Shamu Datshi (Cheese Mushroom)

“Shamu Datsi”
it is prepared with different kinds of mushrooms. As Bhutan is blessed with a rich natural forest, which is a home to many species of mushrooms, we get to enjoy different varieties of mushrooms. During the mushroom season, people go mushroom picking in the forest.

I remember as a kid, on our way back from visiting our grand aunty in a far away village, how we came across those pretty orange Chanterelle peeking out of the fallen autumn leaves. It was so thrilling to collect them.

Another fond memory is, while we were at that village, our cousin invited us for lunch. So, he lead us down the hill to his house and just before we got there, we saw a beautiful big white mushroom standing tall, which he plucked and cooked for lunch. It was so delicious that i still dream of it and salivate!

Shamu Datsi with Sisi Shamu and Sangay Shamu are my two personal favourites. Actually i love all kinds of mushrooms

Instead of the usual cheese, today i tried a combination of vegan cheese and soya cream. This combination tasted very close to cheese. Simply yumyyyyy. Good vegan shamu datsi 

What to use:

1. 250 gr. Oyster Mushroom
2. 1 big Onion
3. 1 medium Tomato
4. 2 Chillies
5. 100 ml Water
6. 2 tbsp. Margarine/butter/oil
7. 30 gr. vegan cheese/ 30 gr. Feta Cheese
8. 2 tbsp. soya cream/ 1 slice of processed cheese

Procedures

1. Wash the mushroom, tomato and chillies. 
Break or cut the Mushrooms into stripes, half the chillies lengthwise and slice the tomato. Peel and rinse the onion, cut in half and into slices.

2. Heat the the margarine in a pot. 
Add in onions and let it sweat for 2-3 minutes.
 Throw in mushrooms and salt, and fry lightly together with the onions for 3 minutes.

3. Add the tomato and chillies and continue cooking for 2 minutes. 
Pour in water and sprinkle in the cheese, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

If you are using the normal cheese, then add water and both feta and sliced cheese together, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts. Stir gently and serve.

4. Reduce the flame to minimum . 
Let it sit for a minute and remove from the heat.

Kewa Datshi (Cheese Potato)

KEWA DATSHI

Unlike Ema Datshi, kewa datshi is less spicy and it's one of my favorite item that goes along with my meals. 
We find cheese in every culinary in the Bhutanese dish and it is one of the key ingredients that make up the Bhutanese dish so especial in it's own way.
 I am proud with those unique dish that we Bhutanese prepare. It is said that Bhutanese use too much of oil, which may lead to complications but it never happened. We the Bhutanese have been using those recipes kept with us by our Forefathers.
Kewa means "potato" and datshi means "cheese", if you can local cheese but if it is not available in your region then go with Amul Cheese or Processed cheese.

INGREDIENTS

     

1. 4 potatoes (as per the members who will be eating)
2. 1/3 cup of cheese, (Bhutanese local cheese, or almost any kind of white cheese)
3. 1/4 cup of chopped onions
4. 1 tbs oil
5. 1 tsp salt

   Procedure

Cut potatoes into small pieces. 

Put the potato along with some oil and salt in a saucepan or pot. 

Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water.

Cut the cheese into small pieces/mash it and spread over. Or when potato is almost cooked, add the cheese 

You can add some chopped onions and tomatoes to taste. 

Don't forget the chili powder. 

*You don't want too much water in this dish but don't let it dry up completely either.*

 Add little water every time it gets low.

shakam pa Recipee

Preparation
1. Cut the Sha-Kam in long strips around 8-10 cm long appox., and rinse thoroughly.Transfer into a pot, add water, oil and salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on a medium high heat. 

2. Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into long strips, and half the chillies lengthwise.

3. Give it a toss, add potatoes and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

4. Lower the flame, toss and add the chillies. Cover and cook on medium low flame for 5 minutes.

5. lower flame to minimum, toss gently, add 1-2 Tbsp of water if the potatoes are sticking to the pot. Stir and serve.

BHUTAN: EMA DATSHI recipee

This tiny enchanting and picturesque nation – Bhutan, nestled in the folds of the Himalaya impresses us not only with its spectacular scenery but also with its unique and unaffected cuisine. The Bhutanese cuisine celebrates simplicity by keeping its flavor pure and clean based on the local produce. Even though it is landlocked between India and China, there seems to be less influence from these two regions. It has its roots from the Tibetan cuisine, which was gradually adapted and evolved according to their homegrown produce. The country has a flair for using unique ingredients that stimulate all our senses. The local cheese and chili are the best examples.

The chili affair
Bhutanese have an undying love affair with chili peppers. Their journey with chilies begins from their infant age. Every dish in the Bhutanese cuisine invariably has copious amounts of chilies. People don’t touch the dish if it is not spicy enough. Despite the fact the chilies are not indigenous to Bhutan, it is probably the only cuisine in the world where chilies are considered a vegetable rather than as a spice or condiment. This South American crop is believed to have arrived via India with pilgrims and traders between the two countries. 

They are predominant in the Bhutanese diet. This could be mainly due to the fact that a hot/spicy food helps you stay warm and energized during extreme cold conditions. It is a natural way to keep oneself protected from the chill, especially in the olden days when homes didn’t have any heating system installed. As humans are not naturally habituated to eating such spicy food, the Bhutanese start training their children by introducing in small amounts and gradually increasing it as they grow.