Dal-lectables

My adventures in Nepali gastronomy

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a pretty big foodie. For those of you I have not met… I am a foodie. Taking to my passion for food, I have designated this Dal-lectibles page to the different foods of Nepal. The types of foods, preparation methods, and eating practices can reveal a surprising amount of information about the consumers. Food can be a fascinating lens into culture. So lets take a look:

*As I am constantly learning more about Nepali cuisine, I will continue to update this page throughout these 2 years.

I think most Nepalis would agree that “dal bhaat” (lentils, rice) is the bread and butter of Nepali cuisine. City and village folk alike, eat this combination daily. Even though Nepal is has extremely diverse climates, ranging from tropical rain forest to the highest mountains in the world, dal bhaat is eaten practically everywhere. Of all the Nepalis whom I asked their favorite food, they have said “dal bhaat.” It surprises me every time. I always expect some rare food that would be a treat to them, not something eaten every day of their life.

If you think about it, dal bhaat is not too unlike staple foods from other cultures. I’m no expert, but I believe most of South/Central America eats beans and rice as a staple food; Asia has rice and tofu/soy beans. It is a complete source of protein, simple to make, and dry rice and lentils/beans can be stored for a long time.

dal bhaat, tarkari, achaar

The components:

bhaat (rice):  Unlike in English, where there is one word for”rice,” in Nepali there are different words for growing rice, uncooked rice, and cooked rice. Rice growing in the field is called dhaan; harvested/uncooked rice is called chamal; and cooked rice is called bhaat.

To give you an idea of the importance of rice in the Nepali diet, the word bhaat, is often interchangeable with the word for food, khana. The common question, “have you eaten food?” is interchangeable with “have you eaten rice?”.

There are numerous rice varieties grown in Nepal. Short, medium, and long grain varieties are grown depending on their adaptation to particular micro climates. Another popular one is basmati, which is know for it’s pleasant fragrance – basna is the Nepali word for smell, hence basmati. Along with the different varieties, there are also many different kind of foods/snacks made from a grain of rice. I will describe some of the ones I have run across later.

After harvest, rice traditionally was processed in one’s home using a large (5-6 ft) levered hammer type apparatus called a diki. This home method removes the husk but leaves much of the bran and germ intact. As access to technology increases, more people are using high-powered mills which not only removes the husk but more of the nutritious the brand/germ (Duto). Sadly much of the interesting flavor goes out with the bran and germ.

Now days, many Nepalis use a pressure cooker to cook rice. I figure it is to cut down the cooking time, requiring less wood. However, it is not uncommon to use a traditional cooking pot. Despite what it is cooked in, rice for dal bhaat is always just rice and water, no salt, no seasoning. Sometimes it’s cooked with lots of water, creating a softer stickier rice, and other times it’s cooked for less time creating a harder chewier rice; but that is about as far as the rice varies.
lentils/legumes (dal):  Just as its lifelong counterpart (bhaat), there are many different types of lentils. From my understanding the word dal in Nepal seems to have two meanings: 1: lentils and 2: the soup/curry made from any beans and that is eaten with rice. For example, chana ko dal is dal made from garbanzo beans, not lentils – but it is still called “garbanzo bean dal.” However, unlike it’s simple rice companion, there are numerous variations of cooking the different types of dal. My first host family cooked it the same every day: water, salt, turmeric, and lentils boiled until the lentils were cooked. After moving to my permanent site, I was introduced into the wide world of the various types of dal.  Here are some of the lentils/legumes often used in dal:

mas – usually most expensive and “highest quality,” color is black outside with white inside, especially eaten during the hot season. Also mas is the dal given to gods during worship (none of the other dals would be offered to a god)

masuro – slightly lower quality, orange color, especially eaten during the cold season

gath – quality around masuro (I think), brown color, usually roasted before cooked

chana – chickpeas/garbanzo bean dal

siltum – smaller version of mas ko dal (not sure quality)

bhatmas – soybeans

rahar – yellow lentil

simi – common field bean, can be quite colorful – red, white, pink; some look like pinto beans

kaalo  – a smaller form of chickpea

mung – mung beans

Other “dals” (in the curry eaten with rice sense) not from plain legumes are technically called tuin, but most people still  say “____ ko dal”

here are some I have found:

kakro – dried cucumber. Looks like dried mushrooms when uncooked, and has the same consistency of mushrooms when cooked.

