Authentic taste of Typical Nepali food

You may have heard very limited items in terms of Nepali food taste or gastronomical wonders but satisfying your pallet there is more to a devouring taste of exciting flavors inspired in the ups and downs of the taste buds. Nepal is full of mixture of taste its multilingual dialect not only facilitates its cultural practice to the richer side practices wide variety of culinary recipes of  taste.

Nepali food is not a freeway like the Chinese or Indian taste. It's a shuttle and a protagonist taste of amazing spices and herbs that are balanced among the most amazing experience of the taste world.
to be very specific, it is  not vague and intriguing with spices and heat, its a more abrupt and sensitive taste of rich ingredients of the food where the spices are the main stars but an added bonus of the ingredients.

If you think Momos, chowmins  and dalbhat is the way to Nepali food then you are completely wrong. Nepal food has an edge with a more shuttle taste with a stingy broth taste.


1. Gundruk: Gundruk is one of the most famous food cuisine in Nepali food culture.  A hilly food source of the diet, it is kind of a fermented version of the green leafy vegetable turned into a dry hard smelling element of the Nepali cuisine. Though recognized as  a popular and most important food in Nepal and it claims to be one of the national dishes, people may or may not be accepting the taste but for any mountain person its a daily dose of minerals and source of a yummy broth everyday for the winters. To be specific every Nepali craves for Gundruk soup that is rich in flavor and taste and to be very frank if you come to Nepal that is the real taste of Nepal gastronomical wonder.
It can be used in so many way fried and made into a pickle or massed and mixed with curry but the most popular Nepali style is a broth that is very stinky for the outsider but very soothing and tasty for the native soul. you want the real taste of Nepal you gotta try Gundruk in the most spunky way to feel the food adventure of Nepal.  It is the food of the hilly people where most of the times the temperatures are very fluctuating and due to this there is scarcity of food and shortage of other food items the Nepalese have been preserving their food in-terms of their tradition and culture in the most wonderful way of practicing this gastronomical wonder. Every time I smell a Gundruk my mouth waters in the most enchanting way of feeling a true nepali. Nepal in every way possible is a  

Process of making Gundruk 1. First take some green leafy vegetable and wash them thoroughly
2. Dry them ion the sun for 2 to 3 days once the green color starts to fade
3. Tightly pack  them in a glass or wooden bottle and add some hot water to start the fermentation process
4. Put the the bottle in the sun
5. After a day when the fermentation starts keep a check in the smell and level of acidity
6. Once you are sure of the smell and consistency then take it out and dry it in the sun
7. Walla you have Gundruk
 

2. Tama:  Tama is yet another version of the best food cuisine of Nepali food. It's very authentic and very versatile in so many ways of its taste. Though can be closely related to Kimche in smell but has a rich and specific taste that enhances the nepali dhal bhat in the most spectacular way. It is generally cooked with black-eyed peas where various spices and herbs are added to enhance the taste.

Tama is a fermented bamboo shoot tipped from the young bamboo  which is fermented and aged as per taste.   It is a unique and classic style Nepali curry flavor dish.



Process of making Tama 
1. The bamboo shoot are cut from the shack

2.They are fermented with oil and turmeric power
3. As the time passes it gives that rich and aromatic smell
  





3. Suke ko Maccha: Dried smoked fish is yet another aspect of the Nepali food that is rich in taste and flavors. It is one of the major diets of the Nepali people where there are fishes available from ponds and rivers.

It is cooked in a curry style broth with herbs and spices which has its unique set of taste and flavors.

  

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Delicious Chatamari

Wiki defines Chatamari, “Chataamari (Nepal Bhasa:चतांमरी) is a kind of rice crepe. It is a special dish of Newars. It is a special form of newari “roti” made by rice flour. It is used specially during ‘the guthis’ of newars. It has been very popular among the other cultures as well, and many restaurants of Kathmandu serves this food, and some restaurants even have the names like Chatamari Restaurant.”

Recipe details  

For Rice Base: 

• 2 cups rice flour
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup water (depends on consistency)
• 1 cup ghee or butter
• Pinch of salt Salt to taste

For Toppings: 

• ½ lb choped/minced chicken (any other meat can be used)
• ½ cup finaly chopped onions
• ½ cup diced Tamatoes
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil/butter

Process:1. Heat oil. Fry onions, garlic and ginger until light brown. Put in minced meat, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes just before it’s done. Cook it until meat is nearly done.

