Spaghetti : At boudha

If you are a leader, you don't push wet spaghetti, you pull it.

When you visit a restaurant, few things are worse than poorly prepared spaghetti. It’s just wrong to allow what could have been a delicious and fulfilling portion of this long, slender pasta to be ruined because someone in the kitchen decided to pan fry a huge chunk of it in a pool of hot oil, throw in a fistful of shredded onions, cabbage and carrots and then overseason the whole thing. That’s before they serve that Nepali-style spaghetti on a plate and expect you to finish it with some ketchup and chilli sauce.

But here in Kathmandu that is not always avoidable because someone, at some point in time, in the past decided that that was how we should prepare this Italian dish, and everyone sort of agreed and followed that template from then on.

I , however, wanted to save you from the trouble of having to always eat those barely exciting, needlessly spicy and ridiculously oily spaghetti. So i suggest you to go to Boudha, where a local eatery, Khawa Karpo, serves delicious spaghetti in a way that bucks the norm.

The first interesting thing you will notice about this freshly boiled spaghetti is that it looks pale like all foods without turmeric do to our Nepali eyes. And it’s not just the looks but the taste that is bland when it is served. And that’s the point. Unlike in many other places, here they simply boil the spaghetti and serve it steaming right out of the boiler instead of tossing it with other ingredients on a pan.

The part where Nepalis usually fry the spaghetti is completely omitted, for reasons to do with both health and palate. And as for seasoning it, even that is left to the diners. Well, in a way. The spaghetti is served on a bed of spinach and some tasty buffalo broth, savoury and all nicely seasoned. On top of the steaming pasta, they place a sizeable pile of cooked buffalo mince, from which the broth is made.

Now, you are to toss and turn the entire thing so that the flavours from the meat, broth and spinach infuse the dish. Salt, pepper and chilli are provided on the side, and you use either chopsticks or regular cutlery to mix everything together to combine all the spices and flavours on the plate.

The other interesting thing about this spaghetti is that there is only a slight bit of difference in both price and portion of its full serving and half serving. In any case, half a plate of this spaghetti is usually enough for one average person.

Because you’ll only be mixing all the cooked ingredients right before you eat, the spoonfuls of spaghetti you guide into your mouth present a nice mixture of textures—the mince meat’s, the spaghetti’s and the broth’s—which is not the case with the sloppy concoctions we are so used to. Once you’ve stuffed yourself, we’d advise you to order a cup of warm Tibetan tea, and let its goodness relax you before you take your leave of the place.

Thukpa : Tibetan noodle

Thukpa is a hearty tibetan noodle soup, which can be made spicy or plain as per individual taste. 

Thukpa is a traditional Tibetan meal inspired by the chinese and now eaten all over Nepal, Bhutan and many parts of North-east India as well. It is boiled noodles, filtered and mixed with vegetables and meat items. Thokpa is also called Thukpa, It is very popular in Kathmandu and Mountain region of Nepal.It is eaten mostly during winter. Thokpa is noodles dipped in very hot soup, so it is good in cold places. It keeps you warm. 


It has its own chilli dipped vinegar source. People prefer hot and spicy tomato achar with this item too.Thokpa is eaten generally for Khaja at noon or meals in night. Thukpas are generally meat based but you get vegetarian version as well. Its a light soup with load of fresh vegetables and tons of flavor. It can be made spicy or mild as per your taste. Its wholesome and very heartwarming - a true comfort food. I call it soul food, because it soothes me from inside and enriches me.