gure – lentil/legume (or even grain) flour that is roasted, then water is added to make the dal.

dupka – soaked and mashed lentils made into a paste with gee (clarified butter), salt and spices. Then formed into balls or logs and boiled in the dal. Mostly found in the Far West; in the Far West, if a Nepali really wants to impress a guest, they will make dupka.

dupka

 

yogurt or buttermilk dal – fried spices in heated yogurt or buttermilk

piralu – a white root vegetable that when cooked in the dal becomes slimy and resembles melted cheese.

These different types of lentils/legumes/tuins are often mixed and matched. For example, it is pretty common to have a lentil dal with flour added to thicken it up a bit; a lentil dal with dupka or piralu.

The basic cooking technique seems to be one of 3 ways: One, the lentils or flour first being dry roasted in a pan with water and spices added later; second, cooking the lentils separately or first, then frying up spices to add to the cooked lentils; third, throwing everything in a pot and waiting till it’s done. One of the most noticeable differences between dals is perhaps thickness. Thickness depends on 3 variables: the inclusion of flour or other thickening agent (piralu, potato), dal to water ratio, and cooking “doneness” of the lentils/beans itself. Adding flour to thicken doesn’t take a master chef (and usually doesn’t make a dal that tastes like it was cooked by one either), but controlling the other two variables can be quite tricky. It is very important that you make your dal the right consistency as it changes the way you can eat it with your rice. The diner can only add a small amount of a watery dal to their rice before it becomes a soup instead of a handscoop-able consistency, and if you eat a normal serving of rice, you cant fit much watery dal into it. A thick dal, on the other hand, can be heavily added to rice without making it too watery, thus creating a more pleasurable dal to rice ration on the plate. Despite this phenomenon, many Nepalis prefer a water dal.( My two theories: 1) growing up in a rural village, lentils are expensive, so people use less in the dal, creating watery dals and so that’s just what many people grew up with. 2) many Nepalis eat more than a “normal” serving of rice, meaning that they can add a decent amount of watery dal to their mound of rice before it gets too watery.) Generally, undercooking lentils will lead to a watery dal, with pieces of dal in the bottom of the bowl. Overcooking dal will conclude in a murky slury. Cooking the lentils just right (or how I like them) will lead to a homogeneous, thick mixture where you can still see reminiscence of individual lentils but can taste their grittiness in your mouth. Something I observed in a few Nepali restaurants is that they will cook a huge batch of lentils with little water, making it super thick, then when they have to make more dal they fry up the spices, add the concentrated dal, and necessary water. For those who don’t have much experience cooking lentils, like my previous self, they can take a really long time to cook if not soaked or split in half (can take like 2-3 hours in an open pot, with pressure cookers speed things up). Most of the lentils I see in Nepal are all split in half or more, decreasing cooking time required. At my house, we cook our lentils for about 20-30 min, whole beans for a bit longer. 

And of course, the other most influential component is the combination of spices and method used to add those spices to the dal. In all dals spices are first fried in a fat (usually oil, sometimes ghee) and then added to the dal, these are dried and/or pre-crushed spices. One key variation here is that sometimes the crushed/ground spices are added straight to the boiling dal and not pre-fried. Imagine the flavor difference between raw and fried garlic and you can see how this might considerably change the flavor; not that one method is “better” or “worse” it’s just that they create different flavors. Some of the spices and herbs that I have seen used in dal are: ginger, garlic, turmeric (always turmeric), coriander, cilantro, timur (a.k.a. numbing pepper – the same one used in Sichuan, China) garlic stems, green onion, chili peppers (fresh and/or dried), cumin, and sometimes a souring agent is added (such as juice from a preserved lemon, or fresh lime). Onion and tomato are also very common, depending on the financial/agricultural ability of the family. The lentils are usually a little extra salty because they are to be mixed with the bland rice, creating a well salted mixture (although some Nepalis like really it really salty so too much salt is added). As mentioned previously, due to the expense of lentils the dal is usually 90% broth and 10% lentils in most households. Although it creates a delicious savory beverage, the lack of legumes can be a nutritional problem if the diet is not supplemented by other proteins. Often in poorer families, there are barely any (if any at all) lentils in the dal.

