Monpa thukpa
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A warming noodle soup with vegetables or meat in a clear broth, everyday food in the cold hills of Tawang and West Kameng.
Region: Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal PradeshOccasion: Everyday meal; cold eveningsTime: 45 minServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 200 g wheat noodles
- 250 g boneless chicken, yak meat or pork, thinly sliced (or vegetables only)
- 6 cups water or bone broth
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic and a thumb of ginger, crushed
- 1 cup chopped cabbage, carrot and spinach
- 2 green chillies or 1 dried red chilli
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt, and spring onion to garnish
Method
- Heat the oil, fry the onion until soft, then add garlic, ginger and chilli.
- Add the meat and stir-fry until it changes colour. Add the tomato and cook until soft.
- Pour in the water or broth with salt and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Add the vegetables and simmer 5 minutes more.
- Cook the noodles separately, drain and divide among bowls.
- Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and garnish with spring onion. Serve with a chilli paste on the side.
History
Thukpa is the noodle soup of the Himalayan Buddhist world, shared by the Monpa and Sherdukpen of Arunachal with Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh.
Significance
In the high villages of western Arunachal a bowl of thukpa is a standard family supper and is served to visitors at monasteries and homestays.