Saturday Evening Cooking Lessons

Joining my friend Simran for the preparation and enjoyment of homemade dinners has taught me the essentials of Bhutanese cooking. I'd like to share with you the recipes for a few of my favorite dishes: red rice, eggplant curry, shamu datse, and ezay. Careful of the chilis!

Red Rice:
Grown in the Himalayan valley, this short grain rice is high in protein and fiber. After purchasing the rice from a large bin at the market on Saturdays, I regularly prepare red rice as a staple for many of my dinners and even a few of my breakfasts. If I could transport more than 20kg back on my Druk Air flight, these local grains would be in my bags!
1 cup rice: 1 cup water
Cook in rice cooker for ~20 minutes

Eggplant Curry
Together in a wok, combine:
- A few spoonfuls of soyabean oil
- A bit of diced red onion
- A few chopped garlic cloves
- A few eggplants cut into small strips(I like the really narrow shaped eggplant, but have never seen these in the U.S. The Japanese version might be nice)
- Just a bit of chopped tomato
- Green chilis to taste: Chop into small pieces for the spiciest version, or cut in half and remove the seeds for just a little heat!
- A few spoonfuls of water
- Salt to taste
- On a light heat, cover and allow the curry to saute until the vegetables are tender. (For extra protein, I added in tofu at home, as pictured above).

Shamu Datse
"Ema Datse", or "Chili Cheese" is the most common and traditional of all Bhutanese food. Likely because of the natural growth of chilis throughout the country and ease of procuring cheese from the local cows, this dish is often all that is available out in the villages. I have come to love the homemade version of "Shamu Datse", where mushrooms are added to this Bhutanese staple.
- In a pot, combine a bit of onion and garlic with your favorite mushrooms and add a few spoonfuls of soyabean oil.
- Fill the pot with water just until the vegetables have become nearly immersed.
- With a lid on, boil until the vegetables are nearly tender.
- In the last 5 minutes of the cooking, add chilis and cheese (best to use the outer portions of the datse) and continue boiling.
Local cheese from the local cows is used for this dish in Bhutan ... I'll definitely be experimenting with alternatives in the States!

Ezay
This cheese and chili salad is a nice complement to any meal.
Chop finely:
- a bit of red onion
- a bit of garlic
- roasted chilis (red or green - can roast them just over the fire of a stove)
- tomatoes (also tasty if roasted)
Mix together, and add fresh cheese (the inner portion of the datse is best) and salt to taste. Serve immediately.

The main principles of Bhutanese cooking are simplicity and just "knowing" how much of each ingredient to use rather than measuring ... So experiment and enjoy! Would love to hear how your dishes turn out!