Fun facts about dal bhaat:

• There are T-shirts in tourist cities that read: “dal bhaat power, 24 hour.”
• A Nepali individual can usually eat a tremendous amount of dal bhaat. It is difficult to tell the exact amount because rice is continuously added to one’s plate as the they are eating, but I would say at least a few pounds of rice in one sitting.
• Dal and bhaat are usually cooked separately, but sometimes cooked together, called khichadi.
• Some families will just cook a soupy tarkari to eat with rice and not make dal. Reasons for this are lack of effort, lack of time, lack of access, or preferred taste

Vegetables (Tarkari/saag):

dal bhaat is usually eaten with a side of vegetables called tarkari and/or cooked leafy greens, called saag. Traditionally, the Nepali plate looks like 85% dal bhaat and 15% vegetables/beans… not exactly the recommended portions given by MyPlate. I don’t have any numbers, but not every household cooks vegetables with their dal bhaat. The reasons that I have noticed are lack of access, lack of interest (they don’t like vegetables), and lack of nutritional knowledge/importance. However, the traditional “Nepali plate” will have usually have tarkari and saag. Personally, the vegetables are my favorite part of the meal. They break up the simple consistency of rice and lentil mix by providing texture, taste, and color (as well as nutrition). One of the things I am infamous for in my community is the large amount of tarkari I eat. Whenever someone comments on how far I can walk/run without getting tired, I tell them it is because I eat lots of tarkari.

The types of tarkari eaten depends on the season and what is locally available. Here is a list of some of the vegetables I have noticed in tarkari: cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, tomato, radish, onion, green peas, bitter melon, pumpkin, zucchini, iskus (not sure of english name, looks like a prickly pear, tastes similar to a dry cucumber), a few bell peppers, carrot and the most common: potato. Saag, fried leafy greens (many types) is cooked separately as a different dish. Typically, the tarkari consists of one or two of these vegetables, but rarely are more than 2 combined together. In many cases (especially in poorer families) tarkari of only potatoes are the usual, only adding to the energy overload from the rice. Just like dal, there are many many variations and small changes to the way of cooking tarkari. However, generally the vegetables are cooked with a combination of some of the following: chili peppers, garlic, ginger, turmeric (always turmeric), cumin, coriander, cilantro, and of course lots of salt. Typically, the spices, then vegetables are first pan fried in oil, then covered with a lid and left to cook. Sometimes, depending on if flame is low enough and veggies have high enough water content, water is added or not. Just like the dal, the pre-crush spice mix can also be added later verse being fried first. The mix is boiled until the vegetables are very cooked. For the Western palate, the vegetables are usually over cooked thus soft and lacking texture. However, for the majority of Nepalis over 50, soft vegetables are necessary because they are missing half if not all their teeth.

– As far as oils go, I have mainly noticed mustard seed oil, which often comes from one’s own mustard plants, but sunflower oil, soybean oil, gee, and others can also be seen

– So what’s included in the “pre-crushed spices” – again it depends on the household/what is available, but usually cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and chilies.

Flat bread (roti)

Roti is a flatbread that can be made from a variety of different grains, depending on the season, country region, and preference. To my knowledge, most of Nepal eats roti only a few times each week, either for snack or occupationally the evening meal. However, in the Far West, roti is religiously eaten for the evening meal as well as morning snack. The most common grain for roti is wheat, but I have also had/seen rice, corn, and millet flours being made into roti. Simple process is as follows: After the flour and water are made into a dough, small pieces are pinched off rolled into a ball and flattened into circles (⅛ to ¼ inch thick). Then placed on a heated iron plate, usually with a little little bit of oil, flipped and then placed on the hot coals of the fire to finish. As I learned when making roti with my family, if you make the roti around 6 inches in diameter, it is much more likely to puff up once placed on the coals, creating two distinct layers, like a pita. However, if the roti is larger than 6 inches, it will likely not puff up and be one layer… Nepalis (as well as my self) like it when it puffs up 🙂

