Kunzes Angmo, a food researcher and entrepreneur, is attempting to revive Ladakhi cuisine in interesting ways through her Instagram page @artisanalalchemy.

Kunzes attempts to document the expanse of Ladakhi culture through elaborate feasts, giving a peek into the history of the dish and how it came to be included in mainstream cuisine.

1. Yarkhandi Plou The dish is a symbol of grandeur as its hero ingredient is rice, which does not usually grow in the arid Himalayas. The flavour of the dish is enhanced with julienned carrots, nuts, raisins, big pieces of meat on the bone, and lots of animal fat.

2. Sngam‐thuk The dish combines rus-ku (bone broth) and sngamphe (roasted barley flour) into a serving that is a powerhouse of nutrients, amino acids, gelatin, collagen, and more.

3. Khambir This local whole-wheat sourdough flatbread is leavened overnight and baked on fire. The lactic acid during the fermentation process leaves a sour taste.

4. Chhu tagi Sugu-chhutagi, a bow-tie-like whole-wheat pasta cooked with goat trotters in its broth, and skyu, thumbprint pasta cooked with mutton, some potatoes and shade-dried greens, make a wholesome meal.

5. Drapu While apricot kernels are said to cause cyanide poisoning, a traditional Drapu dish has more than half a cup of kernels. However, ethnic groups have adapted to these kernels, says Kunzes, and find nothing harmful about it.

6. Skyu “The dish includes freshly ground pepper for the heat and fresh cilantro and celery greens for seasoning. For added spice, it’s thangyaer (yellow Manali chili) chutney and Tibetan martza for the sides,” says Kunzes.

7. Thukpa Zathuk Made from zatsod (Urtica hyperborea), the dish is thickened with sgnamphey (roasted barley flour). Freshly ground black pepper is added for heat and some dried chin-tse (Chinese celery) and cilantro for seasoning.

8. Mokmok Kunzes writes, “Mokmok meals for most of us in Ladakh are a communal/family activity, where making the dumplings together is as much a part of the meal as eating it, often with small breaks between platefuls. Something that can never be replicated in a restaurant…”

9. Daerka During the New Year festivities, the Losar table is decked with a daerka of sweet and salty khura (a snack deep fried in oil with sugar and milk), yak-schae, bosorok, topped with pichung and yarr.

10. Lama Pakthuk The lama pakthuk is a pasta/dumpling that’s shaped like a small flat-fronted bullet, preventing it from becoming mushy when boiled.

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