Staples & Mains
Sukuti
सुकुटी
Sukuti is meat, usually buffalo or goat, that has been salted, spiced and air-dried into hard strips, then rehydrated and cooked into a chewy, intensely savoury dish. A staple of the Limbu people, who call it sakhekya, it began as a way of carrying protein through mountain winters when fresh meat was scarce. Today it is equally at home as a rice accompaniment or as the standard snack in a bhatti with a glass of raksi.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Soak the dried sukuti in warm water for about 30 minutes so it softens enough to handle, then drain it well.
Tear or cut the softened strips into bite-sized pieces, following the grain of the meat where you can.
Dry-roast the pieces briefly in a hot pan without oil until they smell smoky and toasted, then set them aside.
Heat the mustard oil until faintly smoking, add the fenugreek seeds and jimbu, and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Fry the onions until well browned, then stir in the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and timur.
Add the tomatoes and green chillies and cook them down until the mixture thickens and the oil separates.
Return the sukuti to the pan with a cup of water, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is tender but still pleasantly chewy.
Finish with lemon juice and coriander, and serve with beaten rice or as a side to dal bhat.
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