Besides mixing the different grain flours together, there are many other ways of varying the roti. Sometimes ghee may be added during the rolling step or cooking step. Other ingredients may also be added to create a different kinds of rotis, although, usually these variations are done with rice flour, not so much the others. The rice roti/bread varieties that I have seen are:

jhunmune or chamal ko roti– rice flour roti

sel roti – rice flour, little sugar and a small amount of gee, and water are made into a batter, and deep fried in the shape of a circle. Slightly sweet, very oil. Fresh out of the oil, they are quite tasty, but once cooled they require an adapted Nepali palate. Nepalis will eat them for days (sometimes weeks) after they are cooked. These are made for each and every holiday or occasion and hold a special place in the heart of all Nepalis.

Sel roti (bottom) and puri (top) with tarkari served on a banana leaf at a wedding

puri – wheat or rice flour roti deep fried in oil instead of cooked on a dry iron plate.

maNa – a thin rice flour batter of water, small amount of sugar (optional), and sometimes gee, is spread on to a hot iron plate. Ends up looking just like a crepe

paune maNa – rice flour, yogurt/buttermilk, ghee, sugar, and water (baking soda can also be added) mixed into a thick batter. Nepali version of buttermilk pancakes, and just as good.

pharkane – maNa and paune maNa’s overweight twin, can be made from either batter. Only difference is that as one layer is cooked, another fresh layer of batter is added and re-flipped. Layer adding is continued until your roti is as monstrous as you want. If made big enough, one roti can be enough to satisfy even the appetite of a working Nepali farmer.

maNa with saag and chiya – a typical breakfast (I was a guest at this house so the personal plate is a little fancy addition)

bhune/bhajungi – a cake made from rice flour, gee, yogurt or buttermilk, sugar, and sometimes other inclusions (raisins, peanuts, dates, coconut). Batter can be the same as paune maNa, it’s just that this bad boy is baked in an enclosed pan lined with banana leafs and buried in hot coals.

 

 

 

 

 

Bhajungi- a Far Western treat

Other variations of roti; not primarily made from rice flour:

roti made from atta flour (a more refined flour) – white wheat flour (as opposed to whole wheat flour) roti. More found in restaurants than in homes.

tandoori roti – usually made from white flour and cooked in a tandoori oven creating a crispy crust with a chewy center – my favorite roti.

pattaula – ghee, mashed fresh corn made into a fresh corn roti

mas parot – one roti placed on the hot plate, than a layer of mashed dal/lentils spread on top, then another roti placed on top of that, creating a roti-lentil “pocket”

anda parota – two kinds: 1. spreading uncooked scrambled egg mixture on roti while cooking. 2. mixing flour with the egg and spices/onion to create a thick batter, then cooking like a pancake

allu parota –  spiced/cooked potato rolled into a thick roti

Other items made from whole rice:

fried rice – rice, soy sauce, basic veggies (cabbage), and seasoning – tastes just like fried rice in the US

pule khaja, khaja bhaat, or just khaja– lightly fried short grain rice cooked in yogurt and sugar, creating a sticky, slightly sweet rich rice dish.

kir – rice pudding, liquidy or thick

Pickle/chutney (achaar)

Achaar is a pickled, cooked or fresh accompaniment often served with a meal or eaten as a snack, usually with roti. Although the names seem to be interchangeable, I believe achaar’s are pickled or somehow preserved, while chutneys are made fresh. There are numerous types of achaar, but most are usually spicy, highly seasoned and very flavorful. Because of its intense flavor, only a small amount is given with each meal. The more “snack” achaars are slightly more mellow and vegetable based. Some of the different kinds of achaar/chutneys I have seen are: *sesame seed, *roasted tomato, *cooked tomato, *eggplant, *fresh radish, dried radish, unripe mango, gooseberry, garlic, bamboo shoots, chili, and lapsi. (*Usually made into a fresh chutney, not pickled). The roasted tomato chutney is very similar to salsa, while the cooked version tastes like a nepali spaghetti sauce. Another unique but awfully familiar achaar that I just had recently was made from cucumbers, yogurt, and spices (called raita) – very reminiscent of the Greek tzatziki.

