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Bhutanese

Kewa datshi

Vegetarian

ཀེ་ཝ་དར་ཚིལ · kewa datshi

A milder Bhutanese favourite of sliced potatoes cooked with green chillies, onion and tomato, then simmered with melting cheese into a comforting, creamy stew.

Kewa datshi is a Bhutanese stew, ready in about 35 minutes and made with potato and datshi (bhutanese cheese). It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
Plate of kewa datshi, potatoes cooked in a cheese sauce
Photo: Rigzen Dema / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
180

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab) in a saucepan (opens in a new tab), add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab), chillies and water, cover and simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) and cook for 3 minutes.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Scatter over the cheese and salt, cover and simmer gently until the cheese has melted and the potatoes (opens in a new tab) are soft. Swirl to combine.

    • 5 min
    • low heat
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Bhutan · Well documentedMore food from Bhutan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
creamy, savoury, spicy (chilli heat), salty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Potato · Datshi (Bhutanese cheese) · Butter · Onion · Green chilli · Tomato
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, datshi (bhutanese 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

180 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 320 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 61%
  • Fat 23%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy180 kcal56 kcal
Protein7.6 g2.4 g
Carbohydrate28.1 g8.8 g
Net carbohydrate24.5 g7.7 g
Sugars4.3 g1.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.6 g1.1 g
Fat4.7 g1.5 g
Saturated fat2.5 g0.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol14 mg4 mg
Sodium445 mg139 mg
Salt equivalent1.1 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
711 mg
Calcium
70 mg
Iron
1.3 mg
Magnesium
42 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
54 µg
Vitamin C
46 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
35 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.
  • Datshi (Bhutanese cheese): Cottage cheese used as a stand-in; datshi is a soft, fresh, mildly sour cow's-milk cheese made from buttermilk curds.
  • “—” 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

  • Slice the potatoes thinly so they cook through before the sauce reduces too much.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the cheese before the potatoes are nearly tender — the sauce splits while you wait.

Serve with

  • Serve with red rice and ema datshi.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Variations

  • Shamu datshi (Bhutan): Made with mushrooms instead of potatoes.

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

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

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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