I recently went on a trip that took me through the Omani desert decked out in a complete winter outfit - fluffy pink winter jacket and everything. Sounds mad fun right? Between the flip-flop wearing, pungently aromatic tourists and the oudh scented and elegantly dressed Omanis in full length dishdashas and abayas, I stuck out like pink shrimp in a dry desert. For those of you thinking I must have terrible foresight for not having chosen to wear more suitable clothing upon leaving the mild British winter in the middle of February, well, I was on my way to see the recently snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. I needed my pink fluffy jacket. It is also because of this pink fluffy jacket that I made friends on that leg of the journey. I now have a number to call if I ever need to organize fireworks for a wedding or a place to stay in Jordan.
The journey itself was long but uneventful. After flying the London-Muscat-Bangkok-Paro-Bangkok-Muscat-London route however, I am beginning to realize that I like the whole process of travelling less and less despite enjoying the exploration of various countries, cultures, languages and foods more and more. I sense that if teleportation is not invented soon I might have to resort to some other means of travel. Kayak for example. Now that sounds like an adventure.
Anyway, despite the horrors of flying and being groped at security checks, I did arrive in Bhutan in one piece and made it safely back to London to tell the story. I will be updating those interested about my adventures in Bhutan, but at a later time. For now, I will ease you into the Bhutanese frame of mind by leaving you with a deliciously spicy recipe for emadatse, the Bhutanese national dish of cheese and chilies. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Optional spices:
Method:
* Ideally, you would use a type of fresh yak's cheese for this dish. Since yak cheese is not readily available anywhere outside of the Himalayas however, I went for a combination of ricotta and turkish peynir. It's up to you what kind of cheese you go for, but you're looking for something with a mild flavour that melts nicely and makes a smooth paste which does not harden when cooled. Cream cheese with bits of feta also works.
The journey itself was long but uneventful. After flying the London-Muscat-Bangkok-Paro-Bangkok-Muscat-London route however, I am beginning to realize that I like the whole process of travelling less and less despite enjoying the exploration of various countries, cultures, languages and foods more and more. I sense that if teleportation is not invented soon I might have to resort to some other means of travel. Kayak for example. Now that sounds like an adventure.
Anyway, despite the horrors of flying and being groped at security checks, I did arrive in Bhutan in one piece and made it safely back to London to tell the story. I will be updating those interested about my adventures in Bhutan, but at a later time. For now, I will ease you into the Bhutanese frame of mind by leaving you with a deliciously spicy recipe for emadatse, the Bhutanese national dish of cheese and chilies. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 5 cloves crushed garlic
- 500g soft fresh cheese*
- 1-2 tomatoes - thinly sliced
- 500g green or jalapeno chilies
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp butter
Optional spices:
- 1/4 Tsp turmeric
- 1 Tsp sichuan pepper
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 inch of fresh grated ginger
- Salt
Method:
- Prepare chilies by slicing length wise into quarters and de-seeding if deemed necessary. (Beware of chili juices on fingers when touching other sensitive areas e.g. nose and eyes). (I did remove the seeds this time and the resulting dish is pleasantly spicy and full of flavour. Judging by the look of fear and horror on my flatmates' faces when presented with a bowl full, this might not be everyone's opinion, so proceed as you best see fit). Set chilies aside and slice other veg.
- On a low heat, fry thinly sliced onions in oil with optional seasoning until soft and fragrant. Add crushed garlic and thinly sliced tomatoes.
- After one minute, add sliced chilies and stir fry until bright green (1-2 min). Add 1 cup of water and allow to boil.
- Add 2 tbsp of butter, salt and soft cheese, stir well, cover and simmer until chilies are thoroughly cooked and tender.
- Serve!
This dish is traditionally served with red rice and yak meat, but it can also be combined with eggs and rice for breakfast, on buttered toast as a snack, with spinach and pasta for lunch or boiled potatoes for dinner. The options are endless...
* Ideally, you would use a type of fresh yak's cheese for this dish. Since yak cheese is not readily available anywhere outside of the Himalayas however, I went for a combination of ricotta and turkish peynir. It's up to you what kind of cheese you go for, but you're looking for something with a mild flavour that melts nicely and makes a smooth paste which does not harden when cooled. Cream cheese with bits of feta also works.