DiDo

Believe it or not, dal bhaat is not the country’s national food, or so I’ve been told. It is DiDo – Flour, usually corn or wheat, cooked with water to make a thick mush. Similar to the Italian polenta, but with no salt or seasonings added. Eaten as the “carbohydrate” in a meal – meaning instead of roti or bhaat. I have only eaten Dido a few times and seems to be not as common as roti or bhaat, but I have a feeling that it is more popular in certain areas and  during certain times of the year. People regard it as healthier and more filling then rice or roti.

Tea (chiya) – more than what is in the cup

Tea is of the utmost importance to Nepali culture. Tea is the cornerstone on which relationships are maintained, business decisions made, and cold mornings are survived. Anytime you sit to talk with friends, it is over a cup of tea. If tea is not provided at a business meeting, something is wrong. And every Nepalis day starts with a cup (or two) of fresh tea. If someone walks into your house, it is customary to offer them tea. Nepalis probably drink more tea than they do plain water – that’s to say that they drink a many cups of tea each day and almost no water.

There are two basic types of tea in Nepal, black tea and milk tea. Both are made from black tea leafs, but milk tea has… you guessed it… milk. The other common ingredient is sugar, lots of sugar. Unlike other parts of Asia (I am thinking of China when I say this) where tea is commonly not sweatened, all Nepali tea has tons of sugar in it.

Black tea can be spiced up a bit by putting a few drops of lemon or lime, cinnamon, black pepper, or other “warm” spices.

Milk tea also usually has cinnamon, black pepper, or other “warm” spices (such as clove, cardamom, etc.)

Likely due to the tremendous amount of sugar, tea in Nepali is quite delicious. Although one has to be careful not to over-indulge for the sugar will catch up to you. Luckily, the serving sizes are quite small (usually about ½ cup) so one can drink tea in the morning with their family, sip on tea while at work, and enjoy some tea in the evening while chatting with some friends, with out being too sugar overloaded.

Simple milk chiya recipe: 1 part water, 1 part milk, 1/4 part sugar (or to taste), fresh ground cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, ginger, and enough black tea leaves to give it a nice dark color. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer. The longer it simmers the better it tastes.

Let’s eat!

As compared to the Western experience, eating in Nepal is quite different. First of all, you won’t find any table or chairs in the traditional Nepali home kitchen as people sit on the floor to eat (usually cross legged, but other styles are also accepted). As your plate of dal bhaat (rice and lentils) is placed on the floor in front of you, don’t wait to be handed any form of utensils – yep, you’re to eat that with your hands (well, just your right hand really). Most start by mashing a small portion the tarkari and dal into the bhaat, adding more dal, bhaat, or tarkari as needed to make a thick paste that can be easily picked up with your hand. Then, slop that delicious combination right into your mouth and repeat. As you like, you can mix in a little bit of the achaar to spice things up. As the food on your plate begins to thin, you will be asked… insisted rather, to have more added to your plate. The head female of the house, will most likely be the one serving the family and making sure everyone has enough to eat, adding bhaat, dal, tarkari, or achaar as needed. For guests of the house, you better be prepared to pick a fight or leave with the table with dal bhaat coming out of your ears, as most Nepalis are insistent on over-feeding their guests. But even if you can’t finish the mound of rice on your plate, don’t worry, it won’t go to waste. The left over scraps get fed to the goats, cow, or buffalo.

