Kristin Teig (Courtesy W. W. Norton & Company)
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At the Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh, India, Tibetan Buddhist monks prepare restorative, richly seasoned meals that fortify the monastery’s residents through every season, including the bitterly cold winter months. This recipe for skyu, a creamy vegetable stew spiced with garam masala and bright turmeric, is much beloved by the Thiksey monks, where younger monks often take on the responsibility of shaping the stew’s thumbprint-size dumplings. As shared by author Jody Eddy in her book Elysian Kitchens, this stew is a testament to the collective wisdom and generosity of the Thiksey monks, and a balm to all who enjoy it in the stillness of the wintertime. (Feel free to substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk, and add as many of the dumplings as your guests can eat in one sitting, but no more—otherwise, the stew may be quite dense—and extra dumplings can be frozen for up to one month. At Thiksey, the monks often serve this stew with a spicy condiment called sepen, but you can use your favorite chile-based topping as needed.)
Adapted from Elysian Kitchens: Recipes Inspired by the Traditions and Tastes of the
