Ladakhi Paba (Buckwheat Mash)
A smooth, dense mash made from buckwheat flour, traditionally eaten with vegetable or lentil curry across the high-altitude Zanskar valley.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 200 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy pot
- •Wooden spatula
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- fat
- 1 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 200 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. Add a pinch of salt.
- 2
Lower the heat slightly. Slowly sprinkle in the buckwheat flour while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- 3
Stir firmly with a wooden spatula as the mixture thickens.
- 4
Cook and stir for 12–15 minutes. Stop when the mash pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- 5
Rub a little mustard oil on your hands. Shape the hot mash into smooth rounded portions.
- 6
Serve immediately alongside a vegetable or lentil curry.
Chef's tips
Stir constantly to stop the mash from burning or forming lumps. Use a sturdy wooden spatula.
Ingredient substitutions
- buckwheat flour → a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour for a milder flavour
Storage
Best eaten fresh; leftovers can be refrigerated for a day and pan-fried into cakes.
Reheating
Steam briefly or pan-fry slices to reheat.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding the flour too quickly, which creates lumps that are difficult to smooth out.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ladakhi Paba (Buckwheat Mash)?
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.