What differences this dish from the long list of soup and noodles recipes in the region is the broth. Thukpa’s broth is silky in texture with a sour and spicy taste that is perfect delicious. It’s made by processing tomatoes, spices and other vegetables in a blender and then reducing them to a paste of concentrated flavour. To that, some broth is added and finally some fresh vegetables pieces that cook quickly enough. The noodle’s used for this soup are usually bright white rice noodles. Their flavour and delicate texture only enhance the silky feel of the broth.

kheer : Rice Pudding

Shrawan 15- Khir khane din
Happy khir khane din :)

Kheer or rice pudding is one of the important Nepali cuisines used especially during the religious and holy ceremonies. Khir is one of the integral parts of parties and ceremonies. From marriage parties to funeral, khir is served and eaten to observe the occasion. Khir is regarded as pure food in Nepal, as it is rice cooked in milk. It is mainly eaten as desert or side dish with puri or sel. It is also considered as one of the most important elements of puja and is used as Prasad (holy offering). It is considered pure and sacred and used in every pujas be it small or big. It is easy to prepare and tasty to indulge in.

It is a practically universal dish that is typically made from a mixture of cooked rice and milk or cream (and it often has plenty of sugar!). So many countries have their own versions of rice pudding, incorporating a wide range of flavors and sweet and savory ingredients. You can find versions of rice puddings in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean… the list goes on!

My favorite type of rice pudding is the lightly sweetened version. Dessert rice puddings can get unhealthy really fast, so I often use this version as a healthy base. It’s one of my favorites because the coconut reminds me of the sticky rice I tasted with sliced mango. I couldn’t tell you how many bowls of that stuff I ate! It is a delicious pudding to satisfy a sweet tooth after a hearty curry.

Ingredients

Rice 

Milk 

Ghee

Sugar 

Cardamom 

Cashew-nuts

Raisins 

Big Cardamom 

Black Pepper 

Method

Boil milk with sugar.

Mix rice with ghee (do not wash rice)

Pour rice in the hot boiled milk and stir it continually.

Boil and cook the mixture for few more minutes till rice gets cooked.

Add cardamom, cashew, raisins, black pepper when the khir is about to get ready. (When it becomes thick)

Khir is ready serve hot or even you can keep it and have it cold. Khir is delicious hot or cold.

PANIPURI

You think life is a race?
A race is you trying to finish off the "panipuri" before "panipuri wala" puts the next one into the plate.

Pani puri  is one of the best Indian spicy chats. It is known for its sweet and spicy flavours. No matter where we go in India, we can find small vendors in the street corners selling these little bites of yummly savories. Puri is crunchy,round hollow ball of deep-fried flour and semolina. Pani refers to the chilled, tangy-flavored cilantro-mint water. Pani puri has its own style.Unlike in restaurants where it is served in a big plate with all the ingredients whereas the street vendor serves it in a totally different way. A small bowl is given to the customer and he is all ready for the challenge.I love this style and let me tell you how it works.

The chat vendor takes a puri, makes a hole, stuffs the stuffing inside, dips the whole puri in a big earthen pot of juicy pani and fianlly puts it in your bowl. All these things happen in a fraction of a second. He moves so fast you can barely notice him doing this.

The challenge of the customer is to eat the whole puri before the vendor gives you another in your bowl.After biting into it,you are so lost in thought that you often forget that you should eat it fast and your next puri is on your way into the bowl.All the sweet and tangy juices fill your mouth and the taste will be heavenly.

I love pani puri and whenever I find a street chat shop I grab my bowl and eagerly wait for my turn to eat this cute little wonders :)

Pani puri consists of the following items :

1. Puri  - Dough in the shape of a small ball ,fried in oil.
2. Pani – Sweet and spicy water made from various ingredients.
3. Stuffing – Mashed potatoes,onions,chat masala,red chilli powder,salt.

KWATI : Nepali soup

Happy Janai Purnima! And Winter is coming! So make Kwati and prepare yourself for the cold weather.😋

Mixed sprouted beans are known as kwaanti,in Nepal and are cooked a number of ways: in soups, in vegetable stir-fries, in salads, or in combination with meats. During the Nepali festival of Janai Purnima or Kwanti Purnima, a delicious stew-like soup is prepared from a colorful array of mixed sprouted beans.  Traditionally, the sprouts are prepared from a combination of nine different types of colorful beans.  This wholesome soup is highly nutritious and usually eaten with steamed rice.  Today, kwaanti soup is cooked regularly in many Nepali households, and one does not have to wait for festival time to enjoy it.  Although this dish can be prepared quickly in a pressure cooker, some cooks believe that the sprouts do not absorb the seasoning during the shorter cooking time.  While cooking kwaanti, there is no need to mash the beans to thicken the soup.  Some sprouts, like mung beans, cook faster than others and by the time the whole dish is cooked, they will become mushy, making the dish just the right texture.