Rice Base:

2. Mix rice flour, eggs, water and a pinch of salt to make cake-like-batter. Heat butter over a pan. Pour in some batter and spread out into a thin crust. Cover the pan and cook just on one side for few minutes. Don’t turn onto the other side.

3. Put the topping over it and cook for few minutes again with lid.

4. Serve hot with spicy Achar or chutney.

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Food speaks the language of Tradition and Culture

Food is not just a commodity; it holds much to it then to its literal meaning. Having said that food not only explores the possibilities of opportunity but it is a way of life or existence. It is said food not only satisfies your appetite but it psychologically makes you feel at home. Like such, the Nepali tradition of food certainly highlights a great deal of importance in its cultural and traditional values.

“To know the food is to know the culture and tradition,” This statement certainly justifies the meaning as food that entails different aspect of traditional values. Nepali food is something that gives you the right taste and flavors. In Nepal there are around 50 different ethnic groups, with distinctive languages, dress, and customs and to degree cuisines. In remote areas, there is little choice, you eat what you grow. But the foods prepared during festivals are rare and unique in their own way. Nepalese recipes consist of many spices and herbs, which are used in each dish in a different proportion and manner. This makes each recipe unique in its own way. Heavily influenced by Indian and Tibetan cuisine Nepalese food still hold its unique taste and presence where it is highly considered healthy and extremely nourishing.

Highlighting, that there are several regional variations in Nepali food, but one dish more than any other has come to characterize the country’s cuisine it’s the dal-bhat-tarkari. Dal is a lentil sauce that is eaten with the bhat (rice). Tarkari is a generic name for curry vegetable and can be prepared in different ways according to seasonal availability of vegetables and local preferences. It is often served with achar (pickles) which do much to enhance overall appeal.

Like such, the Thakali food is yet another rich version of dal-bhat-tarkari which is popular for its tastes and species. The Thakali food has also aspired its ways to the Nepali Restaurant Industry and to dining habits and may be due to its full diet or vivid taste it is very popular among Nepali as well as foreigners. The Thakali food comes from the tradition of the people of Tibetan affinity who settled in Thak-Khola Valley. Thakali cuisine also uses locally-grown buckwheat, barley, millet and dal as well as rice and dal. The Thakali food set generally consist flavors of rich spicy content that shows the rich and vast array of exploration of taste buds.

Now talking more about the taste variation, Nepalese love spices and pickles, it’s an essential part of their diet. Pickles mostly come salty, sour, sweet or tangy, all big on flavor such that just a spoonful is needed with the meal. It adds flavor and it blend into any type of dish and has become an important part of Nepali cuisine.

Looking and understanding the taste, dal bhat tarkaari is common among Newars, one of the oldest inhabitants of Kathmandu but they have incorporated it in a variation of taste. Another popular item among them is chiura: dried beaten rice, served with an array of meat and vegetable curries and pickle.
Outside the Kathmandu Valley where the variety of vegetables and ingredients is much less, diets are simpler. Above 3000 meters, of altitudes, corn, millet, buckwheat, barley and wheat take over as staples. The everyday lunch and dinner of many hill villagers is dhindo, a thick mush of boiled ground grains, doctored up with a soupy vegetable sauce of the ubiquitous.

Nepali saag (spinach), gundruk (dried and fermented vegetable leaves) or sisnu (nettles) are commonly used according to availability. In the far west, hill dwellers subsist on heavy bread made from a crude brown wheat or buckwheat. Barley, potatoes, dairy products and a few hardy vegetables fuel the highest Himalayan settlers of Nepal. Traders to Tibet cross 6000 meter passes carrying little more than dry tsampa (roasted fine-ground grains) to mix with butter tea, and perhaps some dried cheese (churpi) or meat. If you’re up in the Khumbu, Langtang or Manang/Jomsom areas, be sure to try some tsampa. You can also buy it in Kathmandu’s Asan bazaar. The delicious, nutty flavor and nutritious, high-energy content make it an ideal trekking food. You may have less success in downing a cup of Tibetan butter tea, known to put off most Westerners and even Nepali lowlanders.

