An ode to Nepalese cuisine

Rahul Verma

My Tagore-loving Bengali family members like to recite a little poem penned by the great bard that they merrily or ponderously use for different occasions. In a nutshell, it goes like this: I have seen the world, the mountains and seas, over the years; but what I failed to spot was right there next to me, a tiny dewdrop on a blade of grass.

I think that’s true about the food in our extended neighbourhood, too. We have eaten all kinds of cuisines — from Ethiopian and Mexican to Argentinian and Vietnamese — but, sadly, not given much thought or time to the food of our neighbour, Nepal. Yet, the cuisine deserves an ode. I was struck by the delightful flavours of a thali that I had in a little restaurant near Pokhara many moons ago. I still remember the many greens on the platter, the light yet delicious dal, the thick meat curry, and the tangy potatoes.

Nepali food, contrary to popular belief, is not just one uniform pot: it has disparate influences — with the cauldron being enriched by its many communities, from the Thakalis and Newaris to Sherpas and Madheshi people. The food has been influenced by Chinese and Tibetan cuisines, as well as the food of Bihar. There are a lot of commonalities in the different kinds of communal cuisines you will find in the region — meats occupy the high table, and the fondness for potatoes and greens cuts across communities.

A particular potato dish always makes my mouth water when I think of it. I picked the recipe from one of my well-thumbed food books. For this, you need to boil potatoes and then keep them aside. Roast sesame seeds and keep a bit on the side. Grind the rest and make a paste with a bit of water. Make a paste of green chillies, coriander leaves, garlic, turmeric and salt. Fry this paste in hot mustard oil. To this, add the potatoes, and fry some more. Add the sesame seed paste, a pinch of amchur (or some lemon juice), and top with the remaining roasted seeds.

Another interesting regional dish is jhol momo — or momos in curry. For this, you heat oil and splutter some cumin and carom seeds in it. Add chopped garlic, slit green chillies and sliced onion. When the onions are done, add coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and turmeric. Fry till the masalas are done, and then add chopped tomatoes. Season with salt. Blend this mix, and put it back in the pan. Add water, and let it boil. Add roasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts to this. The gravy is now nice and thick — and you can place your favourite momos in it.

I have had some great Nepalese meals consisting of momos stuffed with meat, sukuti sadekho, which is a spicy meat salad, and sekuwa, chargrilled meat pieces. Another memorable meal in Nepal was a feast prepared by chefs of the Newari community, people from the Kathmandu valley. The food came course by course in little bowls, to go with the mound of rice on the thali. There were various kinds of light vegetable preparations, including some tasty mustard greens, a preparation of bitter gourd and lal saag. One of the most enjoyable dishes was an appetiser called chatamari — rice pancakes with minced buffalo meat and eggs — and a dish called bandhel tareko — wild boar meat that had been boiled and fried.

Just like in many parts of India, chutneys play an important role in Nepalese food. A mild sesame chutney, a hot chilli one, a very, very hot chilli-flaked chutney and radish chutney, all complement the dishes, especially the mildly cooked greens. A local herb called jimbu adds to the flavours.

There’s so much to be said about the food of Nepal. Indeed, you can’t beat the dewdrop on a blade of grass.

THUKPA

Ingredients

Noodles 1 packet

Minced meat 300 g

Potatoes 100 g

Cabbage 100 g

Carrot 100 g

Onions 100 g

Ginger (pounded) 2 tbsp

Garlic (pounded) 2 tbsp

Ground red chillies 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder A pinch

Oil As needed

Salt To taste

Water

Method

Slice the onions and chop the vegetables. Fry the ginger and garlic in hot oil. Add the onions. Add the turmeric powder, and then the ground red chillies. Now add the minced meat. Stir and mix well. Cook till it’s well browned, and then add the vegetables. Pour 2 litres of water, boil, and let the soup simmer. Once the meat is almost done, add the noodles. Cook for a few minutes. Serve in six soup bowls. Add chilli sauce if you wish to.