat and bring back to a simmer. Add extra water if you wish a thinner broth. Taste for salt and add up to 2 more teaspoons if necessary. Add the spinach leaves to the simmering broth. When they turn bright green, after a minute or two, add the butter and stir to blend it in
• Serve the soup hot in large bowls, with bread, or with rice if you prefer

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.

TSAM-THUK (TSAMPA SOUP)

Steps:

• To make sure your flour is fine enough, pass it through a fine sieve and set aside. Peel the daikon radish and grate into long strands. Set aside.
• Pour 3 cups of the broth into a wide, heavy pot and bring to a boil. Add roasted flour and stir until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add radish strands and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Bring the 2 tablespoons of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute gently for several minutes. Add the meat strips and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, turning once, just until the beef has changed color, about 3 minutes total. Use tongs to life out the meat and set it aside. Add the onion and oil or butter to the soup.
• Deglaze the skillet by placing it over high heat, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to detach any browned bits of caramelized juices, then add the flavored water to the soup.
• Add an additional cup of water and bring back to a simmer. Add meat and soy sauce to taste, maintaining the simmer. Add spinach leaves to the simmering broth. When they turn bright green, after a minute or two, add the butter and stir to blend.
• Serve hot soup in large bowls with bread.

HOMEMADE TOM YUM SOUP

Steps:

• Combine vegetable broth and shrimp in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil for 10 minutes, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove shrimp from the broth and remove and discard shells; set shrimp aside.
• Add lime juice, lime pulp, chile peppers, lemon grass, tom yum paste, fish sauce, sugar, chile sauce, and ginger slices to the broth; cook for 10 minutes. Remove chile peppers, lemongrass, and ginger slices with a slotted spoon and discard. Add cooked shrimp and remove from the heat.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with mushroom slices and green onions.

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.