Sha Phaley

Fried meat-stuffed bread pockets — minced beef or pork mixed with cabbage, ginger, garlic, spring onion, and Sichuan pepper enclosed in a round of unleavened dough, folded into a half-moon, sealed firmly, and deep-fried in oil until the exterior is golden-brown and blistered. The Sikkimese and Tibetan sha phaley (also spelled shabalay) is the Himalayan answer to the samosa or empanada; the Sichuan pepper in the filling is the identifying flavour note, delivering a numbing, citrusy tingle on the palate along with the pork and cabbage filling. Sold at every market stall in Gangtok's MG Road; eaten as a snack with hot sauce or as a meal alongside thukpa.