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This summer, I travelled to Zanskar Valley in India’s remote Ladakh region. It’s an incredible place up in the himalayas with stunning landscapes and warm people.
The culture is much closer to Tibet than to India, and so is the food – but it has influences from both ends. I want to share the recipe for Skyu – a distinctly Ladakhi stew with dough dumplings that will warm you up this fall just as it does with the people in Ladakh during harsh himalayan winters!
Added a few tweaks to make it a bit more presentable and fun, but this is still very much the flavor of Ladakh. During winter this stew is also made with mutton and fewer vegetables.
[I made a video about Ladakh, it’s food and this recipe if you are interested]
**Ingredients: Dough**
* 200g whole wheat flour
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 110g water
* 1/2 tsp sesame oil
**Ingredients: Stew**
* 1 liter water
* 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 large red onion
* 1 small thumb of ginger, minced
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 tsp turmeric powder
* 2 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
* 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
* 2 medium potatoes, diced
* 1 medium carrot, diced
* 1/2 turnip, diced
* 1 can tomatoes
* 1 Tbsp salt
**Ingredients: Topping**
* 1 handful baby spinach
* 1/2 medium tomato, diced
* a small handful fresh peas or pea shoots
* a few thin slices red onion
* cilantro to taste
**Method**
1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Add water and sesame oil.
2. Mix and lightly knead until a rough ball is formed. Cover with a moist kitchen towel and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan with oil, sauté onions, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
4. Add spices and stir well.
5. Add diced vegetables and fry while stirring for a few minutes, until flavors are absorbed. Add a splash of water if needed.
6. Add half of the water and canned tomatoes. Mash tomatoes roughly.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. In the meantime, divide your dough into 3 equal pieces and roll out into thin logs, about the thickness of a finger or two.
9. Chop or pinch off little nuggets, about the size of a cherry.
10. Flatten each nugget with your thumb, creating a coin with slightly bent edges and transfer to floured working surface.
11. Optional and non-tradional but highly recommended: Puré your stew with the second half of the water and transfer to a large pot. If you are skipping this step, simply add the second half of the water to the stew in a large pot.
12. Bring the puréed stew to a boil and add your dumplings and stir well, making sure the dumplings don’t stick.
13. Simmer for around 5-10 minutes or until your dumplings are al dente, stirring frequently.
14. Serve with toppings: raw baby spinach, diced tomato, peas, raw onion slices and cilantro.
15. Enjoy! Juley! (That’s Ladakhi for everything.)
Spicey Ricey
Yummy :: Culinary :: Recipe