Then Thuk Soup
Posted by: empalo <empalo@...>
it twice a month at least.
Pat
Thenthuk ( Tibetan Noodle Soup )
"Thenthuk" ten-took (n) : A typical Tibetan noodle soup that keeps the
nomads warm during those long Tibetan winters. You can make it either with
vegetables or meat. In Tibetan "then" means pull and "thuk" means noodles.
The Dough
The dough is very important for this noodle soup. It needs to sit for
fifteen or twenty minutes so that it can become flexible and easy to pull.
If you want to make "Thenthuk" for two people, put two heaping handfuls of
all-purpose flour in a pot and add about half a cup of water.
Mix the flour and water very well by hand and keep adding water until you
can make a smooth ball of dough. Then knead the dough very well until the
dough is flexible. You want it thick enough that it will stretch when
pulled.
Separate the dough into pieces about half as big as big as your fist, and
roll the dough between your hands. Make the shape like bananas, or wedges.
Then put oil on your hand and roll the pieces between your hands again so
they won't stick together.
Put the wedges in a plastic bag or in a pot and put a lid to cover the dough
so it doesn't dry out.
The Broth
Now the dough is prepared and you can start the broth.
Chop half an onion, a small piece of ginger, a clove of garlic, and one
small tomato. If you want to use meat, cut 1/4 or half pound of any kind of
meat into thin bite-size slices. (free range, please....ed.)
Fry everything in two tablespoons of oil for three or four minutes, or until
the meat is cooked well. Add a pinch of chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon,
a dash of salt, and few shakes of soy sauce.
Add about five cups of water to the pot. At this time, you can add one
potato or daikon, which is a Japanese radish. If you want to use the daikon,
slice it thinly. After that wash it in water with a little bit of salt. That
way, the daikon won't taste so strong. If you want to use the potato just
slice it thinly and put it in the pot.
While you are cooking, chop 1/4 of a bunch of cilantro, two green onions,
and 1/4 bunch of spinach.
The Throw-down
When the broth starts to boil, you can add the dough. Take a wedge of dough
and roll it between your hands so it gets a little longer. Flatten it with
your fingers. Then pull the dough off in little flat pieces as long as your
thumb and throw them in the pot. See how fast you can pull off the
noodles... ("I hear the people in Amdo can do it really fast." - Tenzin)
When all the noodles are in the pot, cook it for an additional three or four
minutes. After that, you can put in the cilantro and spinach. They don't
need to cook, really, so you can serve the soup immediately. Before you
serve the "Thenthuk" make sure that the taste is right for you. Enjoy your
food and sweat because it really makes you warm!