Kwati is a very popular Nepali soup prepared especially on the day of Janai Purnima. Kwati is extremely delicious and contains several kinds of beans. With beans, people also include meat on this recipe but I prefer vegetarian version. Kwati is known to be a healthy food. They say that it cures cold, cough and is one of the best foods for women in their maternity leave. Since, it contains varieties of beans, this recipe is loaded with proteins and thus helps weak/sick people to regain their energy.

Main ingredients: black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean

PIZZA

ONLY LOVE TRIANGLE THAT MAKE US HAPPY!!

Do you love me? Asked the cheesy luscious pizza. More than myself. Replied the world. Every emotion is connected with our favorite food.  Are you immensely happy? Why not go for  Strawberries & Cream Crepes? Are you completely depressed about your loved one? Why not try the spicy Chicken Tortellini Alfredo pastas and get over your sorrow.  Setting up a small house party? Say no more and order PIZZAS. Food is what the entire world gets united in and If you could not only fill your tummies but also keep your pockets full, that sounds like heaven.

PIZZA is an italian dish, consisting of a flat round base of dough baked with a toppings of tomatoes and cheese, typically with added meat, fish or vegetables. Its cripsy, its juicy and its delicious. It is only a love triangle that makes us happy. It is the best food on earth and nothing i.e NOTHING can change that even though the stuff has long been criticize as a junk food because it's high in calories, saturated fat and sodium.

If you are a pizza lover, chances are the phrase "too much pie" seldom crosses your lips and happily, there is a world of cheesy, saucy goodness out there, just waiting to tickle your taste buds.

take a break from boredom 

swipe it, flip it, share it.

CHATAMARI: Nepali Pizza

Fresh, crunchy, juicy and full of spicy

Newari food is the most popular and unique food in Nepal along with being delicious. One of such popular Newari dish is known as Chatamari. It is a repe made out of rice flour with chopped or ground red meat toppings and seasoned with salt and pepper. It is similar to South Indian dish Dosa but it is not rolled up and served with toppings inside. It is like pancakes but people prepare chatamari with toppings. It  looks rich, smells awesome and served like pizza. The stuffings is so good. The wrap is very thin so while eating , the stuffings brust inside the mouth.

Chatamari are traditionally made for a puja. When you make it for puja (per, it is just plain rice crepe with no toppings. This is very easy to make and so very tasty.There are many varieties of Chatamari like Egg Chatamari, Keema Chatamari and Plain Chatamari.

How to prepare chatamari???

For topping, heat oil in a pan and fry onion, garlic and ginger until they turn light brown. After that, add minced meat, salt and pepper. When it’s about to be done, add tomatoes and cook it until the meat is ready. Make sure to mix everything well.

Rice base/lentil base

First of all, soak black lentil in water overnight or until the black coating is removed. Then, rinse the lentils and remove the black coating. Mix the lentil paste with the rice flour and make a thin paste. Now, heat a flat pan on medium heat and put the paste on the hot pan. Roll it while you pour it and make sure it turns as thin as a paper sheet. Then, put the toppings on the paste and cook it until the paste is done. If any burnt is left behind on the pan, use a damp cloth to wipe it out. Repeat the process for the remaining paste as well. Your Chatamari is ready to serve.

Chatamari is now widely eaten as a snack, and has become popular among other cultures too. Many restaurants in Kathmandu serve chatānmari as an appetizer. There are also small eateries which serve chatānmari as the main item on their menu.