Lunch on Nepali Taste

Aloo Tama Bodi (Potato, Bamboo Shoot & Black-Eyed Pea Curry)

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

If you have ever been served aloo tama in a Nepali home, you remember the smell first, the unmistakable funk of fermented bamboo shoots blooming in hot mustard oil. It is the scent of the hills: of monsoon kitchens in the middle hills, of grandmothers stirring big pots over wood smoke, of bamboo poles drying outside the pidhi. The dish itself is alchemy. Sour fermented bamboo (tama) meets the earthy comfort of potatoes and the mild bite of black-eyed peas (bodi), all bound together by timur and the herbal whisper of jimbu. There is nothing in the world quite like it.

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.

Jhol Momo (Nepali Momos in Spicy Sesame-Tomato Soup)

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

Jhol momo is the youngest of the Kathmandu momo family, invented sometime in the late 1990s in the small momo shops of Patan and Bhaktapur, possibly by a vendor who found himself with too much loose achar and a stack of fresh momos waiting for it. Whoever they were, they invented one of the most addictive bowls of food on the planet. Steamed momos sit in a thin, smoky, spicy tomato-sesame broth, and you eat them with a spoon: dumpling, sip of broth, dumpling, sip of broth, until the bowl is empty and you are warm to your fingertips.

Macha Ko Tarkari (Nepali Fish Curry with Mustard Oil and Timur)

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

In the Tarai plains and along the Bagmati river in the Kathmandu Valley, macha ko tarkari, fish curry, is a household staple. Newaris call it nya: and serve it at bhoj feasts; Tarai families make it weekly with whatever river fish came back from the market that morning. Across both traditions the technique is the same: lightly turmeric-rubbed pieces of firm fish are very gently simmered in a sharp, mustard-oil-bloomed gravy of ginger, garlic, tomato, and a generous pinch of timur, never stirred hard, never overcooked, served brothy and bright.

Thukpa (Nepali-Tibetan Chicken Noodle Soup)

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

The first time I had real thukpa was in a tea house in Namche Bazaar, halfway up the Khumbu valley, the windows fogged with breath and yak-butter steam. The Sherpa cook brought it out in a battered metal bowl piled higher than the rim, clear chicken broth, hand-torn noodles, julienned cabbage and carrot, a few pieces of chicken, and a scatter of fried garlic and cilantro on top. We ate it in silence with the snow falling outside, and I have been chasing that exact bowl ever since.

Cauli ra Aalu ko Tarkari (Cauliflower & Potato Curry)

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Growing up in Nepal, Cauli ra Aalu ko Tarkari, a comforting curry made with potatoes and cauliflower, was a common sight at our family dinner table. This simple dish, enjoyed by many Nepali households, was a part of our daily meals and remains a beloved reminder of my homeland.

Daal Bhat (Nepali Lentil Soup with Steamed Rice)

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

If home had a taste, for me, it would be the warming simplicity of Daal Bhat. As a Nepali immigrant living in the United States, there are times when the daily grind, the constant hustle and bustle, and the sheer magnitude of everything become overwhelming. At those moments, I find myself yearning for the familiar comforts of my homeland.

Kukhura ko Maasu (Nepali Chicken Curry)

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In Nepali cuisine, Kukhura ko Maasu (Nepali Chicken Curry) holds a special place. Robust in flavor and rich with tradition, the dish has long been woven into our cultural identity, our hospitality, and our festivities.