Tibetan cuisine, I was disappointed to realize, was being confused by many as Chinese food. Absolutely not! Tibetan cuisine has its own flavour and aesthetic to it.
The first time I heard about “Thukpa” (a Tibetan noodle soup with vegetables and vegetable stock) I made a weird face probably because of the name. But I was lucky enough to have tried the first one at Ama restaurant- Majnu Ka Tila, and have fallen in love with it ever since!
Tibetan cuisine reflects the uniqueness of the Tibetan landscape of mountains and plateaus. The cuisine is heavily influenced by neighbouring countries such as India and Nepal, but it keeps its unique, nomadic character. This makes Tibet one of the most wonderful regions for foodies who like an experimental character in their palate.
These dishes have unusual names which are difficult to pronounce, but will become dear to your tongue the moment you take them in your mouth.
- Tingmo – steamed, layered bread.
- Laping – a spicy cold Moong bean noodle dish.
- Thukpa – soup or stew combined with noodles.
- Momos – (every Dilli wala’s jaan) is actually a South Asian dumpling native to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim. These are dumplings made with vegetables/ chicken/ beef fillings.
- Mokthuk- momo (dumplings) in soup.
Also, they’re all available in Delhi – so get cracking! Here is list of restaurants which serve these lip smacking dishes.
- Ama restaurant – Majnu Ka Tila
- Yeti – Hauz khas, GK 1
- Sera Met Restaurant- Majnu Ka Tila
- Pema’s – Malviya Nagar
- Himalayan Restaurant- Majnu Ka Tila
Although you’ll be able to find many known western or Chinese dishes at these restaurants but do try out the dishes never heard of. I’m sure you will almost certainly appreciate the experience.
So what are you waiting for?
