Bhutanese food recipes - Kewa Datshi (Potato with Cheese) and Phaksha Pa (Pork Curry)

Here I would like to share the recipes of the two Bhutanese dishes that I learn recently from my Bhutanese friends. Both dishes are very simple to make and can be whipped everywhere in the country, as the ingredients used are very easy to find, almost everywhere.

Kewa Datshi (Potato with Cheese)

Kewa Datshi or Bhutanese dish - Potato with cheese and chili

Ingredients:
- 4-6 pcs of potatoes (medium size)
- 1 pc of tomato
- 1 pc of white/red onion or shallot
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- 4-6 fresh red and/or green chili / dried chillies (whatever available at your country)

- 1-1.5 pcs of Datshi (Bhutanese handmade cheese) or 2 pcs of slice cheese

Ingredients required for Kewa Datshi or Potato with Cheese

Preparations:
1. Peel and wash the potato. Slice it round and thin.
2. Slice the tomato and onion.
3. Chop the garlic.
4. Wash and cut the dried chili into two or slice the fresh chili. Removal of the seed is optional.
5. Pour 2 cups of water into the pot.
6. Fill the sliced potatoes on it.
7. Pour some cooking oil and salt.
8. Put the sliced tomato, onion, garlic and chili on top of the potato, and let it boil. Ensure the water isn't too much or too little.
9. When the potato gets soften, add the mashed Datshi or slice cheese on top of it. Do not mix it. Just let it boil, and it's ready to eat.

Phak Sha Pa (Pork with Chili)

Phak Sha Pa - Bhutanese Pork with Chili :)

 Ingredients:
- 500 g of pork belly
- 1 pc of tomato
- 1 pc of white/red onion or shallot
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- 4-6 fresh red and/or green chili / dried chillies (whatever available at your country)
- Spring onion (optional)

 Preparations:
1, Wash the pork belly and slice it thinly about 2 inches width.
2. Slice the tomato and onion.
3. Chop the garlic.
4. Wash and cut the dried chili into two or slice the fresh chili. Removal of the seed is optional.
5. Pour 1 cup of water into the pot.
6. Fill the sliced pork belly on it.
7. Pour little bit of cooking oil and salt.
8. Cover the pot and let it boil until the pork cooked and water slightly reduced. If you use the pressure cooker, open it after 2-3 whistles.
9. Add the sliced tomato, onion, garlic and chili on top of the meat, cover and let it boil until it gets dried.
10. Stir it well and add spring onion (slice into half) into the curry until it gets soften, and it's ready to eat.

The beauty of cooking the Bhutanese food is that you can adjust the ingredients as per your taste bud. For example, for the Phak Sha Pa, you can add ginger paste in it if you like, or garlic. And there is no right or no wrong on how you cook it. Whether you want to boil the onion with tomato first or you just dump all the ingredients together with the potato for the Kewa Datshi, it is all entirely up to you as long as it's cooked and tastes delicious at the end! :)

I've been practicing these past one week on how to cook these two dishes with a guidance of Bhutanese who personally came to my house (read here), entered into my kitchen, and produced the more or less the same results. I was seeking advice from other Bhutanese staying oversea too to ensure that the steps I follow were correct. But again, like I said above, the steps were kind of flexible, and so do the ingredients. 

My teacher number 2 :D

Next time I will explore to cook other type of dish and if you want to send me recipes of other delicious Bhutanese food, please send it to my email or message me through the Google+ or Facebook and I'd love to try and practice it until I have enough confident to share the recipes with all of you.

Bhutanese dishes - Rice with Kewa Datshi, Phak Sha Pag and egg with cheese - Enjoy! :)

Voila!!! Serve the two dishes above with a steamed white/red rice and Bon Appetit!!!

Bhutanese Whiskey - K5

Accompany the dishes with K5!!!

Wonderful dinner serving Bhutanese and Singaporean food altogether!!! :)

And you can hold a wonderful dinner gathering with your fellow Bhutanese and other nationalities friends at your humble house!!! :)

It uses such simple ingredients and very easy to make. If I can do it, so you do!!! Zhey go bay gay!!! Let's cook, happy trying, and good luck!!! :)