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Sukuti sadeko
सुकुटी सादेको (sukuti sadeko): Mustang-style dried meat roasted and tossed with onion, tomato, chilli and timur
Up in Mustang and the high Thakali villages of the Kali Gandaki, strips of buffalo or yak meat are hung in the cold, dry wind until they turn dark and hard, and that sukuti keeps families in protein through the winter. Sadeko means mixed or dressed, and sukuti sadeko is the bar-snack and festival nibble that every Nepali restaurant from Jomsom to Kathmandu serves: the dried meat roasted or fried until it softens and smokes, pulled into shreds and tossed with red onion, tomato, garlic, green chilli, numbing timur and a splash of hot mustard oil. It is chewy, smoky and fiercely savoury. Buy sukuti from a reputable Nepali or Asian grocer, or use good dried beef jerky without sugar glaze. The usual misstep is skipping the roasting step, which leaves the meat too tough to chew. Chef's tip: pound the roasted sukuti lightly in a mortar before shredding, so it breaks along the grain.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the sukuti
- 3 tbsp mustard oildivided
For the dressing
- 1 red onionfinely sliced
- 1 tomatodeseeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 cm piece fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 3 green chilliessliced
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground
- 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 /4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- saltto taste
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Roast 7 oz sukuti (dried buffalo, yak or beef) directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 3–4 minutes on each side, or fry it in 1 ¼ tbsp mustard oil over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes, until it sizzles, darkens and softens slightly.
8 minStep 2: Cool for a minute, pound lightly in a mortar, then tear or cut into thin shreds.
2 minStep 3: In a bowl, toss the shreds with 1 red onion, 1 tomato, 3 cloves garlic, 2 cm piece fresh ginger, 3 green chillies, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground.
Step 4: Heat the remaining 1 ¾ tbsp mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, add 1 /4 tsp fenugreek seeds and fry for 20 seconds until dark, then stir in 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric and pour over the meat.
2 minStep 5: Add 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice and salt to taste (sukuti is often already salty), toss well, scatter with 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve straight away with beaten rice or as a snack.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sukuti sadeko take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 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 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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