Eating at a Nepali restaurant (called a hotel in Nepali) verse a restaurant in the West is almost as different of an experience as the home setting. When you walk in to the hotel, you can usually see the food being made, or already made, right there in the front of the establishment. After you pick which wooden bench and table you want to eat at, you will be asked if you want rice or roti (or both), as well as if you want meat or yogurt. The roti option might just be in the Far West. With the exception of roti, everything is usually already prepared so you will almost immediately be brought your plate of grub (In the Far West, roti is often made in a clay pit oven, tandoori, and made to order). Just as the homemade meal, you can ask or will be asked if you want more of any item. Every few minutes, one of the staff will walk around with a bowl of tarkari, rice, dal, or roti topping off all the plates. Once you have had your fill – for a Nepali that is after 3-5 mounds of rice, but for me that is after 3-5 mounds of tarkari – don’t worry about figuring out the bill based on how much you ate. Whether you had only a few bites or cleared the kitchen out, you still pay the same amount. Typical meal not including meat or yogurt goes for about $1 to $1.50, but for those meat lovers out there, be prepared to pay almost double (an extra $1 for meat or fish) and the meat is not “all you can eat.”

Now, if you happen to be traveling with friends, only one of you will pick up the bill. Then someone else will pay the next time. It is very strange to Nepalis when they see Westerners all paying separately. In fact it wasn’t until I came to Nepal that I learned the acronym GTPS – Go Together, Pay Separately – which they like to tag comment on when talking about the differences in culture.

jutho – the word means something along the lines of “dirty” or “contaminated.” In Nepali culture, some food, container, or utensil that has touched your mouth is now jutho, meaning only you can eat it. Exceptions are with husband and wife, as the wife will sometimes eat off the same plate as the husband did and finish what they didn’t eat; also young (or even older) siblings will sometimes share food. As with most cultural practices, certain families hold rules to a lower or higher value, thus something that might be jutho in one house, may be fine in another.

From a practical perspective, the concept of jutho makes a lot of sense. Sharing food is a great way to pass germs, and possibly diseases. For me, this reason makes it seem like jutho came from noticing that people who shared food got sick more often. However, the fact that it is rare for someone to wash their hands before/while cooking or before eating (with their hands) seems to contradict the attempt at sanitation.

When is dinner?

As opposed to the Western 3 meals a day, Nepalis eat 2 meals per day – one in the morning (somewhere from 9am-1pm) and one in the evening (6-9pm). Before the first meal and between meals people usually eat a snack. Nepalis love to point out this contrast when comparing cultures, but it’s actually not all that different. I think the distinction comes from the fact that Nepalis won’t consider food a meal unless it has rice, and they only eat rice twice a day. For example, in my house, we eat “breakfast” at around 7am: 2-3 rotis, a half egg per person, some left-over tarkari, and tea. Now, in the USA we would likely consider that a meal, but in Nepal it’s just a snack.

I suppose that the reason for eating only two main meals though is that it takes a lot of effort and time to cook, something that most women don’t have (generally only women cook). Cooking a third meal is not as practical as just eating two and then snacking during the day. The morning meal is sometimes made right after morning snack cause the fire is already lit. Women will cook, go to work/do chores, then come back a few hours later to eat. Evening meal, however, is usually eaten right after it is cooked.

Another thing about meals that I have noticed is that there really aren’t “morning, afternoon, or evening” foods. The only exception I can think of is that roti is more common in the evening, but many restaurants will serve it in the morning too. In the west we sorta categorize our foods by time of day – for example morning foods might be eggs, yogurt, cearal, oatmeal, I mean we even have “breakfast sausage” for goodness sake. Whereas in Nepal all foods are commonly eaten at all times of the day. In fact, your breakfast, snack and dinner have a pretty good chance of even being the same food. It’s fine by me though, I love a nice curry first thing in the morning just as much as any time of the day.

Fresh

Perhaps one of the reasons Nepali food tastes so good is that almost everything is grown locally and very fresh. Since about 80% of the Nepal population are farmers, many families grow their own food, and if they don’t, there are usually local vegetables available in the market. Nowadays, in bigger, and even smaller Nepali markets, many fruits and vegetables from industrial farms in India can be found. However, for most Nepalis rice, wheat, corn, and millet come straight from one’s own field and the vegetables are often picked just minutes before cooking. All lentils, beans, and achaars are made and processed at the household level. Food locality is be a beautiful thing, it is great for health and the environment. However, the downside of local dependency is seen in areas that are poorly suited to grow nutritious foods – resulting in a lack of nutrition in the diet.

