Sukuti (

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

: सुकुटी) is a

dried meat Dried meat is a feature of many cuisines around the world. Examples include: *Kulen Slanina Pečenica *Aliya, sun-dried meat from Kenya * Bakkwa or rougan, Chinese salty-sweet dried meat sheets. * Biltong, a cured meat that originated in Sout ...

product of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

ese origin, also consumed in the Himalayan regions of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. It is usually made from buffalo,

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

, or

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

meat. It is a staple dish of the Limbu and

Gurung Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Go ...

people. It is known as ''Sakhekya'' in the Limbu language. It was used as a source of protein and also to add variety to the diet during the winter seasons in the mountain areas. Today the food is generally available among mountain communities, and thus can be consumed and sold year-round. ''Sukuti'' is one of Nepal's many meat products; and can be consumed in many ways.

History

During ritual animal sacrifice at

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...

s, in the presence of his kin, the priest offers a buffalo before the shrine of the gods. The sacrificial buffalo is smeared with vermillion poweder (

abir Gulal or abir ( bn, আবীর) or abhir ( or, ଅଭୀର) is the traditional name given to the coloured powders used for the typical Hindu rituals, in particular for the Holi festival or Dol Purnima (though commonly associated with the r ...

) The blood sacrifice is given to the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

, and the head is raised in the sanctuary. The village will then process the buffalo, and as meat is a luxury in remote regions, no part of the animal will go to waste.. Some meat is sent to be cooked for dinner that day, and the rest will be dried and processed later into dried strips.. In

, people did not always indulge in the meat before a well-off urban life with restaurants and stores. In the difficult winters, this lean

came to the rescue during the supply of food.

Method

To produce sukuti, the meat of any animal or bird is cut into thin strips and the fat is carefully removed. The meat strips hang on the roof above a Chulho (wood fire smoke) to remove any moisture and to give it it's distinct smokey flavor. The drying may also create an unpleasant smell, so the strips are often coated with spices such as salt, cumin, pepper, chilli powder and turmeric, sometimes ginger and garlic paste are also used before they are spread on a clean cloth to dry in the sun. This helps the meat to have an intense flavour and kept the insects at bay. Once all of the moisture is removed, and the meat is sufficiently dried, it is considered a finished product. It can also be rehydrated when it is cooked in gravy, however, it is usually consumed dry, or fried in oil.

Making and Serving

Sukuti is cooked in the kitchens so long as the Nepalese people dry meat. There are several ways to make sukuti, depending on the taste. The main methods to prepare sukuti among the people of Nepal are deep frying or grilled roasting. To make sukuti, a combination of

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

, and

chilli powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

are browned on roast, then pounded into a blend. The sukuti is then mixed with these spices and fried in oil. Sukuti is versatile, often served with chopped onions and tomatoes, topped with green onions or leaves of coriander. paste. The resulting snack is served as a side dish, an appetizer, or as a side to have whilst drinking alcohol.

References

Nepalese cuisine Dried meat

History

Method

Making and Serving

See also

References