Aloo Tama (आलू तामा (Aloo tama))
Overview
Aloo tama is a sour and spicy Nepali soup of fermented bamboo shoots, potatoes and black-eyed beans. Tama is the name for young bamboo shoots that have been sliced and fermented, which gives them a strong tangy taste. They are fried in mustard oil with fenugreek seeds, cumin, turmeric, garlic and ginger, then simmered with potatoes, tomatoes and cooked black-eyed beans until the broth is thick and orange. Some versions include dried meat or fish. The soup is eaten with rice or beaten rice, and its sour flavour is especially valued in the cooler months.
History
Aloo tama is a dish of the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley and is now cooked all over Nepal and in the hills of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Fermenting bamboo shoots is an old way of keeping the spring harvest, and tama is sold in jars at markets. It is a favourite dish at feasts and family meals, and many Nepalis living abroad keep it as a taste of home.
Main ingredients
Fermented bamboo shoots, potato, black-eyed beans, tomato, turmeric, cumin. The soup is built on bamboo shoot broth and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Tomato soups · Potato soups · More soups from Nepal
Recipe
Method
- 1
Heat the oil until smoking and fry the fenugreek seeds until dark.
- 25 min
Add the garlic, ginger, spices and potatoes and fry for 5 minutes.
- 3
Add the bamboo shoots and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes break down.
- 425 min
Add the beans and 1 l water and simmer for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the broth thickens.
- 5
Season and serve with rice.
- ✓
Serve. About 1 h from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
