Newari Specialties
Sapu Mhicha
सःपू म्हिचा
Sapu mhicha is a small pouch of buffalo leaf tripe packed with bone marrow, tied shut with thread, boiled and then deep-fried until the outside crisps. It is a delicacy of high-feast Newar cooking, served after the main dishes and famously offered to a son-in-law visiting his wife's family. The way to eat it is to put the whole parcel in your mouth, bite it off at the knot and let the marrow flood out — which is exactly why people either adore it or refuse it outright.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 h 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
At the stove
Method
Scrub the tripe repeatedly in salted water with a little turmeric until it smells clean, then rinse and drain it.
Cut the tripe into squares roughly 10 cm across and carefully separate the layers to open each square into a small bag.
Season the diced marrow with the ginger, garlic, cumin, timur, chilli powder, turmeric and half the salt.
Fill each tripe bag with a spoonful of the seasoned marrow, gather the open edge and bind it tightly with cotton thread, leaving a short tail. Do not overfill — the marrow expands as it melts.
Lower the parcels into simmering water with the bay leaves and the remaining salt, and poach gently for 35 to 45 minutes until the tripe is tender and no longer rubbery.
Lift them out and let them drain and dry completely; any surface water will spit in the oil.
Heat the mustard oil until shimmering and fry the parcels in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until the outside is browned and blistered.
Drain and serve immediately while the marrow inside is still liquid, with beaten rice and a sharp achar to cut the richness.
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