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Sapu mhicha
सपु म्हिचा (sapu mhicha): Newari leaf tripe parcels stuffed with spiced bone marrow, boiled and then fried
Sapu is the many-layered leaf (or book) tripe of the buffalo and mhicha means a little bag, and these parcels are among the great tests of a Newari cook in Kirtipur, Bhaktapur and the old quarters of Kathmandu, made for bhoj feasts and festival days. The tripe is filled with soft bone marrow seasoned with ginger, garlic and timur, tied up, simmered until tender and finally fried so the outside crisps while the marrow inside turns rich and melting. Slices are eaten hot with beaten rice and a sharp tomato achar. Buy leaf tripe already dressed (cleaned and blanched) from a butcher, ask for beef if buffalo is not available, and cook it until fully tender; it is never served pink or half-cooked. The usual slip is overfilling, which makes the parcels burst in the pan. Chef's tip: tie the parcels like a small sausage with kitchen string, tight but not cutting into the tripe.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the parcels
- 1 ⅛ lb dressed leaf (book) tripe, buffalo or beefrinsed well
- 7 oz bone marrow, scooped from marrow boneschilled and chopped
- 3 cm piece fresh gingerfinely grated
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground
- 1 /2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp saltdivided
- 1 m kitchen string
For cooking
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 tbsp mustard oilfor frying
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups water to the boil with 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 bay leaves and ¾ tsp salt, add 1 ⅛ lb dressed leaf (book) tripe, buffalo or beef and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and cut into 4 pieces about 15 cm square.
10 minStep 2: Mix 7 oz bone marrow, scooped from marrow bones with 3 cm piece fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground, 1 /2 tsp ground cumin, 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder and the remaining ¾ tsp salt.
Step 3: Lay each square smooth-side down, put a quarter of the marrow in the centre, fold the tripe over into a tight parcel and tie firmly with 1 m kitchen string.
15 minStep 4: Bring a fresh pan of salted water to the boil, add the parcels and simmer over a low heat for 50–60 minutes until the tripe is completely tender when pierced with a knife and the filling is hot and set.
60 minStep 5: Drain and leave for 10 minutes to firm up, then snip off the string and cut each parcel into thick slices.
Step 6: Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the slices for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp.
6 minStep 7: Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with beaten rice and a tomato achar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sapu mhicha take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 80 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 gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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