Sikkim Chhurpi Hard Yak Cheese Soup

Method

1. 1

   Understand chhurpi: Hard chhurpi is a very firm, dense dried cheese made from the buttermilk of yak milk (or cow milk in lower areas). It is extremely hard when dry — harder than parmesan — and is traditionally chewed as a snack like a very hard candy, softening slowly in the mouth over minutes. When cooked in liquid, it softens and releases a distinctive salty, slightly sour, deeply savoury flavour.

2. 2

   Cut the chhurpi: Cut hard chhurpi into small cubes — about 1 cm. Smaller pieces soften faster during cooking.

3. 3

   Heat oil in a soup pot: Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium. Add finely chopped garlic. Fry 30 seconds until golden.

4. 4

   Add ginger and chilli: Add grated ginger and slit green chilli. Stir 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Add spring onion: Add sliced spring onion (white parts). Stir 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Add the chhurpi pieces: Add the cut chhurpi pieces to the pot. Stir to coat with the garlic-ginger oil.

7. 7

   Add liquid: Add 4 cups vegetable stock or water. The chhurpi releases salt as it cooks — start with very little or no salt until you taste the finished soup.

8. 8

   Simmer: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. The chhurpi will soften slightly on the outside and release its savouriness into the broth. It will not fully dissolve — it retains its shape but becomes chewable.

9. 9

   Season: Add black pepper, soy sauce and salt only if needed (the chhurpi may have provided enough salt already). Taste the broth.

10. 10

    Serve: Ladle into bowls. Garnish with spring onion greens. The broth should be clear, deeply savoury and warming.

11. 11

    Note: Chhurpi is one of the most unique foods of the eastern Himalayan belt — a hard dried cheese made from yak milk that is chewed for hours as a snack or used as a cooking ingredient. In Sikkim and Darjeeling, hard chhurpi is sold in small pieces at markets and is the traditional snack of the Bhutia, Lepcha and Sherpa communities. Softer, fresh versions of chhurpi are also available — these have a texture similar to very firm paneer and are used differently in cooking.