Puta
Puta, another staple food in Bhutanese cuisine, is a complete meal in and of itself. Puta's noodles are nutritious and made with bucket wheat. Puta, a rice replacement, is produced by cooking these wheat noodles with sauces, veggies, and meat. The noodles in this dish are typically boiled, but they are served stir-fried in oil.
Where To Eat: Sonam Trophel, Paro, Bhutan
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled
- 310 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
How to make Puta:
- In a large basin, add 1 cup of lukewarm water, mix in the yeast, and sugar. To dissolve, stir everything together. Whisk in the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Area the bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is frothy and bubbling.
- Mix in the salt, olive oil, and almost all of the remaining all-purpose flour (save 1/2 cup). Stir with a wooden spoon or chopsticks until the mixture becomes a shaggy pile. Dust with a little of the leftover flour, then knead for 1 minute in the bowl, incorporating any stray parts of dry dough.
- Place the dough on the surface. Knead for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes before kneading again for 2 minutes.
- Avoid using too much leftover flour, the dough should be soft and wet. (At this point, the dough can be chilled for several hours or overnight in a big zippered plastic bag. Return the dough to room temperature, knead into a ball, and continue with the procedure.)
- Refill the mixing dish with the dough after cleaning it. Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap it in a cloth. Place the bowl in a warm (but not hot) location. Allow the dough to rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan, or ceramic baking tile on the lowest shelf of the oven. Punch down the dough and cut it into 8 equal-sized pieces. Make a little ball out of each component. Place the dough balls on the work area and cover with a moist towel for 10 minutes.
- Remove 1 ball (keeping the others covered) and flatten with a rolling pin. Roll out to a 6-inch circle, then an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8-inch thick, sprinkling with flour as needed.
- Lift the dough circle carefully and quickly lay it on a hot baking pan. The dough should be pleasantly puffed after 2 minutes. Bake for 1 minute more after flipping with tongs or a spatula. The pita should be light in color, with only a few brown specks. Place the warm pita in a napkin-lined basket and cover to keep the bread moist. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
