Nepali food:

Nepali food has variety in it due to the different kinds of foods of different castes, religions and communities. They do have their own importance in different occasions. Most of the varieties are easily to cook, healthy and tasty too. Daal, rice curry and pickle are famous for Nepali food. Nepali people have had their set of food twice a day. Food is eaten by right hand. People in the rural areas of Nepal take the food made up of corm. Wheat, millet, beaten rice, noodle, biscuit etc. whereas momo, chowmein, Bakery , thuppa, newari set etc in the city are are used as lunch. An easy availability of hotels and restaurants in the city area has made accessibility of Chinese, Indian Italian and continental food.

Materials like fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, chili, onion, garlic coriander-seed etc and condiments like clove, large cardamom, small cardamom, cinnamon etc are used in Nepali food for its taste. Seasonal vegetables like radish, green leafy vegetables, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, aubergine, lady’s finger, bitter gourd, bean, pumpkin, pea, turnip, potato etc are easily available in Nepali market. Among the variety of lentils are black gram, gram, pea, pigeon pea, green grams etc. similarly different fruits of various kinds according to the climatic and geographical situations can be purchased easily from the markets. Climatic variety causes variety in the production of fruits in different regions. For example, Mustang is famous for apple, Gorkha for orange, Ilam for tea etc. Guava, orange, banana, pomegranate, grapes, papaya, Chinese plum, persimmon, apple, custard, mango, pear, raspberry, berry, hog plum, grapefruit, sorghum, pineapple etc. are the seasonal fruits of Nepal.

People drink tea or coffee in the early morning, then have breakfast at eight to nine in the morning , lunch in the midday, and dinner at seven to eight at night., one can taste salt in most of Nepali dishes. It includes milk and milk products in large amount in rural areas because of livestock whereas such varieties can be purchased at dairies in cities. There are local to five star hotels in Nepal. Similarly, such services are available even in the trekking areas. Fresh juice is available in the different parts of the cities at juice centers and cane juices are available at shops and departmental stores. Boiled water or mineral water is suggested for drinking water.

In alcohol items, there are wines in national products of international level like beer, Brandi, bhodka, whisky, rum, wine etc. and Tomba, wine of millet, jaad (wine of stored food) etc in local level. Tomba is popular in some communities and it is drunk mostly in cold season. It is a compulsory drink in some festivals of certain communities.

General information about Nepali dishes:

A) Daal Bhat TArkari( pulse, cooked rice and curry)

B) Gundruk Dhido

C) Aaloo- Tama( potato and bamboo-shoots)

D) meat E) Pulau Tarkari( Fried rice and curry)

F) Chatamari

G) Tomba

I) Wine

Major and popular Nepali dishes:

1.Cooked rice ( bhat): raw rice is cooked in water in its ratio. This is a major dish of Nepali people.

2.Pulse (daal): lentils like gram, black gram. Pigeon pea, green grams etc. are mixed with turmeric and fried by condiments like, onion, coriander seed, fenugreek, aromatic herb (jimmu) etc at last. It is necessary for rice.

3.Curry: vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, sponge gourd, radish , potato etc are used to cook curry as seasonal vegetable and dried vegetables like maseura, pieces of radish, gundruk etc in off season. Ghee, ginger, oil, chili, salt, onion, garlic, tomato etc are necessary ingredients for such curries.

4.Chatni/ pickle: it is prepared of tomato, radish, gourd, chayote, bitter gourd, Chinese plum, mango, pea, cucumber etc. ginger, onion, chili, cumin, garlic like ingredients are necessary to prepare it. It is added with tart too.

5.Gundruk Dhindo: Gundruk is a soured dried vegetable of radish or mustard green leaves packed in a vacuum. It is cooked in water. Or it can be mixed to other items according to the flavor. Dhindo, on the other hand is a boiled flour of millet, wheat or maze. This flour is cooked in boiled water. Gundruk- Dhindo is a typical dish of Nepal.

6.Aaloo- Tama (potato, bamboo- shoots): Bamboo shoots can be cooked or eaten raw after 2-3 days long souring of it in warm water. It is cooked like other curries.

7.Meat: different dishes are prepared out of meat according to culture and traditions of diffident communities in Nepal. Buff is famous in some communities like Newari where the dishes like choila, kachila, bhutuwa (fried), momo, chow men etc are prepared out of it and mutton and chicken items are in use in other communities. Momo, chowmein, roast, thuppa etc. are the dishes of such meat.

8.Pulau Tarkari( vegetable and fried rice): ‘Pulau’ is famous in marriage, picnic, ceremonies of sacred thread wearing etc. it is also deer among the tourists. Rice is fried in ghee and is added with sweet spices like clove, small cardamom, cinnamon etc.

9.Chatamari: It is popular among Newar community. It is prepared by the flour of rice and mixed with egg or potato according to the taste.