(by Dr. Minakshi Dutta, Unmukt Premium Member)
Thukpa is a traditional noodle soup from Tibet, and a popular dish along the region of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. It is-
- Low-calorie meal
- Full of nutrition
- One-pot meal
- Easy to cook
Ingredients
- Boiled noodles of your choice. Preferably egg noodles.
- Chopped spring onions, pakchoy/ palak
- Shredded boiled chicken/mutton (for non-veg option)
Paste for Thukpa
- Tomatoes and onions in 1:1 ratio
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1” piece of ginger
- ½ tsp aniseed
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves
- 1 small piece of cinnamon
- 5-6 Peppercorns
- 1 whole red chilli
- 1 tbsp oil
- Vegetables of choice- shredded cabbage, carrots, capsicum
Vegetable Stock
- 6 glasses of water
- Vegetables – Outer leaves of cabbage, stalks of cauliflower/ broccoli, peels of carrot, parwal, lauki, stems of palak, all which we throw away. Can also be made from pieces of carrot, lauki, cabbage leaves, palak, cauliflower, turi etc. You may addmushrooms, baby corn to add proteins.
- Cubes of onions
- Ginger
- Garam masala
- Tej patta or curry leaves
- 2-3 Swigs of coriander.
Chicken stock
- All the vegetables as for Vegetable stock
- 2-3 pieces of chicken or mutton with bones.
Preparation
Making the Paste for Thukpa
Grind together tomatoes and onions, garlic, ginger, aniseed with cinnamon, peppercorns red chilli, and coriander leaves. Heat oil in a pan. Add the ground masala and stir fry for 3-4 min. Once the raw smell disappears, add vegetables for a further 2 min on high heat.
Making the Vegetable/Chicken stock
Put all the ingredients into a pressure cooker, let it become hot and keep on simmer for 20 min. No whistle is required. Cool it and strain. Stock can be stored in the freezer for more than a month. Scoops of frozen stock can be used for soups, stews, casseroles to increase flavour and nutritional value.
Finishing
Add stock to the paste and boil for 2-3 min. Add salt as per taste. Add spring onions and palak or pokchoy leaves. Boil for a further 30 sec and remove from the stove. Garnish with pepper powder and cover for 2-3 min. Add boiled noodles. Garnish with chopped green chillies soaked in vinegar according to taste.
Non-vegetarian Thupka – add boiled shredded chicken or boiled mutton pieces along with palak and spring onions.
Nutritional value
- Micronutrients from the skins of vegetables, vitamins and calcium especially from bones of meat.
- Noodles give energy and supply of carb.
- Mushroom, corn, chicken and mutton give proteins.
Author: Dr Minakshi Dutta practised General Medicine for 2 decades, following which she specialized in hair and skincare, diet, nutrition and fitness for women. She has been running her own clinic in Kolkata for 4 decades now. Dr Dutta has conducted multiple workshops with corporates and has also appeared on regular programs on live television to address questions from viewers in the aforementioned areas.
Follow these tips today to stay healthy. We share such insights regularly to keep you updated. Interested in knowing more? Join our thriving community today to learn, grow, and engage with fellow seniors.