Chatamari (Newari Rice Crepe, Nepali Pizza)

Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley have been eating chatamari since long before anyone in Nepal had ever heard the word “pizza”, but the comparison is unavoidable. A thin, lacy crepe of fermented rice batter, cooked on a hot griddle and crowned with spiced minced meat, a glossy layer of egg, fresh tomato, and a flurry of cilantro: it is the original Nepali street snack and the food of a great many Newari celebrations. In the old neighbourhoods of Patan and Bhaktapur, you can still find tiny shops where one woman has spent thirty years pouring batter onto a single seasoned tawa, the smell of mustard oil and meat drifting into the brick alleys.

Crepe on Nepali Taste

Chatamari (Newari Rice Crepe, Nepali Pizza)