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Chhurpi in Australia

Name: Chhurpi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 500g cheese
Cuisine: Nepali
Ingredients: 4 litres milk (traditionally chauri/yak; cow milk works); 1/2 cup lemon juice or vinegar to curdle; Heavy weight for pressing; Time — hard chhurpi dries for weeks

Himalayan hardened cheese — the world's hardest snack

1 restaurants serving Chhurpi across Australia

About Chhurpi

Chhurpi is hardened yak or cow-milk cheese from the Himalayan highlands, chewed slowly as a long-lasting snack — the soft version is cubed into curries, while the hard version can take an hour to work through. It has become internationally known as a natural dog chew, but for Nepalis it remains a beloved mountain food. Nepali grocery stores in Australia stock both eating grades.

How to Make Chhurpi

Prep: 10 min Cook: 30 min 500g cheese ≈ 110 kcal/serving

Ingredients

4 litres milk (traditionally chauri/yak; cow milk works)
1/2 cup lemon juice or vinegar to curdle
Heavy weight for pressing
Time — hard chhurpi dries for weeks

Instructions

1Boil the milk, curdle with lemon juice, and strain the curds through cloth.
2Press under weight several hours until very firm.
3Cut into cubes for soft chhurpi — use in curries or eat fresh.
4For hard chhurpi, dry the pieces in sun or a dehydrator until rock-hard — chew slowly.

Recipes vary between households and restaurants — use the listings below to find Chhurpi made by Nepali cooks near you.