Tibetan Thukpa — Hearty Mountain Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• For the broth
• 1 kg yak or mutton bones, rinsed
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 300 g yak or mutton, boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 30 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 dried chillies, whole
• For the hand-made noodles
• 400 g plain wheat flour
• 220 ml water, slightly more than standard wheat noodle dough requires — for altitude pliability
• 1 tsp salt
• To finish
• 150 g seasonal vegetables, e.g. cabbage or leafy greens, roughly chopped
• to taste salt
• Optional topping
• 60 g chhurpi (hard yak cheese), broken into small pieces; softens in the hot broth

Method

1. 1
   Place the bones in a large pot with the cold water. Bring to a simmer — at altitude this occurs at 90–95°C rather than 100°C. Skim diligently. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, and dried chillies. Maintain a steady simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, longer if the lower boiling point is yielding a thin extraction. The broth is ready when it is deeply coloured, rich with yak fat, and carries a robust, slightly funky depth.
2. 2
   Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the water gradually, mixing to a firm but pliable dough — the higher hydration than standard wheat noodles is essential at altitude, where a drier dough will crack and fail to hold together through extended cooking. Knead until smooth. Rest, covered, for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it yields smoothly under the heel of the hand without springing back sharply.
3. 3
   Divide the dough and roll or pull into thick noodles — hand-cut or hand-pulled, substantially thicker than low-altitude equivalents. Thin noodles will not survive the extended simmering required at altitude and will collapse to mush. This is where the dish lives or dies: noodles cut too thin will disintegrate in the broth, leaving nothing of substance; cut thick, they remain resilient and satisfying. The noodles are ready when they hold a firm, even thickness throughout.
4. 4
   Strain the finished broth, discarding the bones and aromatics. Return the broth to the pot and add the pieces of boneless yak or mutton meat. Simmer — again at the altitude-reduced temperature — until the meat is fully tender. Season assertively with salt; the Tibetan palate demands robust seasoning to counter the cold. Taste: the broth must be rich and fortifying.
5. 5
   Add the vegetables to the simmering broth and cook until just softened. Add the fresh noodles directly to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked through but still carry substance — longer than low-altitude noodle cooking. The noodles are done when they are tender throughout with no raw flour taste, yet retain enough body to be lifted cleanly from the broth.
6. 6
   Ladle into deep bowls, distributing meat, vegetables, and noodles evenly. Scatter chhurpi over the surface if using; it will soften gradually in the residual heat of the broth. Serve immediately.