Ingredients

3 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into ½ -inch pieces
1 cup fermented/sour bamboo shoots*
1 15.5 oz can black-eyed peas, drained (dried black-eyed peas can be substituted but must soak overnight)
2 medium tomatoes, medium dice
1 medium onion, medium dice
1/4 of a fresh red chili, chopped (adjust to taste)
1½ teaspoons cumin powder
1½ teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
Salt, to taste

Directions

Boil the potatoes and black-eyed peas until cooked (about 10-15 minutes). The potatoes should be tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, but not mushy, as they will cook further with the other ingredients at a later step.

Heat vegetable oil in a pot, then briefly fry the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add chopped onion, ginger paste, and garlic paste and cook until light brown.

Add fresh chili, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, and bamboo shoots and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cooked potatoes and black-eyed peas. Salt generously and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add 4 cups of water and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with rice.

*We found these bamboo shoots at an Asian store. Some recipes suggest using canned bamboo shoots with added lemon juice, but the canned shoots had a tinny taste. The fermentation process is essential to achieve the soup’s unique flavor, and there is truly no decent substitute. Kristina also reached out to her Nepali friends who confirmed that nothing else compares.

Country:
Nepal


Notes and Instructions

Recipe and photo credit: Kristina Skepton and Terri Tucker