Hoentey – The Taste of Lomba
Hoentay is a delicacy of Haa, traditionally made with buckwheat and filled with a savoury mixture of vegetables, cheese, chilli and local spices. In Haa, hoentay is traditionally enjoyed around Lomba, the traditional New Year celebration, when families come together to prepare this special dish and welcome the new year.
Making hoentay is a family affair. The work is shared around the kitchen: someone prepares the vegetables and lom, another mixes the filling, while the dough is rolled and the little dumplings are shaped by hand. Children often join in too, learning by watching their elders and making their own first, sometimes rather uneven, hoentay. There is conversation, laughter and the occasional debate over whose hoentay is the best shaped.
Once the hoenteys are steamed, they are served hot with ezay (spicy chilli paste). It is a simple dish, but one that carries the warmth of home and the feeling of Lomba—a time when families gather, cook together and share food as they welcome another year.
Ingredients
For the filling
- Minced turnip
- Dried lom (spinach)
- Cottage cheese
- Butter and oil
- Minced fresh chilli or chilli powder
- Thingay (sichuan pepper)
- Salt
- Pounded zimtsey (perilla seeds)
For the dough
- Buckwheat flour
- Plain flour
- Warm water
Method
- Prepare the lom: Place the dried lom in boiling water and cook until tender. Drain well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop finely.
- Prepare the vegetables: Boil the minced turnip until tender. If using cabbage instead, it will require less cooking time. Drain thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water.
- Make the filling: Combine the cooked lom and turnip with the cottage cheese, chilli, thingay, salt and pounded zimtsey. Mix well.
- Heat a mixture of butter and oil in a pan until very hot. Pour it over the filling. It should sizzle and crackle as it hits the mixture. Stir everything together well.
- Make the dough: Sift the buckwheat flour and plain flour together. Gradually add warm water and knead until you have a soft, smooth dough (Keep unused dough covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from becoming hard).
- Shape the hoentay: Divide the dough into small portions and using the palm of one hand and thumb of the other roll them into small rounded shape like an inverted mountain
- Place a spoonful of filling in the centre, then fold and pinch the edges to create the traditional hoentay shape.
- Steam: Arrange the hoentay in a steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for approximately 25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.
- Serve the hoentey hot, with plenty of ezay.
Enjoy!