Recipes
Traditional Mixing Directions
Tsampa is the traditional food of the Tibetan people. Try it the way they do:
Wash your hands. Put 1 Tbs soft butter and 3 Tbs hot tea, milk or water in a bowl. If you like, add a dash of salt and/or a bit of honey. Mix in about 3 Tbs of tsampa until it forms a solid, formable, mass of porridge. You might have to vary the proportions to get it just the way you like it. While the tsampa is still warm, eat it bite by bite with hot tea, milk or soup.
You can make your tsampa as think or as thin as you like. Some people like to add dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, sugar, maple syrup, etc. In Tibet, they sometimes mix tsampa with a dried cheese for a savory snack.
Here are a few modern ideas, with recipes below:
Mix some tsampa into yogurt and fruit
add to a smoothie
Substitute up to 1/3 for wheat flour in any recipe for a nice flavor and texture and more fiber. Tsampa does not have as much gluten as wheat, so if you use more than 1/3, the goods will not rise so well.
Dredge chicken or fish in tsampa before pan-frying.
Use to thicken soups.
HAVE FUN AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION! You can’t go wrong with tsampa!
Please try the following recipes, and do let me know if you come up with any other ideas!
Very Purple Purple Mountain Pancakes
½ cup Purple Mountain PURPLE tsampa
¾ cup all purpose unbleached white, or white-whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
oil for the frying pan
Whisk the milk, egg, and butter together in a medium bowl. Mix together he dry ingredients in a small bowl, and then add the dry to the wet ingredients until just blended. Stir in the blueberries.
Heat a large frying pan, and add some oil to the pan. Use about 2-3 Tbs of batter for each pancake. Flip carefully when bubbles appear, and start to pop on the surface, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the pancakes are browned and cooked inside.
Serve with melted butter and warm maple syrup.
Chocolate - Pecan Tsampa Balls
1 cup tsampa
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
drop of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
brewed coffee or water
Melt the butter, cocoa and sugar together with some coffee or water to form a smooth sauce. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Put all the other ingredients in a food processor, and pour the chocolate over that. Pulse until combined, or mix well by hand. Add just enough water, a bit at a time, until the mixture holds together. Form the mixture into balls, using a spoon. To finish, roll the balls in finely ground pecans and/or cocoa.
Honey-Almond-Date Tsampa Balls
1 cup tsampa
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
drop of almond extract
pinch of salt
orange juice or water
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined, or mix well by hand. Add just enough orange juice or water, a bit at a time, until the mixture holds together. Form the mixture into balls, using a spoon. To finish, roll the balls in finely ground almonds, or press one whole almond into the top of each ball.
Maple-Walnut Tsampa Balls
1 cup tsampa
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or to your taste)
drop of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
water
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined, or mix well by hand. Add just enough water, a bit at a time, until the mixture holds together. Form the mixture into balls, using a spoon. To finish, roll the balls in finely ground walnuts and/or cinnamon.