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Chhurpe (dried cheese)

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Cottage cheese from buttermilk, dried in the sun and wind until hard, chewed as a snack or added to dishes.

Region: Ladakh, especially herding villagesOccasion: Made in summer, eaten all yearTime: 1 hour + several days dryingServes: About 150 gVegetarian

Ingredients

  • 2 litres buttermilk left after churning butter (or skimmed milk soured with curd)
  • A clean muslin cloth
  • A string for hanging

Method

  1. Heat the buttermilk slowly in a pot until it separates into soft curds and whey.
  2. Pour it into the muslin cloth and drain off the whey (keep the whey for cooking).
  3. Press the cheese under a weight for a few hours.
  4. Cut it into small pieces, thread them on a string or spread them on a cloth.
  5. Dry in the sun and wind for several days until very hard.

History

Herders in Ladakh have long made butter in summer, and the buttermilk left over is turned into chhurpe so that nothing goes to waste.

Significance

Chhurpe stores for months and is carried by herders and travellers. Soft fresh cheese is also eaten or added to soups and tea.

Sources