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Tangtur

ཐང་ཐུར: chilled curd with boiled greens, onion and green chilli, a Ladakhi cooling side

Through the short Ladakhi summer, when the fields around Leh are green, tangtur is on the table at almost every lunch: boiled leafy greens chopped into thick, cool curd or buttermilk with raw onion and green chilli. It is served beside paba, khambir or rice, and cuts through anything rich or spicy. In villages the greens may be wild ones gathered from field edges; spinach, mustard or radish leaves work well at home. The mistake to avoid is adding the greens while still hot, which splits the curd; cool them completely first. Chef's tip: squeeze the boiled greens really hard in your fist so the tangtur stays thick instead of watery.
Total time
15 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

For the tangtur

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Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Bring a pan of water to the boil, add 7 oz spinach, mustard or radish leaves and blanch 2–3 minutes until wilted and bright.

    4 min
  2. Step 2: Drain, rinse under cold water until completely cool, then squeeze firmly to remove as much water as you can. Chop finely.

    4 min
  3. Step 3: Whisk 14 oz thick plain curd (yogurt) with ½ tsp salt until smooth. Stir in the greens, 1 small onion and 1 green chilli.

    2 min
  4. Step 4: Chill until serving and sprinkle with ¼ tsp roasted ground cumin just before it goes to the table.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
90 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
8 g
Fat
4 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does tangtur take?
About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 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 vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of small onion?
2 shallots per onion.
What can I use instead of green chilli?
A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.

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