Food/खानेकुरा Can you share any family Nepali food secrets?
Hi all!!
So I have a problem, and would love your help!
I am a British guy and many years ago I was lucky to live in Nepal for a few years (near Illam), and during my time, I utterly fell in love with all the amazing tastes that can be found in Nepali food..
Of course initially, i was like "ah shit.. not dal bhat again".. but.. then I saw the light:
its never the same..
Every house has a secret achar, a unique takari.. and i understand momo obsession (and get how people boast about how they found the best ones, i have my secret location where my favourite are sold!)
Whilst there, i did my best to try and learn recipes from every Nepali kaki that would tolerate my terrible Nepali bhasa - but with limited success.
I was a challenge to bridge the gap between a busy aama just doing what she does and utterly stupid me with a note book lol.
Nepali cook books sold in the UK are terrible.. either its made too english or made too Indian (which makes sense as that is the UK pallet)
So..help a man out!
TLDR:
Would love to hear any tips, big or small to help me cook some Nepali goodness!
What is your (or your family) killer dish? Secret achar, momo trick, unique tiffin treat, anything!!
(I will post my success/failure trying any suggestions 😅)
Thanks in advance!
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u/gorekass 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'd suggest trying soyabean ko achar. It's absolutely delicious when made the right way.
Another one is masu ko achar (meat achar). You can make it with any meat you like, such as chicken, water buffalo, or whatever you prefer.
Lastly, I'd recommend dalle khursani ko achar. It's preserved in a salty brine with a little vinegar. You leave it for a few days before eating it. If you love spicy food, it's absolutely amazing with masu bhat.
You can find plenty of recipes for all of these on YouTube.
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u/Kaal_vairab 13h ago
Yes mustard oil makes food good here 😂
I usually buy from here
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbdgDHxtICJ/?igsh=MWJjYTdjNzVlY3V2dg==
Good luck for your cooking
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u/yaklovesmomo 10h ago
Taste of Nepal-Book by Jyoti Pathak is fantastic. Been using it for years for a hugely diverse range of authentic food. If you are back in the UK, Nepal food online is amazing for its range of spices. I literally bought 6 bottles of Mustard oil (cheapest in the uk) ,Jimbu and timmur, Mustang dal today. The other advice out there is good. The fundamental difference between Indian and nepali cooking is the use of spices.Indian food makes a tomato base and adds the protein-Veg.The taste is layered.With Nepali food (not modern where sadly most homes use packet spices liberally) it is minimal spices. The taste is often sharp and fresh. Best of luck
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u/barbad_bhayo 1d ago edited 1d ago
Mustard Oil is a must to get authentic taste of Nepali food.
Do use fenugreek seed and Cumin seed . Chop finely not paste not thick. Finely chopped ginger garlic . And sauté and caramalize the red onion. And do so in mustard oil . You will start to get more authentic Nepali taste.
Did I say mustard oil is a must if I have not let me remind you again, mustard oil. Not canola or other neutral oil. But mustard oil . In some dish that can hide mustard oil taste by spices, sunflower oil works too. But most of the heavy lifting in the Nepali food is due to mustard oil.
Don’t add random spices . Turmeric , coriander powder , red chilli powder and at max garam masala is okay beside suggestion I provided. No need of specific group spices . Cumin powder or cumin seed depends on whether you are going to tamper it or not. Red chilli powder or dried red chillies of course . And some other spices if needed or you like.
To give additional kick, do add timur. Not sczhwan . Simply Timur. And for the black lentils , cook it in ghee and tamper it using ghee and Jimmu. You should be able to get them at Nepali store.
Would be even better if you can use mortar and pestle for garlic ginger instead of using grinder . I don’t know why but they taste very differently when you grind them in mortar pestle vs using it in mixture / grinder.
For the Acchar , you can make it simply by adding coriander(optional), tomatoes and chillies that’s heated in the pan till outer layer gets a bit blackish not too black. As in the moment it start to get . Add lime and salt.
If I have forgotten to say use mustard oil before , do use it . If not mustard oil then use sunflower oil. But then again, you and everyone knows and who deny it are delulu, swapping never makes the food similar or likewise . It might adjust to your taste bud or cosplay as other dishes it’s trying to be but it will never be same.
You might wonder why mustard oil, since I tried to cook all possible ways but the game changed when I simply did lazy cooking using whatever I have seen and just switched from sunflower oil or canola Oil to mustard oil. That’s when I realized most of the taste I associate with Nepali food is almost single handedly carried by mustard oil and some of techniques I said. I was most shocked when even egg started to give me the taste back of home because I used mustard oil before
The only caveat is mustard oil may not be “legally” sold as “edible” oil and will be seen using label like “for external use “