Ladakhi Churpe Cheese
Hard, sun-dried cheese made by nomadic herders from yak or dzo milk, chewed as a long-lasting protein-rich snack.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 90 kcal
Equipment
- •Cheesecloth
- •Large pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- fat
- 5 g
- carbs
- 2 g
- fibre
- 0 g
- protein
- 8 g
- calories
- 90 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the milk gently until it feels lukewarm. Do not let it boil.
- 2
Stir in the buttermilk starter or yoghurt. Cover and leave in a warm spot for 8–10 hours to ferment.
- 3
Heat the thickened curdled milk gently. Cook until solid curds separate from the watery liquid.
- 4
Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth. Catch and keep the solid curds.
- 5
Press the curds firmly. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- 6
Add a little salt if you like. Shape the curds into small cubes.
- 7
Thread the cubes onto a string. Hang them in a dry, sunny, and airy spot.
- 8
Leave them to dry for several days to weeks. They should become rock hard.
Chef's tips
Make sure the cheese dries completely so it does not spoil. Damp air slows drying and causes mould.
Ingredient substitutions
- yak milk → cow milk, though flavour and richness will differ
Storage
Once fully dried, churpe keeps for several months at room temperature in a dry place.
Reheating
Not applicable; soften by soaking or simmering before eating if too hard.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving too much liquid in the curds, which makes the cheese soft and spoils it quickly.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ladakhi Churpe Cheese?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Ladakh
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
