Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Nepali Aloo Tama

尼泊爾竹筍薯仔湯

Nepali Aloo Tama — finished dish

Total time: 45 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Fermented bamboo shoots give this Nepali potato and black-eyed-pea soup its distinctive tang.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

400 g potatoes
180 g food-grade fermented bamboo shoots
240 g cooked canned black-eyed peas, drained
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1.2 L water

Seasoning

1 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp, adjust fine salt

Nepali Aloo Tama — ingredients

02

Tools

soup pot
cutting board
knife
wooden spoon
measuring cup

Nepali Aloo Tama — tools

03

Steps

Nepali Aloo Tama — Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 2 cm cubes

Step 1

Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 2 cm cubes

Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 2 cm cubes; chop onion and tomato.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Drain and shorten the fermented bamboo shoots

Step 2

Drain and shorten the fermented bamboo shoots

Drain and shorten the fermented bamboo shoots; taste a small piece to gauge sourness and salt.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Drain and rinse the canned cooked black-eyed peas to keep the broth clear

Step 3

Drain and rinse the canned cooked black-eyed peas to keep the broth clear

Drain and rinse the canned cooked black-eyed peas to keep the broth clear.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Heat oil in a soup pot and cook onion until soft and lightly golden

Step 4

Heat oil in a soup pot and cook onion until soft and lightly golden

Heat oil in a soup pot and cook onion until soft and lightly golden.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Add ginger-garlic paste and cook over medium heat for about one minute

Step 5

Add ginger-garlic paste and cook over medium heat for about one minute

Add ginger-garlic paste and cook over medium heat for about one minute until fragrant.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Add turmeric and cumin

Step 6

Add turmeric and cumin

Add turmeric and cumin, stirring briefly without scorching the spices.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Add chopped tomato and cook until softened into the spiced base

Step 7

Add chopped tomato and cook until softened into the spiced base

Add chopped tomato and cook until softened into the spiced base.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Add potato cubes and fermented bamboo shoots

Step 8

Add potato cubes and fermented bamboo shoots

Add potato cubes and fermented bamboo shoots, tossing to coat in the base.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Pour in 1

Step 9

Pour in 1

Pour in 1.2 litres water, bring to a boil, then simmer about 15 minutes.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Add cooked black-eyed peas and simmer about 8 minutes more

Step 10

Add cooked black-eyed peas and simmer about 8 minutes more

Add cooked black-eyed peas and simmer about 8 minutes more, until potatoes pierce easily.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Taste the broth before adding salt because the bamboo shoots may already be salty

Step 11

Taste the broth before adding salt because the bamboo shoots may already be salty

Taste the broth before adding salt because the bamboo shoots may already be salty.

Nepali Aloo Tama — Ladle into four bowls with plenty of liquid and serve hot as soup

Step 12

Ladle into four bowls with plenty of liquid and serve hot as soup

Ladle into four bowls with plenty of liquid and serve hot as soup.

Common mistakes

Do not use untreated raw bamboo shoots.
Salting before tasting can make the fermented-shoot broth too salty.

Tips

Use commercially prepared edible fermented bamboo shoots and already cooked beans; no bean soaking is needed.