Not so fresh

Western influence has brought many great things to Nepal, including modern health care, cell phones, other technologies, etc. which has probably improved the lives of Nepalese people. Unfortunately, processed food has also infiltrated its way into this country of such freshness. Chow-chow (instant noodles), biscuits, and cheese puffs can be found not in just the cities but deep into the hills and mountains of even the most rural areas. Just every Nepali is dangerously attracted to the irresistible taste of MSG noodles, buttery crackers, and crispy corn puffs -proof that although we may have different cultures and traditions, we are all still human and love that quick fat, salt and sugar.

Snacks and Street food

I would argue that, if “properly” prepared and portioned traditional Nepali food is quite healthy. I mean you’ve got your rice (carb), tarkari (veg), dal (protein), and usually yogurt or milk (dairy) or perhaps even meat (protein). That’s more food groups in the average western meal. But when it comes to snacking and snack foods, finding a nutritious, perhaps light item can be… well, difficult. Finding a delicious snack, on the other hand, not so difficult. I think it is safe to break up snacks into two categories, foods that people make in their home and those that are made in the bazaar.

Bazaar snacks or street food:

With influences coming from both neighbors, Nepali street food is an interesting mix of Indian and Chinese flavors. From the south (Indian) you’ll find samosas, curried beans, fried chickpeas, pakora (balls of fried minced veg in batter), curried meat and meat skewers. From the north (China) there are momos and chow mien. Others include: instant noodles, eggs (omelet or hard boiled), fried chicken (some places), roasted corn (seasonal), fried fish (near rivers only), and sliced cucumber with chili. When I’m on the search for something for my health, I’ll usually go for some curried beans, chickpeas, or an omelet. On days were my eyes and tongue take the upper hand, my favorites include chow mien a fresh samosas.

chow mien

At Home:

Most people though, don’t have enough money or a bazaar close enough to go get snack when they are hungry. Most commonly, people will just eat left over dal bhaat when they are hungry. But many people will also take the time to make a snack. Sadly, buying instant noodles and fixing’em up in your home is quite common – although frying up onion, cabbage, and spices to some already tasty instant noodles… I can see…well, taste why it’s popular. More traditional snack however seem to rotate with the seasons and what is available. Seasonal fruits, roasted fresh corn, boiled pumpkin, sweet potato, or tarru (like a traditional yam), cucumbers, roasted dry corn and soy beans, peanuts, and frying rice from the morning meal (also quite common) are the snacks that I’ve seen the most of. Probably differ with region and ethnic background too.

Meat

The most universally consumed meat in Nepal is probably goat. It is more religiously acceptable and culturally essential than the other meats. Many Hindus will not eat any other meat. During holidays or celebrations, a goat is more likely to lose it’s life than any of its farm companions. However, I would presume that as far as quantity goes, chicken is consumed more than goat. Chicken is cheaper, less of an ordeal to prepare, and more readily available and goat. Then there is pig. It is quite common for stricter Hindus to refrain from pork, but its yummy taste and low price make it a favorite among ethnic casts and non-strict Hindus. The most controversial of meats is buffalo, water-buffalo particularly. “Buff,” as it’s called in Nepali, is by no means uncommon in large cities but many Hindus have a strong repugnance to the thought of eating an animal so similar to a cow. The other reason for repulsion is that many Hindus believe that eating the meat of an animal which you drink the milk from is like eating your own mother (hence goat milk production has not taken off in Nepal, people like their goat meat too much). Recently there has been an arrival of rabbit husbandry in many areas; and although I have never seen the meat eaten or for sale, I don’t think they are just keeping them for pets.

