My life in the home stay is beyond words. I typically go to bed around 8 pm because I am SO cold. Forecast says it’s in the 40s but when it is raining and there is no heat indoors and you only have hot water (to drink) to warm you up, it’s cold. I then wake up around 6:20 am and again, grumble because it’s cold. Then I get out of bed because Dolma la does. (This morning she stayed in bed way late! 7am!) I fold up my blankets and put them at the head of the bed. Then I venture out in the cold and brush my teeth. (The bathroom is outside and downstairs and shared by many people.) Then I come back inside. Drink more hot water and pack up my backpack. Then Dolma la starts to make breakfast. This morning she made EGGS (kong a). Well, egg singular, but it was shim pa du (delicious)! In addition to this mornings egg, what we usually have is bread (pak lep but don’t say the k or the p so its ‘pa le’, however pa le also means ‘from a cow’ so ya).
Pale – Bread
About 6 handfuls of flour
1 tsp of baking powder (or soda.. but I’m pretty sure its powder)
in a medium skillet put some oil , enough to just lightly coat the pan (pam cooking spray would work for this but TII)
add warm water to the flour and baking powder
add enough water so that the dry mix begins to come off the side and forms a ball
knead
separate into palm sized patties and roll out to the diameter of whatever pan you’re using (I suggest using a reasonable size pan)
place the flattened dough into the pan
put lid on and cook for about a minute on each side (probably different because I’m in the mountains)
bread should be puffy and a light golden brown
Enjoy! (with peanut butter and jam!!!!! And a cup of tea of course)
I love Dolma las bread! And it is SO EASY!!! Just flour, water, and baking powder/soda (the reason why I can’t just look at the jar is because she has everything in un labeled jars) then you have deliciousness. It might be the oil. I think its sunflower seed oil but I’m not sure. With the bread I always have natural peanut butter (the kind that separates into oil and peanuts because there isn’t anything keeping it together, sorry Skippy/Jif, India wins here). I put on a little jam because I know she bought the jar for me and I feel bad not eating it. And of course, enough tea to float a boat. Then I try to help clean up but get yelled at to “shu!” (‘sit’). So I…drink more tea… then I leave for class by 7:45am.
I chat with my mom, sister and dad on the way to class. I dodge donkeys and monkeys, chat with some Tibetans (aka say hello), and make my way to Tibetan 102. I’m not qualified to be in this class but it is fun learning more Tibetan. Then I have my Tibetan Culture class or Buddhist Philosophy class then Tibetan 101 (still don’t think I’m qualified for this one but I have to start somewhere!). Then I usually try to find an internet café that works and that usually doesn’t happen so I go home and do some reading and “chat” with Dolma la or hang out with Michelle while she eats FRESH pudding (she’s doing fine but I give it one week until the bacteria forms, just wait). Then dinner. Dolma la is THE BEST COOK EVER (besides my real mom of course!). We have had a different thing every night and everything has been absolutely delicious. But… when I asked about dinner last night and she said ‘tsel momo’ VEG MOMO, I just about had a heart attack. MOMOS ARE THE BEST FOOD EVER! AND NOW I CAN MAKE THEM!
VEG MOMOs
You have no idea how excited I was that we were having MOMOS FOR DINNER!
Here’s how you make them! Yes I took a video and tons of pictures. I didn’t care what she thought of my incessant picture taking…
Wash and strain about 3 large handfuls of beautiful spinach (probably only found in India)
Finely chop the spinach
Put the chopped spinach in a bowl
Add salt to the spinach and massage the spinach (like washing your clothes in a bucket, by hand of course)
Squeeze the spinach until all the liquid is drained out (don’t be shy, she really gave that liquid a run for its money)
Take a block of da bur (we had quite the problem communicating about what da bur is, so I took a bite of it and figured out that it is tofu)
Thinly slice then dice half of the block of tofu into fine pieces
Add to the spinach
Finely chop one small onion
Add to the mix
Add in a lot more salt (like 3 tsp)
Put in some powder (NO clue what it was, I’ll snoop in the morning and stick my finger in it)
Oil the steamer
Put a cap full of oil into the spinach/tofu/onion/salt mix
Mix it really well and set aside!
Momo dough:
3 ladles and a bit of flour
add warm water until the dough forms a ball
add another handful of flour until dough is stiff
kneed, and kneed, and kneed
Separate the dough into small pieces
Roll them in the palm of your hand to form little balls then squish them into flat rounds
With a small rolling pin (or a metal pipe as Dolma la uses) roll into flat pancake looking things, but its not really rolling it out, its more of a pulling and rolling motion (I have a video and I’ll try and post it… TII)
Place a tablespoon (or more) of the filling in the center
Pinch the momos together in a very swift and talented manner (again, a video was necessary)
Place the momos in the steamer (doesn’t matter if you squish them in but only one layer per steamer session), cook for 15 minutes
THEN YOU HAVE DELICIOUS MOMOS THE BEST FOOD EVER.
Then I’m so cold that I brush my teeth with boiling water, plug my nose and go to the bathroom. Set up my bed. Write in my journal or do some reading (I’m currently reading ‘The Lacuna” by Barbara Kingsolver). Then I pass out because it is so cold and sleep is the only way to be cozy.
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