Citizens, the amazing country of Bhutan is spectacular in so many ways – it is as unspoiled a land as you will ever find, the people are beyond friendly and the Himalayan scenery will (quite literally, due to the altitude) take your breath away!
Today, I wish to share with you what many consider to be the Bhutanese national dish – a simple yet flavorful recipe indeed!
Ema Datshi is among the most famous dishes in Bhutanese cuisine, recognized as a national dish of Bhutan. It is made from chili peppers and cheese; “ema” means “chili” and “datshi” means “cheese” in the Dzongkha language of Bhutan.
Different varieties of chilies may be used: green chili, red chili, and/or white chili, which may be dried or fresh. The chilies are called “Sha ema” which is a Capsicum annuum, and seems to be a form of pepper much like Cayenne, Poblano, Ancho, or Anaheim.
The cheese in Ema Datshi is homemade from the curd of cows or yaks. In the process, the fat is removed from the curd to make butter, and the remaining curd without fat is used to make the cheese. After the cheese is made, a watery liquid is left over, which is used as a soup that can be taken with rice. No part of the curd is wasted.
I hope you will see fit to try this fantastic recipe from the roof of the world, My Citizens!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
PrintThe Hirshon Bhutanese Chili Cheese – ཨེ་མ་དར་ཚིལ་
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 8 ozs. Anaheim peppers
- 4 ozs. red chilies, long Asian style de-seed if you want no spice
- 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 ozs. cheese, feta crumbled
- 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 8 ozs. Gruyere, grated
Instructions
- In a wok or large pan over a moderate heat, add the pepper, chili, onion, tomatoes, garlic and stock. Stir to combine, cover and bring to the boil.
- When boiling, turn down the heat to achieve a simmer. Add the feta and butter, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the gruyere cheese and stir well to combine. When the cheese has fully melted, stir again to fully incorporate.
- Place the ema datshi into a serving bowl. Serve with red rice.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Nutrition
- Calories: 358.5 kcal
- Sugar: 7.77 g
- Sodium: 555.95 mg
- Fat: 24.66 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.73 g
- Trans Fat: 0.12 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.69 g
- Fiber: 3.27 g
- Protein: 21.71 g
- Cholesterol: 82.62 mg
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