Beyond momos: Tasting Ladakh through small plates

Young chefs from the region are elevating their diverse culinary traditions with energy and innovation

- Shirin Mehrotra

Ona quiet hill in Leh surrounded by willow trees and arid mountains lies chef Jigmet Mingyur’s 10-seater restaurant Tsam Khang.

The format is that of a tasting menu, which features dishes such as stinging nettle soups, foraged salads and stews. The nine-course meal includes food eaten in a Ladakhi home, albeit in small portions. Mingyur, who gave up his monkhood to follow his passion for food, previously worked at Prana, a restaurant in Goa where he picked up the art of creating small plates, later applying it to food from his home.

Ladakh’s food is far more complex than momos and thukpa. New-age chefs from the region now want to break away from the stereotypes and bring forth their homeland’s culinary bounty and biodiversity through carefully crafted tasting menus. “Serving big portions to guests is a mark of respect for us, but I wanted to showcase the diversity of our food through a multi-course menu,” says Mingyur, who initially set up Heritage Kitchen in Nubra Valley, where he designed a six-course menu comprising buckwheat crackers and Yarkhandi pulao.