VegetarianSikkimese Bhutia cuisine Starters

Chhurpi Achar

Name: Chhurpi Achar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sikkimese Bhutia
Ingredients: 100 g hard chhurpi (dried yak cheese); 4 whole dried red chillies; 2 tbsp Sesame seeds; 3 cloves Garlic; 0.25 tsp timur (sichuan pepper); 1 tbsp mustard oil; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Lemon juice

Chewy, tangy fermented yak-milk cheese cubes tossed in a spicy roasted sesame and chilli paste, a distinctive Bhutia condiment.

🇮🇳India· Sikkim

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 150 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

100 g hard chhurpi (dried yak cheese) — soaked and cut into small cubes
4 whole dried red chillies — roasted
2 tbsp Sesame seeds — roasted
3 cloves Garlic
¼ tsp timur (sichuan pepper)
1 tbsp mustard oil
½ tsp Salt — to taste
1 tsp Lemon juice

Equipment

•Grinding stone or mixer
•Small pan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 150 kcal
fat: 10 g
carbs: 4 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 10 g
calories: 150 kcal

Instructions

1
Soak the hard chhurpi (dried cheese) cubes in warm water for 20 minutes. They should soften slightly but stay chewy.
2
Toast the dried red chillies and sesame seeds separately in a dry pan until fragrant.
3
Grind the toasted chillies, sesame seeds, garlic, and timur (peppercorns) into a rough paste with a little water.
4
Drain all the water from the softened chhurpi cubes thoroughly.
5
Toss the chhurpi cubes with the spice paste until completely coated.
6
Drizzle over the mustard oil and sprinkle with salt.
7
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir well before serving.