In late eighties, Gulati & I tried many different recipes to gain some weight and make our bodies a bit more attractive to the girls. Also, during these times, Sonu and Anil, all of a sudden starting gaining weight for unknown reasons, making me really curious( Dinu, of course, had no trouble gaining weight; he had trouble maintaining it and did a decent job of it). Turned out that they had been regularly visiting the Tibetan shanties near the local bus stand right next to the bhotiya market. Having been frustrated, I too decided to check out this place and joined them on one hot afternoon.
This was my first close encounter with Tibetan culture, the humble tibetan men, and the hot Tibetan girls. Sonu and Anil ordered Thopa and Mommo and ate them like animals while I struggled with the menu and also how I was gonna eat the meat as I had never eaten non-veg before. However, the 2 fatsos in front of me inspired me to the fullest and I took the plunge. After serious consideration I ordered Thopa as well. That was the love at first sight with Thopa and meat. I continued going back there every chance I got. I didn't gain a gram of weight -- while Sonu and Anil became Saands (bull) -- but picked up eating non-veg on the quest.
25 years later, however, when gaining weight is no longer a secret, I have finally decided to give up non-veg and get closer to my Jain roots, finding solace in compassion for other beings. Thopa and Momo became increasingly popular since then, slowly creeping out of the Tibetan territory and becoming mainstream. Now stalls are all over the city and the delicacies are being enjoyed by the masses.
Thopa Recipe: http://www.ukrainianclassickitchen.ca/YaBB.pl?num=1229042531
