Khapse
Deep-fried Tibetan festival pastry — wheat flour dough enriched with butter, rolled thin, cut into strips or shaped into elaborate twisted, knotted, or plaited forms, and deep-fried in oil or clarified butter until crisp and pale golden. Made in enormous quantities at the Losar (Tibetan New Year) festival, Bumchu (sacred water festival at Tashiding monastery), and Buddhist ceremonial occasions; the shapes carry symbolic meanings — ear shapes, wheel shapes, and long braids each signifying different auspicious qualities. Not heavily sweetened; the flavour is of butter-fried dough with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Stacked in decorative pyramids as offerings at monastery altars before being distributed to devotees.
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 1 cup | sugar |
| 2 tablespoons | butter |
| 1 teaspoon | baking powder |
| 1 pinch | salt |
| 1 cup | water |
| — | oil for deep frying |
Instructions
- 1 In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
- 2 Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- 3 Gradually add water to the mixture, kneading to form a smooth and firm dough.
- 4 Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- 5 Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a thin sheet.
- 6 Cut the rolled dough into desired shapes, traditionally twisted or knotted.
- 7 Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- 8 Once the oil is hot, carefully add the shaped dough pieces and fry until they are golden brown and crispy.
- 9 Remove the fried khapse from the oil and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- 10 Allow the khapse to cool completely before serving.
Tips
For a more traditional flavor, you can add a pinch of cardamom powder to the dough.