I know very little about the country of Nepal. Its flag is not rectangular. It’s a landlocked and mountainous Asian country. That is about the extent of my knowledge.
The national dish which I chose to attempt is traditionally really spicy by Western tastes, especially for toddlers. I toned it down a lot, while still trying to hold on to the authentic feel of the meal. It has several components to it, but don’t let that deter you – I put dinner together in about 20 minutes with the help of my slow cooker, and some forward-planning for the pickle chutney.
Dal
What you will need:
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, creamed
- 2 ” piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 2″ piece of fresh turmeric, grated
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp salt (optional if using salted butter)
How you can do it:
- Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, where you can then safely cook on low heat for hours.
- Alternatively, fry the spices and seasonings with the onion in the ghee/butter in the base of a medium saucepan.
- Add the lentils and water, and cook for 45 minutes until softened.
Bhat
What you will need:
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup cornmeal
How you can do it:
- Combine ingredients and abundant water to slow cooker, and cook on low heat for hours.
- Alternatively, bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the rice and cornmeal.
- Cook for 20 minutes or until soft.
Tarkari
What you will need:
- 8 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp peppercorns, crushed
How you can do it:
- Blanch asparagus and broccoli in boiling water for 5 minutes before decanting them into ice (to bring out their color).
- Briefly fry all the remaining ingredients in a pan with the ghee or butter.
Golbheda ko achaar (Fermented tomato pickle)
What you will need:
- 6 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1″ fresh ginger, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
—
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tsp walnut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 2 tsp mustard seeds, crushed
How you can do it:
- Combine the top set of ingredients in a clean 30 fl oz glass jar, and cover with water.
- Leave on a shelf to ferment for at least 24 hours and up to three days. Ensure when you open it to finish the recipe that it smells tangy but not rotten.
- Strain off all the pickling liquid, and then blend the fermented foods in a processor.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the freshly crushed spices.
- Add the pickled tomato mixture to the hot pan and warm the achaar thoroughly.
To assemble:
If you have cute little ramekins, set the bhat in the center and surround it with the dal, tarkari, and achaar in separate dishes. Or, if not, just serve up a little bit of everything on a plate.
It can be garnished with sliced lemon (nibuwa) and lime (kagati) with fresh green pepper.
You can also put a little sprig of fresh cilantro or parsley.
Thank you, Nepali readers, and I hope you all enjoy this recipe.
From mine to yours,
Mumma Alsum