Goats, chickens, pigs, rabbits and even some fish are all raised at the household level – with the exception to some industrial chicken farms with I will touch on later – but there are also a few who engage in hunting wild prey for consumption on their own table and for selling under the table (illegally). Most common hunted flesh is actually fished – fish is available near large rivers, but is often locally fished in small streams and rice patties. Most people eat fish if and when available without any religious backlash. Pheasant is another common wild meat. There are supposedly people who are trained in hunting this wild bird and will spend all day shadowing their prey until nightfall when they go in for the kill. Such time, dedication, expertise is shown through the price of pheasant, maybe $10 a kg! Pigeon is also eaten when caught after becoming a nuisance. For example, I spent a night in another village and they had just captured two pigeons who would not stop defecating on their roof – to fix the problem they decided to have them for dinner. Now, I don’t think it is illegal to kill pigeon, and even if it was, no policeman is going to walk a few hours to a village for suspicion of such a crime. There are a few wild animal’s flesh, however, which I have heard are best kept on the down-low. The one which I have seen for sale (and might have eaten… shhh…) is what my Nepali-Eng dictionary refers to as a “type of deer.” It is a pretty large animal and illegal to kill so it’s meat is usually smoke dried and sold in the black market. I’m sure there are others, but none that I have run across.

As I mentioned in a post on my regular blog, some of Nepal’s ethnic and native groups are much more adventurous when searching for their Vit B12 (only found in animal products). Some of these groups are infamous for eating rat, snail, bugs, and random jungle-meat. There are even some native groups (I believe the one I am thinking of is called route) eat monkey. When I asked a agriculture specialist about how to deal with herds of monkeys destroying corn fields and stealing corn harvests, he said to hire some route to eat the monkeys.

Regardless of which animal your dinner came from, the butcher (which could be you yourself or, if you bought it from the market, the meat shop keeper) will process it the same. Unlike in the USA where you can order different cuts, in Nepal (and in many parts of Asia actually), they just take a slap of fresh flesh and hack away. Besides removing some of the inner organs and feet, there is no concern for bones or what part of meat you’re getting. Once it’s chopped up into nice bite size pieces, it’s time to get cooking.

Most Nepali meat is cooked pretty similarly: fry onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chilies, turmeric, and other spices (similar to tarkari) with the meat, add water and simmer until the meat is nice and cooked. Goat is cooked in a similar way, but often in a pressure cooker to tenderize the ordinarily tough-tendony meat. In bigger cities, many meat curries can be found which are much heavier on the spices, often throwing in cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, etc. Another way of preparing meat is to deep fry it, creating a crispy outside, and usually a dry inside – I prefer the curries better. If you find yourself in a bigger city, you might also see sekwa, or barbecued meat, pierced with sticks being roasting over coals.

The chicken who took Nepal by storm. Boiler, the equivalent of a factory-farm chicken, was introduced to Nepal some years ago. Now it has taken over as the most common meat option in many parts of Nepal, It’s cheap, available, and of easily-handable size. The “animal” (if you can call it that), is hybrid to grow extremely fast and is oven fed lots of medicine to help in the process. The boiler houses have an awful stench and the chicken-esk, cookie-cutter animals inside don’t look much better then they smell. When summoned for execution, the butcher simply hold the bird by the wings and taps the spine with a heavy knife. Its bones so weak, the light blow snaps the boiler’s spinal cord ending its sad life. One can tell they are eating boiler versus a local chicken due to the softness of the meat’s bones. With boiler, one can practically chew right through the bone. A local chicken’s bones, however, had proper time to develop and are like normal bones – hard.  

Topics to come:

Food Culture:

hot vs cold foods

not feeding the sick

prices

problems of malnutrition: chow chow/biscuits, edu vs availability, alcohol,

wide range of climates and food availability

who cooks, eats first, who gets more

spicy

sacrificing food to the fire

firewood – in house smoke inhalation

kitchen sometimes separate from the house

jali – top layer of milk after it is boiled

mathaut – fat layer that forms on the top of yogurt

Snacks/other foods:

Rice: churra, puffed rice, kir, anarasa,

Milk: (water buffalo, cow) yogurt, bogate, gee (giu), mahi

sweets (mitai): jeri, milk based, simi khajara – simi but with sugar and gee

meats: goat, chicken, pig, NEVER cow, some towns fish

honey: