RAG Demo

Tag: Sikkim

  • Sel Roti

    Sel roti is the festive bread of Nepali-speaking communities in Sikkim, Darjeeling and Nepal, made in large quantities for Tihar and Dashain and for weddings. Families gather early in the morning to make them, and they are shared with neighbours and relatives and kept for days as a snack. Many households still keep the batter recipe by feel rather than measure.

    Rice soaked overnight is ground with sugar, ghee and mashed banana into a thick batter, then poured into hot oil in a large ring by hand. The roti puffs and browns, crisp at the edges and soft, spongy and chewy within, faintly sweet with the aroma of ghee and cardamom. It is eaten with tea, with aloo dum or with yogurt.

    At a glance

    RegionSikkim
    CuisineSikkimese
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / sugar / ghee / banana

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups raw rice (sona masoori or local rice), soaked overnight
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 ripe banana, mashed
    • 3 tbsp ghee, melted
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1/2 cup milk or water, as needed
    • A pinch of baking soda (optional)
    • Oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked rice well and spread it on a cloth for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
    2. Grind the rice with sugar and banana, adding milk a little at a time, to a fine, thick batter that flows slowly like thick pancake batter. It should not feel gritty when rubbed between fingers.
    3. Stir in the melted ghee and cardamom. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Add the baking soda just before frying if using.
    4. Heat the oil in a deep kadhai on medium heat until a drop of batter rises immediately with steady bubbles.
    5. Take a handful of batter in your fist, or fill a squeeze bottle, and pour it into the oil in a large ring about 12 cm across, closing the circle where you started.
    6. Fry for about 1 minute until the underside is golden, then flip with a long stick or skewer and fry another minute until both sides are reddish-golden.
    7. Lift out with the skewer through the centre and drain on a rack. Fry the rest, stirring the batter between batches.

    Tips

    • If the ring breaks up in the oil, the batter is too thin – add a spoon of rice flour.
    • Practise the ring shape on a plate with a squeeze bottle before trying it in the oil.
    • Keep the oil at a steady medium; too hot and the outside browns while the inside stays raw.

    Serve with

    Milky tea, aloo dum or thick yogurt.

  • Veg Steamed Momos

    Momos came to Sikkim, Darjeeling and the Himalayan belt with Tibetan and Newar traditions, and in Gangtok they are the default snack, sold from tiny shops and street steamers on every corner. The original filling is usually pork or beef, but vegetable momos with cabbage and onion are just as popular in the hills and across the rest of India.

    A good momo has a thin, soft wrapper that is slightly chewy, with a juicy filling seasoned simply with garlic, ginger, spring onion and a little soy sauce or salt. The real kick comes from the dipping sauce: a fiery red achar of tomatoes and dried chillies, sometimes with timur, the Himalayan Sichuan pepper.

    At a glance

    RegionSikkim
    CuisineSikkimese
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time45 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / cabbage / carrot / onion

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 2 cups maida (about 250 g)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp oil
    • About 1/2 cup water

    For the filling

    • 2 cups cabbage, very finely chopped
    • 1 carrot, grated
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 4 spring onions, chopped
    • 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
    • 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
    • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • Salt to taste

    For the tomato achar

    • 3 tomatoes
    • 6 dry red chillies, soaked in hot water
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 1/4 tsp timur or Sichuan pepper (optional)
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Knead the maida with salt, oil and water into a firm but smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
    2. Mix the cabbage with 1/2 tsp salt, leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible. This keeps the filling from going soggy.
    3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok on high heat. Stir-fry garlic, ginger and chilli for 30 seconds, then add the onion, cabbage, carrot and spring onions. Toss for 2 minutes only, add soy sauce, pepper and salt, and let the filling cool completely.
    4. For the achar, char the tomatoes directly over a flame until blackened, peel, and blend with the soaked chillies, garlic, timur and salt. Heat the oil, add the purée and cook for 3 minutes.
    5. Roll the dough into a log, cut into 24 pieces, and roll each into a thin 8 cm circle with thinner edges and a slightly thicker centre.
    6. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre and pleat the edges round, pinching them together at the top to form a pouch.
    7. Oil the steamer plates and arrange the momos with space between them. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 10-12 minutes until the wrappers look translucent and are no longer sticky to touch.
    8. Serve hot with the tomato achar.

    Tips

    • Roll the edges thinner than the centre so the pleated top does not end up thick and doughy.
    • Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth while you work; dry dough cracks when pleated.
    • Brush the steamer with oil or line it with cabbage leaves so the momos do not stick.

    Serve with

    Spicy tomato achar and a bowl of clear vegetable soup.

  • Thukpa

    Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup that became everyday food across Sikkim, Darjeeling, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. In Gangtok's small eateries it arrives in a deep bowl with a side of fiery chilli paste, and on a cold, wet evening few things are more welcome. Thenthuk, with hand-pulled flat noodles, is a close cousin.

    The broth is light but deeply savoury, built from garlic, ginger, onion and tomato with a touch of soy sauce, and the noodles and vegetables are cooked in it just before serving. Chicken, pork or egg are common additions; this version uses vegetables. Each person adjusts their bowl with chilli sauce, lime and spring onion.

    At a glance

    RegionSikkim
    CuisineSikkimese
    DietVegan
    CourseSoup
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswheat noodles / cabbage / carrot / tomato / garlic

    Ingredients

    • 150 g flat wheat noodles or egg-free hakka noodles
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
    • 1 tbsp chopped ginger
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
    • 1 cup cabbage, shredded
    • 1/2 cup french beans, sliced
    • 1/2 cup spinach leaves
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
    • 5 cups vegetable stock or water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 spring onions, chopped
    • Lime wedges
    • Chilli paste to serve

    Method

    1. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and divide between bowls.
    2. Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Fry the onion for 3-4 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
    3. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
    4. Add the tomato and cook for 3 minutes until soft, then add cumin powder and black pepper.
    5. Pour in the stock, add soy sauce and salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Add the carrot and beans and simmer for 3 minutes, then the cabbage for 2 minutes and the spinach for 30 seconds. The vegetables should stay bright and slightly crisp.
    7. Ladle the hot soup and vegetables over the noodles. Top with spring onion and serve with lime and chilli paste.

    Tips

    • Cook noodles separately and add the soup at the table – noodles left in the broth turn soft and starchy.
    • For chicken thukpa, simmer 250 g chicken on the bone in the stock for 25 minutes, shred and return.
    • A few Sichuan peppercorns (timur) crushed into the broth give the authentic tingling note.

    Serve with

    Veg momos and a spoon of red chilli paste.