Cheesy Chilli

Name: Cheesy Chilli (Aema Datshi)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Bhutanese
Ingredients: 400 g mixed red and green chilli peppers of your choice; 300 g any melting cheeses (cottage cheese is best); 400 g mixed red and green chilli peppers of your choice; 10 g unsalted butter; 300 g any melting cheeses (cottage cheese is best); 2 cloves of garlic; 2 fresh tomatoes; A little milk or water; A few spring onions; A little milk or water; A pinch of Himalayan salt

Aema Datshi

Preparation info

Serves
4
bhutanese people or 10 foreigners!

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
30 min

Appears in

Islands In A Common Sea

By Jenny Jefferies

Published 2024

About

Celebrated as a national dish of Bhutan, this chilli is simple and flavourful depending on what’s in season. Its name quite literally means "chilli cheese" and it can be fiery hot, so is not for the faint-hearted! Any chilli can be used - red or green, fresh or dried - with fermented cheese or fresh cottage cheese.

Ingredients

400 g mixed red and green chilli peppers of your choice
300 g any melting cheeses (cottage c

Method

Prepare your chillies using all the normal precautions for handling hot peppers. Remove the seeds and interior ribs, then slice the chillies into long thin strips.

Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and finely chop the garlic. Slice the spring onion ready to sprinkle on top before serving.

Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat. Add your chillies, tomatoes, and garlic, then