Thukpa - Tibetan Noodle Soup - My Soul Food

Updated with new pic on 03/10/2015

Preoccupied posted a picture of Thukpa , that she had in a Tibetan Cafe on her FB page and since then I am craving to have one.

Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup, that was introduced to me when I was 10 and residing in Siliguri, a small but booming town on the banks of the Mahananda River and the foothills of the Himalayas. Due to its close proximity to Darjeeling and Gangtok, there is a strong Nepalese and Tibetan influence in the the culture of Siliguri, especially when it comes to street food. Thukpa (Noodle Soup) and Momo (Dim-sum, steamed or fried) are the two most famous Tibetan food that you get across India.

Thukpas are generally meat based but you get vegetarian version as well. Its a a light soup with load of fresh vegetables and tons of flavor. It can be made spicy or mild as per your taste. Its a wholesome and very heartwarming - a true comfort food. I call it Soul Food, because it soothes me from inside and enriches me.

You can use any vegetables for this soup. I used carrots, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, red bell peppers, mushrooms and spinach. Its usually made with either egg noodles or rice noodles, but I'll make it with whole wheat thin spaghetti, because that's the only thing have in hand. This is fairly simple recipe, but requires a little prep work.

Recipe Snapshot: Thukpa - Tibetan Noodle Soup Serves: 3 serving Serves: 4 serving (1 serving = 1 cup) What I used: Chicken Thighs - 2 portions, cut into bite size pieces Whole Wheat Thin Spaghetti - 1/2 lb Chicken Stock - 2 lb carton Carrots - ¼ cup, julienned Green Beans - ¼ cup, julienned Cabbage - ¼ cup, julienned Red Bell Pepper - ¼ cup julienned Mushrooms - ¼ cup, sliced Broccoli - ¼ cup Baby Spinach - a handful Tomatoes - 1, chopped Onion - 1 medium sliced Ginger - 1 tsp minced Garlic - 1 tsp minced Cumin Powder - ½ tsp Lemon Juice - Juice of 1 lemon Coriander Leaves for garnish Salt Freshly Cracked Pepper Prep Work: 1. Cook the spaghetti a little shy of al dente.  2. Chop the carrots, green beans, cabbage and red bell pepper in to thin juliennes.  3. Slice the mushrooms and onions and mince the ginger and garlic. 4. I used frozen broccoli. Hence I thawed it in the microwave for 3 minute in salted water. 5. Chop two chicken thighs into bite size pieces. What I did: 1. In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil and add the onions and saute till translucent. 2. Add the minces ginger and garlic and fry till the raw smell of garlic is gone. 3.Add the chicken pieces and fry till the chicken pieces are opaque. 4. Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin powder, salt and black pepper. Cook till the chicken is done. (If possible, use crushed Szechuan  peppercorn, its more authentic. I would have loved to add a tsp of chili paste or Sambal Oelek at this point, but since Lil Sid will have this too, I avoided it. Please add a teaspoon of any chili paste you fancy, if you love your Thukpa spicy hot!) 5. Add the mushroom and fry till the mushroom looses its raw flavor. 6. Add all the veggies except broccoli and spinach. If using fresh broccoli, you can add them at this point. 7. Once the veggies are well sauteed, add the chicken. I used an entire carton of a 2 lb low sodium and low fat chicken stock. Let it come to a boil. 8. Now add the broccoli and spinach and cook for a minute. 9. Add the little under-cooked spaghetti and let it cook for a minute. Check and adjust the seasonings. 10. Remove from flame and add juice of a lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro/ coriander leaves. 11. Serve and enjoy! UPDATE as on 03/10/2015: Today I made this wonderful Thukpa again but with some modifications. Lets just call it the Cheater's version. Firstly, I used store bought shredded Rotisserie chicken. Secondly, I used Frozen Veggies.  Thirdly, I used Macaroni instead of egg noodles. Since I was eating alone I added heaped spoonful of chili-garlic paste, while sauteing the veggies. It was divine.

Since Little Sid is also going to have this, I have kept the Thukpa pretty mild. To spice it up for me and Sam, I'll serve it will green chilies-in-vinegar, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce.

Updated with new pic on 03/10/2015

Diabetic Platter: Thukpa is a wholesome and nutritious soup. It has loads of veggies and lean protein in the form of chicken. The whole wheat spaghetti boosts up the fiber and complex carb quotient. It is cooked in little oil. A perfect lunch and dinner option.