Every nation has its own taste. In fact, as a baby grows inside the mother’s womb, their taste buds are quite developed and they taste what their mother eats and their preferences are set. Thus, the taste is hereditary as well. This means your preference for food also depends on the society you are born in.
If you are Nepali, we are sure that you have experienced Nepali food already. For those who want to know and taste typical Nepali food, here is our favorite list of typical Nepali foods.
1. Dal Bhat Tarkari
If you haven’t eaten Dal Bhat Tarkari (Rice-lentil-Curry), you cannot be a Nepali. Dal Bhat Tarkari is the staple food for Nepalis, and most of us eat this food as lunch and dinner as well.
Bhat is the boiled rice, and nowadays, rice is cooked in a rice cooker or sometimes in a pressure cooker. Dal is the lentil, which you mix with rice, to make it easy to swallow. Curry is spiced up fried vegetables. There are quite a lot of varieties of vegetables that are prepared as curry. No item has been able to break this partnership between Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari.
2. Momo
I was thinking if I should put Momo first on this list, I mean it is so popular in Nepal. But I did not put Momo in the first place is because Momo is not our staple diet. Momo, however, is the most popular snacks for Nepalese.
Momo is actually dumplings which most probably originated in China. There are several types of momos, depending upon the type of meat (sometimes vegetables) used or method of cooking. The most popular momos are made of buffalo meat inside the dough and steamed. Oh! you need pickle to enhance the Momo’s taste.
3. Dheedo
I must state that if you are going to taste the Nepali food do not leave out Dheedo. It is made out of maize, or wheat flour with water and by continuously stirring them. However, this dish that used to be popular in the past is losing its grip. Dheedo is often served along with gundruk. Gundruk is dried and fermented green vegetable.
4. Chatamari
You can probably say that Chatamari is the Nepali version of Pizza. Chatamari is associated with indigenous Newars in the Kathmandu Valley. This food is prepared out of rice flour and has toppings such as eggs, minced meat, and vegetables.
5. Jand / Raksi
Don’t get fooled. Nepalis love their drinks as well. Jand the traditional Nepali drink prepared by fermenting finger millet (Kodo). Come on, you guys must have tried several alcoholic drinks, don’t forget to try Jand when you are in Kathmandu.
6. Chiura
Chiura is beaten rice. Making Chiura from paddy takes a lot of processes. First, the paddy is soaked, then drained and roasted. The husk of roasted paddy is removed and beaten until fluffy thin Chiura is formed. Chiura, along with curd, and curry is often served as snacks.
7. Kihr
Khir is the rice pudding and considered holy food. It is often used as an offering for the gods and the demigods. Khir is made by boiling milk along with rice and stirred continuously for uniformity. Coconut, nuts, and sugar are added while making this dish. Some people even add eggs to Khir, however, most do not and it supposed to be a vegetarian dish.
So, there goes the list. Of course, this list could have been long, if you like and share this article, I am going to add on this list.
