Dal Bhat Tarkari

“Khana Khanuvayo?”, did you eat is traditional “how are you?” in Nepal. It is not just “did you eat?”  The greetings vary from “Chiya khanuvayo?” Did you have tea?, “Khaja Khanu vayo”, did you eat Snack?  To “Khana Khanuvayo?”, did you eat lunch?; depending upon what time of day do you meet people.

Nepali culture gives so much importance to food. Nepalese ask because they care. Food is happiness here and it is an epitome of the culture and they have an intrinsic relationship, yet little attention is paid to understand, explore, and promote Nepali food culture that defines Nepalese.

There is also a funny Nepali food quote;

“Dal-Bhat Power Twenty-Four Hour”

Dal bhat tarkari! The typical Nepali food

Dal

Dal is dried beans or lentils made into a broth or soup and often tampered with spices.

Dal is generally cooked by itself and paired with rice, called dal-bhat and this is a staple food eaten throughout Nepal. The consistency, recipes and variety of dal may vary by season, locality, ethnic group and family.

One of the regular recipes of cooking dal is; take a cupful dal of your choice with two cups of water, add a small spoon of salt and few pinches of turmeric and pressure cook it for two whistles in full flame and another three in half flame. To tampering, heat oil or ghee in a small pan, (Nepalese usually use ladle instead), toss in cumin seeds, dried chilies and finely chopped garlic. When all the spices brown, slowly transfer the mixture to cooked dal and cover the pot immediately to trap the fragrance of spices into the dal. Some people in hilly regions also tamper dal with Jimbu, is a dried aromatic perennial herb. The tampering process would be the same by adding Jimbu instead of cumin seeds.

Varieties of dal

Mass dal:  Black Lentil
Mungi dal: Moong Beans
Rahar dal: Pegion Peas
Musuro dal: Masoor Lentils
Chana dal: Split Grams
Gahat: Horse Grams
Masyang: Red Beans

Bhat

Bhat is boiled rice or steamed rice either cooked in a pot, Rice cooker or Pressure cooker.

Many different types of rice are available in Nepal and sometimes imported from India. Previous year’s, older rice is considered better than the new harvest and also expensive than the latter. Like dal everyone has their own way of cooking rice depending upon the varieties.

The general method would be to rinse 2 cups of rice, soak it in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes and then transfer it to a flat bottomed cooking pot. One could also soak rice in the same cooking pot to avoid transferring. Bring rice to boil with the occasional stir, and once the water is reduced to 90% cook further in a low flame for 10 minutes with the lid on. The method below is best for older rice and Nepalis prefer the less sticky non-glutinous rice because it is easier to eat with the fingers.

Below are the varieties of rice that are grown all over Nepal but many local varieties are lost over of years.

Varieties of Rice

Basmati
Jira Masino
Pokhreli
Mansuli
Gudgude Marsi
Thauli
Mansara
Anadi
Rajbhog
Krishnabhog
Samundra Pheenz
Phalame
Tilki
Jetho Budho
Thaichung

 Tarkari

Although we say dal-bhat is the National food, it is incomplete without tarkari. Tarkari is any seasonal vegetable curry or meat.

Nepal is an agriculture-based country, topographically divided into mountains, hills and plains. Each of these regions is blessed with food diversity.

The common vegetables in Nepal are cauliflower, beans, cabbage, radish, turnips, brinjal, squash, gourd, pumpkin, jackfruit, green leaves like mustard, spinach etc. And the most important one is the potato. Any vegetables in Nepal except for meat are never cooked alone but paired with potatoes. Hence when asked what is tarkari today, you may hear, its Cauliflower and Potato, never Cauliflower alone.

Vegetables are also eaten in dried or fermented form. In case of excess production, the vegetables like radish, mushroom, cauliflower are cut and sundried for several days and stored in air-tight jars for later use. Green leaves are fermented to make Gundruk which makes the best stews and pickles.

Saturday, the weekend, is the official meat-eating day in Nepal. Khasi ko masu ra bhat (mutton curry and rice) is many’s favourite food, as mutton is considered the king of all meat. It’s expensive yet all the ethnic groups and religions consume it. Chicken especially hybrid kind is easy meat, cheaper and quite popular too, whereas, local chicken meat is more expensive. Brahmins would refrain from chicken eating in the past but now the younger generations consume it. Buffalo is mainly for Newars (Kathmandu natives) and the pork is popular among Janajatis (Indigenous Tribes) and Dalits (lower caste) of Nepal. Himalayan tribes, the non-Hindu ones, eat yaks and Ox. Since the cow is propitiated by Hindus and is also National animal of Nepal, slaughtering a cow in Nepal is a sin and a crime.

