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Chhurpi ko jhol
छुर्पी को झोल: soft fresh cow's-milk cheese simmered into a chilli-hot tomato soup
Soft chhurpi is the fresh, crumbly cheese that Sikkimese and Darjeeling hill families make by souring leftover buttermilk, and on cold, misty evenings it goes into this thin, fiery soup that is drunk from a bowl alongside rice. The broth is little more than tomato, onion, chilli and coriander, so the cheese has to be good: ricotta-like and mild. The most common mistake is boiling hard once the cheese is in, which makes it rubbery and the soup grainy; keep it at a gentle simmer. Chef's tip: if you cannot find chhurpi, drain fresh ricotta or crumble homemade paneer while it is still soft.
- Total time
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the jhol
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 1 dried red chilli or dalle chilli (optional)crushed
- 2 ripe tomatoeschopped
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 7 oz soft chhurpi (fresh cottage cheese)crumbled
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers and loses its sharp smell, then lower the heat.
2 minStep 2: Fry 1 onion and 3 green chillies (and 1 dried red chilli or dalle chilli if using) until the onion is soft and translucent.
4 minStep 3: Add 2 ripe tomatoes, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and cook until the tomato breaks down.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 3 ¼ cups water and bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.
3 minStep 5: Crumble in 7 oz soft chhurpi (fresh cottage cheese) and simmer softly for 2 minutes, stirring once; the cheese should soften and cloud the broth without going stringy.
2 minStep 6: Stir in 3 tbsp fresh coriander, taste for salt and serve piping hot with rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhurpi ko jhol take?
- About 23 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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