Shakpa (Shyakpa): Traditional sherpa stew

What else can warm you up better during cold winters than a hot soupy noodle, right? Shyakpa/Shakpa, an easy-to-make and nutrition-packed dish, is a traditional stew popular among the Sherpa community.

Shakpa might be something new to you, but this is a widely consumed delicacy among the Sherpas that have been passed down from generation to generation. 

This flavorful soup with hand-pulled noodles is a perfect dish to warm you up in the extreme climates of higher altitudes and fight against the cold.

So now let’s dive deeper into what the traditional Sherpa stew Shyakpa is and a quick recipe to make it!

What is Shakpa/Shyakpa?

Sherpa stew, known as Shakpa or Shyakpa, is a traditional dish among the Sherpa community. This traditional Sherpa cuisine doesn’t have a specific recipe but the primary ingredients that go into it are the same; hand-pulled dough strips, meat chunks, and vegetables. 

The Sherpas enjoy Shyakpa in the cold climate of higher regions to warm their body. These hot soupy noodles might also help you fight against the cold. 

This simple yet hearty dish is full of flavors which is not only popular among the people of the Himalayas but also loved by those outside of the Sherpa community who have tried it.

Shyakpa is similar to Tibetan Thukpa but a little bland in taste compared to the Thukpa. The difference between Shakpa and Thukpa also lies in the noodles as Thukpa has long and thin noodles whereas Shakpa has thick and hand-pulled flat dough strips as the noodle.

In Kathmandu, it is also known by the name Thenthuk, which you can find in most Tibetan restaurants. 

You can find Shyakpa in a few restaurants run by Sherpas in other parts of Nepal and whoever has tried it comes back to try it again.

Easy-to-Make Shakpa Recipe

Having daal-bhat every day as your meal can be boring. On top of that, due to the cold climate of high-altitude regions, the crop production rate is very low which leads to a limited supply of crops. 

And as the roadways to most of the Himalayan regions are challenging and airways cost way too much, the transportation of goods is very expensive which is why the price of rice, lentils, etc. costs very high.

In such a situation, people of the Himalayas opted for Shyakpa as an alternative staple food as it brings variety to the table as well as saves some money.

Shyakpa, the traditional Sherpa stew, is a comfort food you may choose to have during cold winter days even at home as it can be made simply with the ingredients present at home. 

There is no specific recipe for Shyakpa as people add all kinds of ingredients to it as their heart desires. But this is what makes Shyakpa so unique each time you have it.

Shyakpa is simple to make yet healthy and also perfect for the chilly weather. So without further ado let's jump right into the recipe of Shyakpa!

Ingredients:

• Vegetables (Carrot, Radish, Potato, Bok choy, Garlic, Ginger, Chilly)

• Meat of your choice

• Ghee/Oil/Butter

• Flour

Method:

1. First, cut the vegetables of your choice after washing them properly. Here I am including carrots, radishes, potatoes, and Bok choy as the vegetables that go into Shakpa.

2. Also, cut some garlic and ginger for a flavorful soup.

3. Then, leave all the vegetables to boil together in a pot. Leave Bok choy aside to add as the last step.

4. Now cut some meat of your choice. 

5. Prepare a frying pan by adding some ghee, oil or butter, and turmeric. Then add the meat to the pan and fry it well.

6. Once the meat is fried, add it to the boiling pot of vegetables along with the required spices and salt.

7. To make noodles, add water little by little to the flour and mix well until a dough is formed.

8. Then roll the dough using a rolling pin into a flat rectangle and cut it into uniform strips.

9. Now pull the long rectangular strips one by one and drop the torn dough into the boiling pot.

10. Finally, add bok choy as the last step, and boil for some minutes.

11. Voila! Your Shakpa is ready. Serve hot and enjoy this traditional Tibetan stew with your friends and family.

Note: The main ingredients that go into the stew are meat, hand-pulled noodles, and vegetables. You can add any vegetables and meat of your choice.