Glossary of Tibetan Food:
Momos: small dumplings, steamed or fried, stuffed with finely chopped
meat, herbs and vegetables or cheese
Tsampa: a toasted grain, usually barley, ground into a fine flour.
The cornerstone of both the cuisine and the culture in Tibet, tsampa is
used in religious ceremonies and weddings
Bod-jha: Black tea, imported from China, churned with salt, soda, yak
milk and butter. Tibetans drink it by the gallon; you might find it
easier to swallow if you think of it as a soup rather than a tea.
Pak: The nomad's staple, made by kneading bod-jha into tsampa to
make a dough-like mass. Tibetans on the road will make a ball of it in
the morning and snack on it throughout the day.
Thuk: Pinky-thick, wheat-flour noodles
Ngoe thuk: Pan-fried noodles with meat
thukpa: A hearty noodle stew made with meat, vegetables and barley
Sha khampo: dried meat
Emma: A pepper-like spice characterized by the almost electric zing it
leaves on the tongue.


Lamb Curry (Luksha Shamdeh)

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp each of ginger/garlic
1 lb bonelss leg of lamb cubed
3 large onions coarsely chopped
1 tbsp oil
4 inch pce of cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
4 tomatoes
3 large potatoes quartered

Directions: In large bowl, combine yogurt, paprika, curry powder, soy, garlic and ginger. Add lamb, mixing to coat, marinate several hours (overnight if you want). In a large saucepan, over medium high heat, sauté onions in oil several minutes until translucent. Add cinnamon, star anise, cloves and bayleaves. Cook several minutes until onions brown. Add lamb and marinade; bring to
boil over high heat, then add tomatoes.

Lower heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, boil potatoes until just cooked (10 to 15 minutes). Stir into the curry for the final 5 minutes of cooking to even out and combine the flavours. Remove the cloves, bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon. Makes 4 servings. If you wish you can accompany this with a pita or some rice as a side dish.

 String Beans with Potatoes (Tema)

Make sure when you are preparing the potatoes, cut them into strips about the same size as the beans.

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 inch pieces fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 lb green beans, cut diagonally in 1 1/2 inch strips
1/4 cup water
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 small red pepper, thinly sliced
Salt to taste

Directions
Wash and dry Bean sprouts thoroughly. Put on the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. You can add more if you want it more zingy. The rice wine and sesame oil add a smokey taste to the bean sprouts. Cover and refridgerate until you're ready to serve. Before you serve add more rice wine and sesame oil. A little salt but only before serving if you need it.

In large skillet, or wok heat oil over high heat. Add onion, garlic, paprika, and ginger. Saute 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add potatoes, chili and tomato. Stir fry about 5 minutes until tomato is dry. Add string beans and water. Simmer, covered, over a medium high heat 12 to 15 minutes or until beans and potatoes are just tender. Stir in soy sauce, red pepper and salt. Makes 4 servings.

BeefMomos

Ingredients
Dough
3 c All purpose flour 1 c Water
Meat Filling
1 lb Extra lean ground beef
1 ea Onion; chopped 1/2 lb Daikon, spinach or cabbage, -chopped fine 1 Garlic clove; minced
1 ts Fresh ginger; grated
2 ea Green onion; chopped (white -and green both; no roots)
2 tb Fresh cilantro; chopped
Salt

Directions

Mix flour and the water; knead and form into a ball. Let rise covered with a wet towel or plastic wrap for 30 min. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cut dough into 12 - 18 pieces and roll into small flat circles. Mash together all filling ingredients. Place a spoonful of filling on each dough circle, folding over and crimping to seal. Place momos in a steamer and steam on high for 30 min.
Serve with a mild tomato salsa, "Tsal", made from chopped tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and garlic, and/or Sriracha sauce and/or soy sauce.
The [alternate] filling usually is made with ground chicken mashed with onions, daikon, fresh ginger, garlic andcilantro. [A] Vegetarian filling contains chopped cabbage, bok choy, tofu, green onion, ginger and garlic.

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