Ladakh Skyu Thumb Shaped Barley Dumpling Root Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• For skyu dumplings:
• 2 cups barley flour or whole wheat flour
• Warm water to knead — approximately 2/3 cup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the stew:
• 2 medium potatoes — cubed
• 1 medium turnip — cubed
• 1 medium onion — roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves — crushed
• 1 tsp ginger — sliced
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 4 cups water or yak bone broth
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Fresh coriander

Method

1. Make skyu dough: combine flour and salt. Add warm water and knead into a firm smooth dough. Rest 15 minutes.
2. Shape skyu: pinch off a marble-sized piece of dough.
3. Press it flat against your thumb creating a small curved shell shape with a thumb-print indentation — this is the distinctive skyu shape. Repeat with all the dough.
4. Make the stew: bring 4 cups water or broth to a boil.
5. Add onion, garlic, ginger, dried red chillies and turmeric.
6. Add potato and turnip cubes. Cook 8 minutes.
7. Add all the shaped skyu pieces to the simmering broth.
8. Cook 12 to 15 minutes — they will float when cooked and the broth will thicken from the flour.
9. Add butter. Season with salt. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot in deep bowls.