Dal Bhat is definitely the unofficial national dish of Nepal. But beside this king of all dishes, the Nepali cuisine offers various other delicacies that are unique and authentic to the country and the people living here.
Here we bring to you some recipes of traditional Nepali foods that as a Nepali you absolutely must know how to make.
Sikarni
Sikarni is a classic Nepali dessert that is a staple for special events and occasions. It has a simple recipe and does not require a lot of ingredients for its preparation. You could also have this as your breakfast if you alter the amount of sugar you use during the recipe and
add a bit of cereal or oats to it.
Ingredients
Yogurt
Sugar or other
sweet substitute
for it
Milk
Finely chopped
nuts
Cinnamon powder
Cardamom powder
Chopped, sliced or diced fruits – optional
Saffron – optional
Nepal Foods achieves recognition at Great Taste 2024 Awards
Directions
On a clean piece of cheesecloth, pour all the yogurt you are going to use for this recipe and tie the ends together to make something that resembles a pouch.
Hang this makeshift pouch for about eight hours or overnight with a big bowl underneath it to drain the water from the yogurt. The bowl placed underneath this cheesecloth pouch collects the water dripping out of it.
Take the yogurt out of the cheesecloth and pour it into a bowl.
Add sugar, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder and chopped nuts into it and mix it all together.
Slowly pour in the milk and start whisking everything together until you get a fluffy and creamy texture. This should take about 10 minutes of whisking.
Refrigerate for half an hour and serve after topping the sikarni with the fruits and saffron.
Chatamari
Chatamari is pizza done in a Nepali way. It’s primarily a Newari dish but it’s enjoyed throughout the country. This is a recipe that uses meat but for a vegetarian rendition, you can simply eliminate the use of meat and follow the same recipe.
Ingredients
Rice Flour
Ghee or butter
Salt
Eggs – beaten
Water
Onions
Tomatoes
Garlic
Ginger
Black pepper powder
Minced meat – preferably chicken
Directions
Chop the onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger.
Heat a pan over medium flame and add a few tablespoons of ghee into it.
Add ginger, onion, and garlic and fry them until they turn golden brown.
Add meat, salt, and pepper into the oil and cook for about five minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook for one more minute before turning off the stove.
Now prepare the crust batter by mixing together the rice flour, eggs, water, and salt in a bowl.
Heat another pan and add ghee into it.
After about two minutes, pour the crust batter into the pan and spread it around evenly to make a thin fine crust.
Cook it with the (pan’s) lid on for about five minutes.
Remove the lid, add the meat topping mix, and cover it with the lid again.
Cook for a few more minutes and then turn off the heat and serve hot.
Gundruk Sadheko
Gundruk essentially is a condiment. But it is loved to such a great extent in Nepal that people have it in all ways and forms. Here is an easy to follow recipe for gundruk sadheko to satisfy your gundruk cravings.
Ingredients
Mustard greens – chopped
White radish – cut into small and thin slices
Cabbage – chopped like in salads
Spinach – chopped
Red onion – finely chopped
Tomatoes – finely chopped
Garlic – minced,
Ginger – minced
Red chili – minced
Coriander – finely chopped
Lemon juice
Vegetable oil – preferably mustard
Szechuan pepper (timmur)
Asafoetida (hing)
Salt
Directions
Sun dry all the chopped vegetables for at least one whole day. Keep shifting and turning them at regular intervals so that all of the moisture dries out.
Place all the wilted vegetables in an airtight jar, tighten the lid and leave it at a warm place for two to three days.
Then drain the liquid collected inside the jar.
Tighten the lid over it again and leave it to ferment for about a week.
The gundruk is now ready. You can store it in the refrigerator for future use or make its sadheko version right away.
In a clean bowl, place the gundruk, garlic, chili, coriander, ginger, lemon juice, vegetable oil, Szechuan pepper, and asafoetida and mix them together.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Chukauni
Chukauni is a popular dish from Palpa district. It’s essentially a spicy potato and yogurt salad but it’s also served as a side dish with other more filling main dishes.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Green peas – soaked in water overnight
Onions,
Yogurt
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Green chilies
Salt
Vegetable oil – preferably mustard
Turmeric powder
Fresh coriander leaves
Fresh lemon juice
Sichuan pepper (timmur)
Fenugreek seeds (methi)
Garlic
Directions
Boil the potatoes, peel them and dice them.
Chop the green chilies, onion, garlic, and the coriander leaves.
Add the potatoes, peas, chilies, onion, yogurt, salt, Sichuan pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder, and lemon juice to a bowl and mix them together.
Heat a pan over medium flame and add a few tablespoons of oil into it.
A minute later, add the fenugreek seeds and garlic. Turn off the heat when the fenugreek seeds turn dark brown.
Add a pinch of turmeric powder and then pour the mixture over the potato mix.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
