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Yangben
याङबेन (yangben): Limbu tree-lichen curry with chilli, tomato, garlic and timur
High in the forests of Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam, Limbu families gather yangben, a pale grey-green lichen that grows on oak and rhododendron trunks, dry it in the sun and keep it for winter, when it becomes one of the most prized dishes of Limbu cooking. It is cleaned, soaked and boiled to remove its bitterness, then fried with mustard oil, onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and chilli, and finished with timur; at feasts it is very often cooked with fatty pork, which soaks up the flavour, but this meat-free version is common too. The texture is springy and chewy, the flavour earthy and smoky, and it is eaten with rice or millet dhido. Outside eastern Nepal yangben is hard to buy, so for a stand-in use dried wood-ear mushrooms, which give a similar bite. The most common fault is not washing the lichen enough, which leaves grit and bitterness. Chef's tip: boil the lichen twice in fresh water and rinse it until the water runs clear.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 ¼ cups water, for boiling
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 /4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 onionsliced
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 cm piece fresh gingergrated
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 3 /4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅜ oz dried yangben lichen (or dried wood-ear mushrooms) in warm water for 15 minutes, then rinse well, picking out any bark or grit.
15 minStep 2: Boil it in half of 3 ¼ cups water, for boiling for 7 minutes, drain, then boil again in the rest of 3 ¼ cups water, for boiling for 7 minutes. Rinse until the water runs clear, squeeze dry and cut into bite-sized pieces. (Wood ear only needs one 5-minute boil.)
15 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a pan over a medium-high heat until it just smokes, then lower the heat and add 1 /4 tsp fenugreek seeds and 3 dried red chillies for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 4: Add 1 onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until golden, then add 4 cloves garlic, 3 cm piece fresh ginger and 2 green chillies and fry for 1 minute.
5 minStep 5: Stir in 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tomatoes and 3 /4 tsp salt and cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes break down.
4 minStep 6: Add the lichen and stir-fry over a medium heat for 7–8 minutes, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until it is coated and has absorbed the sauce.
8 minStep 7: Sprinkle with 1 /2 tsp timur (Nepali Sichuan pepper), ground and 2 tbsp fresh coriander, toss and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yangben take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 fenugreek seeds?
- Leave them out, or add a little extra mustard seed (you lose the slightly bitter, maple-like note).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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