Staples & Mains
Gundruk ko Jhol
गुन्द्रुकको झोल
Gundruk is leafy greens that have been fermented and then sun-dried, and boiling it into a thin soup with potatoes, tomatoes and soybeans gives you one of the most distinctive flavours in Nepali cooking: sour, smoky and deeply savoury. It was born of necessity, a way to keep vegetables through the winter months when nothing grows. Nepalis eat it with rice or dhido, and it is the classic partner to a cold evening.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
At the stove
Method
Soak the gundruk in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain it well and squeeze out the excess liquid.
Dry-roast the soybeans in a pan until they darken and start to crack, which takes the raw edge off and adds a nutty note.
Heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, then drop in the fenugreek and mustard seeds and let them pop and darken; do not let the fenugreek burn black or the soup will turn bitter.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry until the onion is soft and lightly browned.
Tip in the drained gundruk and stir it around for 2 to 3 minutes over the heat until the sour fermented aroma rises sharply.
Stir in the turmeric, cumin and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes collapse into a rough paste.
Pour in the water, add the roasted soybeans and potato chunks, and season with salt.
Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has turned cloudy and tart; scatter with coriander and serve with rice or dhido.
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