Bhutan...Fire in the Himalayas

There is a saying in Bhutan...If you visited Bhutan, and did not eat Ema Datshi, you haven't been to Bhutan. The national dish of this Himalayan country, Ema Datshi is a dish so hot, it is almost impossible for a Westerner to eat without being toned down quite a bit. I was forced to use only half the chili peppers this dish customarily has. I only used a quarter pound of the little fire crackers.

I cut up a quarter pound of green chili peppers. Do not seed. This dish is supposed to be HOT! Next, I chopped a large sweet onion. These were put in a cup and a half of water, and boiled, with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Boil for about ten minutes. Then, 2 chopped tomatoes, and five crushed cloves of garlic are added, and boiled for a couple of more minutes. Then eight ounces of feta cheese is added.

This needs to be served with rice so that you don't literally burn your mouth out. If you want to make this more authentic, you would have to double upon the peppers. That's right...half a pound of the hot stuff is used for this dish. I also put a pound of beef cubes in mine. This is traditionally a vegetarian dish. The majority of the population of Bhutan is Buddhist; but some do eat yak meat. They also eat yak cheese. I have no idea where you will find authentic yak cheese, unless your neighbor happens to have a yak laying around somewhere. The Bhutanese eat rice with every meal; and, they put peppers in everything. I have noted that countries that have historically suffered from poverty...Bhutan...Korea...parts of LA...use a lot of spices in their food. I imagine that is because it makes you feel full faster. Also, in places like India, it helps you cool off. At any rate...it sure is delicious!

EMA DATSHI:

1/4 pound Green Chillies, seeds left in
1 chopped large Onion
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz Feta Cheese
5 cloves Garlic, chopped or pressed
2 tsp Vegetable Oil