Tibetan influences increase the further north you go, although perenial favourites, such as the momo (a stuffed dumpling, fried or steamed), are widely available in the lower regions too. In the trekking regions, you are likely to encounter little other than Nepali food, which some people may find slightly monotonous. The choice is greater in the Terai where you will also find many excellent Indian dishes.

Perhaps, the traditional food in Kathmandu has been monopolized by few of the restaurants creating their own name and fame in giving people a new taste in same old traditional way.

Bhojan Griha is one of the oldest restaurants located in Dillibazar with the taste and feel of ancient days. The property is located in a traditional setting and dates back over 150 years. Originally belonging to the royal priest of the king of Nepal, it’s a historical monument. A renovated history of 4 storey building, it Taste authentic organic Nepalese food then what more can you expect. The food is served with local
folk dances and songs with the tradition of Nepali essence. Dining at Bhojan Griha, meaning House of Food, is a unique experience of splurging into the taste of Nepal. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day.

Similarly, Bhancha Ghar is yet another destination that highlights the enigmatic presence and essence of Nepali tradition. It has been more than two decades that the Bhancha Ghar has been catering the needs of foreign guests. From 1989 AD, Bhancha Ghar has been promoting Nepalese cuisine with no priority for an entirely Nepalese restaurant. Bhancha Ghar is a total experience that serves not only food but a feeling and essence of Nepali tradition. With spices making the taste the variable meat dishes and vegetarian dishes prepared with Newari style, accompanied by house blends of raksi, gives it the taste of Nepali at its best. Center of focusing the lifestyles of various ethnic groups of Nepal the cultural show gives you the feel of true Nepali taste. Established in a faithfully restored aristocratic household and completely furnished with authentic Nepali craftsmanship, it offers fine traditional food in a relaxed and intimate setting.

Likewise, Nepali Chulo is yet another destination located in Lazimpat Road. The decor and interior highlights the Nepali tradition and culture that gives you the rich taste and flavor of its richness and essence. The building is an ancient Rana palace that is loud and clear about its standing. It offers the supreme traditional Nepali and Newari cuisine with dynamic cultural programs. The menu covers a veg and non-veg set plate, a thali on which will come all your smaller dishes.

Tukuche Thakali Kitchen, of Durbar Marg in Kathmandu, offers excellent food. The name itself Tukuche is an ancestral home of the Thakali people. The Tukuche serves 100% the traditional Thakali food that taste, smells and presents itself with the name and quality. In menu, one can find a wide selection of items that are typically Thakali as well as a smaller collection of items created to cater to customer demand. Usually, people who come here tend to go for the set meals, which are convenient and filling, but the other items on the menu are also worth exploring. With the essence of giving the taste even the meat used here is exclusively of hardy mountain goat or chicken. Among the several Thakali restaurants in town, Tukuche is one of the oldest establishments offering the best in terms of quality taste and presentation. Over their years of service, this place has gained a lot of ground in the local market. It’s certainly a great place to experience authentic Thakali cuisine.

Food in Nepal is not an option it’s a way of life. People have been eating food for many reasons, but in Nepal the food speaks the language of tradition and values. It’s a way to understand the true spirit where one can easy know the nature and presence by knowing the food.

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food to health/ happiness or food to gain weight

Food is what we all eat and food is something that makes our day, but food is something that can also make you crazy and lethargic. The proportion of spices, herbs and mineral when well balanced can give you a smile to make your day where as the same proportion when goes wrong can result in a chemical imbalance of causing  diarrhea or indigestion.

Food is not just a source of energy its a way or tradition that spells the way of living. Food  is humanity that gives us all a way to see the beauty of world where we all share the love and affection. May be that is the reason why food has no boundaries and no race it is just appetizing and full of smiles...............  

Apart from that the use of MSG specially to enhance the taste is a complete wrong a way  to see food. Food is never about taste, its about satisfaction and dedication which needs to be understood. The commercial use of the MSG not only destroys the real taste of food but it also makes your taste buds dull.

If you eat good and health food you can be productive and perform in every field of life but if you eat unhealthy food then you will be unproductive and lethargic, so be careful about what you eat.

To summarize short food is all about colors, taste, smell and every other small things that makes you the satisfaction of being full    

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