The taste of curry again varies kitchen to kitchen, but a generic way of cooking is; smoke-heat oil in a wok (pan is seldom used in Nepali kitchen to cook curry), add methi (fenugreek seeds) to the oil and cook it until blackened, then add, chopped onion, fry until golden brown. Add to it chopped vegetables. The cuttings of potatoes must match the size and nature of vegetables it is paired with to make curry look attractive. Season it with noon (salt), besar (turmeric), jeera (cumin powder), khursani (red chilli powder), aduwa (ginger paste) and lasun (garlic paste). Fry it at a medium flame with the occasional stirs, optionally add water to make gravy. Garnish with dhaniya (coriander). Dhaniya is the favourite herb to garnish any Nepali curry. People also like green onions and garlic leaves.

Varieties of Vegetables and Meat

Aaloo: Potato
Cauli: Cauliflower
Banda: Cabbage
Gajar: Carrot
Mula: Radish
Chukandar: Beet root
Gantey Mula: Turnip
Matar Kosha: Peas
Bhatmaas: Soyabeans
Ghiraula: Luffa Gourd
Lauka: Bottle Gourd/ Calabash
Kakro: Cucumber
Golveda: Tomato
Tyamatar: Tree Tomato
Ishkush: Squash/Chayote
Pakeko Farsi: Pumpkin
Hariyo Farsi: Zucchini
Kurilo: Asparagus
Karela: Bitter Gourd
Simi: Beans
Bodi: Snake Beans
Bakula: Fava Beans
Chana: Brown Chickpeas
Kabuli Chana: White Chickpeas
Rajma: Kidney Beans
Bodi: Black-eye Beans
Pidalu: Taro Tuber/Co-co Yam
Parval: Pointed Gourd
Bhanta: Brinjal/Eggplant
Tama: Bamboo Shoots
Romtoriya: Okra/Lady’s finger
Chipli Bhindi: Okra/ Lady’s finger
Saag: Green Leaves
Tori: Mustard
Rayo: Mustard
Palung: Spinach
Gyathkobi: Kohlrabi
Dhaniya: Corriander/Cilantro
Hariyo Pyaaj: Spring Onion
Pyaaj: Onion
Lasun: Garlic
Hariyo Lasun: Garlic Greens
Chyaapi: Chives
Aduwa: Ginger
Pudina/Babari: Mint
Paak Choy: Bok Choy
Dundu ko Saag: Chinese Leek
Farsi ko Munta: Pumpkin shoots
Iskush ko Munta: Chayote Shoots/Squash Shoots
Methi ko Saag: Fenugreek greens
Latte ko Saag: Amaranth
Neuro/Ningro: Fiddlehead Fern
Saunf ko Saag: Dills
Sisnu ko Saag: Nettle Greens
Sim Rayo: Water Cress
Chamsur: Garden Cress
Salad Patta: Lettuce
Karkala: Tarro Leaves
Sakhar Kanda: Sweet Potato
Tarul: Yam/Cassava
Rukh Katahar: Jackfruit
Kubhindo: Ash Gourd
Barela: Balsam Apple
Khursani: Chili/Jalapeno
Kagati: Lime
Nibuwa: Lemon
Chichinda: Snake Gourd
Chyau: Mushroom
Bauhuniya: Koiralo
Karmaiya Saag: Water Bindweed
Kerau ko Munta: Pea Vine Shoots
Lunde ko Saag: Redroot Pidweed
Patuwaa ko Saag: Tossa Jute
Sarwari Saag: Quail Grass
Sim Rayo: Water Cress
Siplikan: Garlic Pear
Hiudey Simi: Hyacinth Beans
Taney Bodi: Yardlong Beans
Chattel: Spiny Bitter Gourd
Lapsi: Hog Plum
Thotne: Garden Sorrel/Bladder Dock
Sishumool: Arrowroot
Vajraangee: Artichoke
Bhede Kursani: Bell Pepper/Capsicum
Maccha: Fish
Khasi: Mutton
Kukhura: Chicken
Ranga: Buffalo
Bangur/Sungur: Pork
Badel: Boar