I have not been to Bhutan yet, and I still haven't had the chance to taste authentic Ema Datshi.
But I love chillies -- the fiery kind, not the tame light green sitara stuff. And I love cheese. Put these two together, and you have got my attention.
I looked on web for a recipe of this traditional Bhutanese dish. To my surprise, it was wonderfully simple to make.
Ema Datshi, which is Bhutan’s revered dish, is built around these two main ingredients. And like some of the iconic dishes in the world, this dish derives its name from two main components. In the local Dzongkha language, ema means chilly, while datshi means cheese.
This recipe isn't the traditional Bhutanese version, but my humble take on the classic and made with ingredients that are easy to find at home.
Mumbai is usually all sunshine and humidity, but the monsoon changes everything. The cooler days make you crave something warm, spicy and soothing, and this dish fits the mood perfectly.
Ema Datshi is most often served with rice or tigmo (the soft Bhutanese steamed bread), but if all you have is a fresh pav or a slice of bread, go for it. Good food is meant to be enjoyed, not overcomplicated.
I was honestly quite happy with how it turned out. It may not be super authentic, but it was too delicious to not share.
Ema Datshi
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 2-3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 3-4 jalapenos, slit lengthwise
- 1 medium-sized green capsicum, sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped roughly
- 3-4 pods garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter or 1 tsp oil
- ½ cup water
- ¾ to 1 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar and processed cheese together)
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- Pinch black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, optional
Method
- Heat the butter or oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic.
Cook for 2-3 minutes till softened but don’t brown.
Add in the green chillies, tomatoes, capsicum and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the water and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables become tender.
Take off heat.
Add the cheese and stir gently.
Cover and let the cheese slowly melt via the residual heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper per taste.
Give it a gentle stir, and garnish with fresh coriander. - Serve hot.
Mayur's Note: Traditional Ema Datshi is made with yak milk cheese, but any good melting cheese works well for this home version.
Be mindful of the salt, as the cheese already has salt in it.
Remove some of the chilly seeds or use fewer chillies, if you don’t like it too spicy. BUT, the chillies are the star of the dish, so it's meant to have a good kick. You can replace jalapenos with light green chillies.
You may also add boiled chicken rendered boneless, prawns, sauteed mushroom, tofu or even boiled potato to level up the gravy.
