Chura sabzi (Arunachali cheese and chilli)
Vegetarian
Soft, sour fresh cheese (chura) simmered with plenty of green chillies, onion, tomato and garlic into a rich, fiery stew. A daily dish of the Monpa and Sherdukpen people of western Arunachal Pradesh.
Chura sabzi (Arunachali cheese and chilli) is an Indian curry, ready in about 30 minutes and made with soft chhurpi (himalayan fresh cheese) and green chilli. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 113
Method
Step 1
Put the chillies, onion (opens in a new tab) and oil in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) with the water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the chillies are soft.
- 10 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Wash your hands well after handling a lot of chillies, and keep them away from your eyes.
How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels Step 2
Add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) and cook for 3 minutes more.
- 3 min
- medium heat
Step 3
Scatter the crumbled chura (opens in a new tab) over, add the salt and cover. Cook on low heat for 4–5 minutes without stirring until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce, then stir gently. Finish with coriander.
- 5 min
- low heat
Do not boil hard once the cheese is in, or it turns grainy.
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, India · Commonly attributedClosely related to Bhutanese ema datshi; the cheese is made from cow's or yak's milk.Also popular in BhutanMore food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Side dishes
- Cooking method
- Simmered
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), creamy, sour, savoury
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style - Good for
- Everyday · One-pot
- Cook more with
- Green chilli · Onion · Tomato · Garlic
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom soft chhurpi (himalayan fresh cheese)
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
113 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 196 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 24%
- Carbohydrate 33%
- Fat 44%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 113 kcal | 58 kcal |
| Protein | 7 g | 3.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.6 g | 4.9 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 8.2 g | 4.2 g |
| Sugars | 4.9 g | 2.5 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 1.4 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 5.7 g | 2.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.1 g | 0.6 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 9 mg | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 455 mg | 233 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.1 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 281 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 20 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 49 µg
- Vitamin C
- 80 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 23 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
- Soft chhurpi (Himalayan fresh cheese): Cottage cheese used as a stand-in; soft chhurpi (chura) is a fresh, crumbly, mildly sour cheese made from buttermilk curds of cow's or yak's milk.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Some Monpa cooks add dried fern tips, mushrooms, potatoes or beans to stretch the dish.
Common mistakes
- Stirring vigorously after adding the cheese, which makes it stringy.
Serve with
- Serve with plain or red rice and a clear soup.
Storage
- Keeps 2 days refrigerated.
Reheating
- Reheat gently with a splash of water, without boiling.
Variations
- Chura with potatoes: Cubes of boiled potato are added with the tomato for a milder, fuller dish.
- Dried-chilli chura: Made in winter with soaked dried red chillies instead of fresh green ones.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Soft chhurpi (Himalayan fresh cheese), soft fresh chhurpi, crumbled200 g
- Green chilli, slit lengthwise; seed some for less heat120 g
- Tomato, chopped1 piece · 120 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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