Jaju

Ingredients

Base

• 300 gturnip, peeled and diced
• or 200 g spinach, roughly chopped
• 400 mlwater
• 1onion, sliced
• 2garlic cloves, sliced

To finish

• 500 mlwhole milk
• 50 gbutter
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• black pepper

Sometimes added

• 1green chilli, split
• a handful of datshi or feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoonsrice, to thicken

To serve

• red rice
• ema datshi and other dishes

Directions

1. Peel the turnip and cut it into small dice. Wash spinach thoroughly if you are using it. Chop it roughly and set it aside. Slice the onion and the garlic. Put the water in a pot with the onion and garlic.
2. Bring the water up to a full boil. Add the diced turnip to the pot. Simmer it for about twelve minutes. The turnip should be tender all the way through.
3. Add the split chilli now if you want a little heat. They need only two or three minutes. Pour in the milk and stir it through. Bring it back to a bare simmer. Never let it boil hard after the milk is in.
4. Let it cook gently for five minutes. Finishing it is simple enough. Add the butter and let it melt through. It should form small golden pools on the surface.
5. Season it with the salt and black pepper. Taste it and adjust the salt again. It should be mild and gently savoury.
6. Crumble in a little datshi or feta if you want. Stir until it just begins to melt. Do not let it cook long or it goes stringy.
7. Add a couple of spoonfuls of rice with the turnip. The soup should still be pourable. Ladle it into bowls at the table. People eat a spoonful between mouthfuls of the hot dishes.

Technique

• Bhutanese red rice is the everyday grain and is what jaju is normally eaten with.
• Datshi is the fresh Bhutanese cheese used in ema datshi and other dishes.

Substitutions

• Feta crumbled finely stands in for datshi, though it is saltier.
• Any leafy green can replace spinach, and mustard greens are used in some households.

Variations

• A version made with fern shoots is eaten in season.
• Some households add dried chilli for a little more warmth.
• A richer version uses more butter and cheese and less water.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jaju?

Jaju is a soup & stew from Bhutan: milk and butter soup with turnip or spinach, mild against the national chilli heat.

How long does Jaju take to make?

Jaju takes 10 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Jaju?

Yes, within limits. Feta crumbled finely stands in for datshi, though it is saltier. Any leafy green can replace spinach, and mustard greens are used in some households.

What is the most important thing to get right in Jaju?

Add the split chilli now if you want a little heat. They need only two or three minutes. Pour in the milk and stir it through. Bring it back to a bare simmer. Never let it boil hard after the milk is in.