Culinary Journey: Nepali Cuisine

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Nepali cuisine combines the culinary traditions of two regions - Tibet and India. The food in it is full of traditions and exotics.

Traditional recipes from Nepal are characterized by a simple structure and unusual taste. The main components in them are wheat, rice, legumes and corn, prepared in various combinations with meat and vegetables.

This is due to the fact that most Hindus living in Nepal are vegetarians. The three main elements that make up authentic Nepalese cuisine are called dal bhat tarkari. They are rice - bhat, legumes - dal and all kinds of vegetables - tarkari. In Nepal, it is a tradition to serve these foods only in their own compartments in a metal flat plate that looks like a tray or in separate bowls.

Nepalese specialties owe their typical refined taste to the widespread use of a number of herbs and spices. Among the most popular are hot red pepper, coriander, fresh onion, turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, bay leaf and black pepper. Timur - Sichuan pepper is used in the preparation of marinades and pickles. Lentil dishes are prepared with the spice jimbu, which combines the taste of onion and garlic at the same time.

Almost everyone Nepalese dish requires oil. Most of the dishes are prepared with mustard oil, others with Ghee - heat-treated butter without additives, and others - with buttermilk.

Favorite in the country are all kinds of vegetable garnishes called tarcars. They are usually used green beans, cauliflower, various leafy vegetables, potatoes, pumpkin and flavored with various spices. The main dishes are usually served with small amounts of chili, hot sauce - chutney, pickle - achar and lemon slices.

Most food in Nepal is prepared on charcoal. As a rule, every Nepalese must eat with his right hand, although utensils are increasingly used. Unlike most of the world, in the country it is customary for people to eat only twice a day - in the morning and after sunset. During the day, they eat only snacks and drink milk tea - a traditional drink in Nepal, most often made from tea leaves brewed in milk with sugar and spices. It is also called masala tea and is especially popular among Nepalese.

As the culinary diversity of Nepal is built of many regional cuisines, each of which has its own traditions of cooking. For example, the most famous lentil chefs come from the Thakali community. They simmer it in a metal saucepan and add more saffron than usual. Goat and chicken dishes are also prepared in this community. The specialty for the thakali cuisine is letpo kho - pieces of boiled goat's head, seasoned with Sichuan pepper timur.

The traditions of the Nevars are different - the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley. Their cuisine is dominated by local dishes, and it is the only ethnic group in South Asia that consumes buffalo meat.

Himalayan cuisine is very close to Tibetan. It is dominated by wheat and millet dishes - the main crops grown in these parts of Nepal. Potatoes, yak milk and lactic acid products, vegetables and fruits such as papaya, bananas, breadfruit, mango, lemon, lime, Asian pears and others are often used in everyday dishes.

Nepali cuisine also enjoys a huge variety of desserts, most of which are made from milk. Among the most popular are khir - sweet milky rice, jalebi - crispy fried spirals dipped in syrup, barfi - milk cream, rasbari - bites of cheese and lalmohan - fried balls dipped in syrup.