Sauces and Dips

Tibetan food is not usually spicy, unless you slap on the hot chilli. Spices do feature in some dishes, but the ultimate level of heat tends to be determined by how much sepen (hot chilli dip) you add to them. A super-fiery blend of dried chilli, garlic, ginger and Sichuan peppercorns (yerma), sepen has a wonderfully tongue-numbing effect, and is a singular Tibetan culinary experience. In this chapter, we’ve also included other dips that are the perfect pairing for momos (Tibetan dumplings), sha balep (Tibetan pasties), and more.