Khapse — Losar fried pastries
Ribbons and twists of lightly sweetened dough, fried until crispy and golden: made well in advance, they keep and are stacked into decorative pyramids for the New Year.
Ribbons and twists of lightly sweetened dough, fried until crispy and golden: made well in advance, they keep and are stacked into decorative pyramids for the New Year.
Before the New Year, the house smells of fried dough! We roll, twist, cut the dough into a thousand shapes — donkey ears, endless knots — and plunge them into hot butter until they turn golden. The good thing, you see, is that we make them days ahead and they keep without spoiling; then we stack them in a tall pyramid to welcome every visitor. Take one, crunch: it is the taste of the celebration beginning.
- •Wheat flour — a large amount (dough)
- •Yak butter — for dough and frying (richness and cooking)
- •Sugar — moderately (light sweetness)
- •Eggs — a few (binder)
- •Milk — a little (dough suppleness)
Khapse — Losar fried pastries
Ribbons and twists of lightly sweetened dough, fried until crispy and golden: made well in advance, they keep and are stacked into decorative pyramids for the New Year.
Why this dish? Before each Losar, Tibetan families — including the exile community of which the Dalai Lama is the heart — fry mountains of khapse that keep for weeks and adorn altars and guest tables.
Before the New Year, the house smells of fried dough! We roll, twist, cut the dough into a thousand shapes — donkey ears, endless knots — and plunge them into hot butter until they turn golden. The good thing, you see, is that we make them days ahead and they keep without spoiling; then we stack them in a tall pyramid to welcome every visitor. Take one, crunch: it is the taste of the celebration beginning.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — a large amount (dough)
- Yak butter — for dough and frying (richness and cooking)
- Sugar — moderately (light sweetness)
- Eggs — a few (binder)
- Milk — a little (dough suppleness)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour — 400 g (dough)
- Sugar — 60 g (sweetness)
- Melted butter — 40 g (richness)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Milk — 120 ml approx. (dough)
- Oil for frying — 1 liter (cooking)
Method
- Mix flour, sugar, melted butter, egg, and enough milk to obtain a firm but supple dough; knead and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough fairly thinly and cut into strips; for twists, slit each strip in the center and pull one end through the slit to form a knot.
- Heat the oil over medium heat (about 170°C).
- Fry the khapse in small batches until golden and crispy, turning them.
- Drain on paper towels and let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container; stack into a pyramid for festive serving.
How it was made : Khapse are essential fried pastries of Losar. They were prepared in large quantities several days before the festival, as frying preserves them for a long time. Shaped into symbolic forms (donkey ears 'bhungue amcho', endless knots), they were stacked into tall decorative pyramids, serving as offering, decoration, and snack for New Year visitors.
The contemporary twist : A dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of honey right out of the fryer gives a shiny festive finish without betraying the spirit of the pastry.
Dalai Lama · Charactorium