The weather in July, no matter which corner of the United States you happen to be in, does not necessarily call to mind a warm bowl of noodle soup. Unless you happen to have a case of the summer sniffles, which I sincerely hope is not what you are currently grappling with. But as I read about our grantee for this month, Rural Health & Education Service Trust (RHEST), and their Stop Girl Trafficking program that keeps at-risk girls in school – thereby reducing their susceptibility to trafficking, early marriage, and forced labor – I felt the need for something warm and comforting.

Nepalese Thupka (pronounced thuppa) is just that, a warm comforting hug in a bowl. A noodle soup with origins in Tibetan cuisine, there are many regional variations depending on the mix of vegetables used and the choice of protein. No matter the version, they are all a hearty, intensely flavorful, and a one-pot combination of vegatables, protein and starch. One Nepalese version uses chickpeas, potatoes, and chili chicken which seemed like the definition of comfort food, so that is the recipe I am sharing here. If you would like to keep it plant-based, feel free to leave out the chili chicken. There are no rules about the type of noodle one should use. I’ve seen recipes that use egg noodles to ones that use rice noodles. I’m using ramen style noodles. The chilli oil and fresh lime garnishes add to the flavor profile making it the perfect “hug in a bowl.”

Nepalese Thupka (with Chili Chicken)

Serving size: 4 entrée size portions

Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on if you are making the chili chicken)

Ingredients

For Thupka
1 pack of noodles of your choice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 inch ginger root, crushed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup onions, finely diced
1 cup potato, cubed and parboiled
1 cup cabbage, finely julienned
1 cup carrot, finely julienned
1 cup green bell pepper, julienned
1 cup tomato puree
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos)
1 teaspoon salt (plus more as needed, to taste)
Water, as needed

For Chili Chicken
170grams/6 ounces chicken breast (boneless, skinless), sliced into thin tenders
2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¼ cup avocado or vegetable oil

For garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 sprig of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 green chili pepper, sliced
Chili oil (to drizzle)

Equipment
Stewpan (non reactive)
Colander
Fry pan and slotted spoon (if making chili chicken)
Plate with paper towel (if making chili chicken)

Chili Chicken

If making chili chicken, marinate the chicken with the ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, soy sauce, and ketchup. (This can be done ahead and set aside to fry later.)

Set fry pan on medium heat and add the avocado or vegetable oil. Add the cornstarch and flour to the marinated chicken and mix to lightly coat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken and shallow fry until it is brown. Drain on the paper towel covered plate and set aside.

Noodles

Follow package instructions to cook noodles. Drain in colander and set aside.

Thupka

Set stewpan on medium heat. Add oil and when hot, add the cumin seeds. Warning: the cumin seeds will sputter, so watch for oil splatters! Reduce heat, add the onions, and stir until caramelized. Add the ginger and garlic and stir. Watch to ensure that the ginger garlic do not burn as that would impart a bitter taste.

Add the vegetables and potato and stir to combine. Add the dry spices: turmeric, chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt. Stir. Add the tomato puree and mix. Add water to make it to a soup-like consistency. Add the canned chickpeas.

Reduce the heat and allow the flavors to combine and the vegetables to cook but to still retain a bite (not get mushy). This should take about 15 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.

Assemble your bowl of Thupka. Start with a serving of the noodles in the base of the bowl. Ladle the stew over it. Add the chili chicken, then add the garnishes: fresh cilantro, green onion, slices of chili pepper, squeeze some lime juice and drizzle chili oil.

Enjoy your warm hug in a bowl.

Recipe and photo credit: Vinola V. Munyon