Easy To Make Nepali Regional Cuisine

Easy To Make Nepali Regional Cuisine

Samay Baji- The Vegetarian Way Reading Easy To Make Nepali Regional Cuisine 5 minutes Next Seasons' fruit freshness in a bowl

Nepali Regional Cuisines

"Learn how to cook regional Nepalese dishes with the talented team from Raithaane. Located in the streets of Patan, this restaurant offers regional cuisine from different Nepalese communities. And we are very excited to work with them to bring you a step-by-step guide on how to prepare and enjoy these dishes in the comfort of your own home.

These are the three regional dishes, we are going to prepare from Raithaane’s diverse food menu.

  • Batuk with Chukauni: Deep-fried rice bean patties, served with potato-yogurt salad, a festive delicacy from western Nepal.
  • Kaguno Kheer: Sweet pudding made from foxtail millet,served with seasonal fruit and local honey

Batuk

Batuk is a traditional festive delicacy in the Magar and Khas communities, and Magars celebrates it even more. They prepare batuk in Maghi, which is the New Year's party that is celebrated on the same day as Maghe Sankranti.


There is also a tradition of giving batuk as a present in Magar weddings.Usually, the groom's family brings batuks along with pork, alcohol and selroti as a gift for the bride's family.Likewise newars have their own version of batuks, called bara.Tharus in the west also makes black lentil fritters called bariya, but it is flat or ball shaped.

To prepare Batuk, you will need:

  • 1 large cup rice bean (siltung/masyang)
  • 3 tablespoons ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  •  1 teaspoon ‏salt (or acc. to your taste)
  • 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying.
Directions:
  • Soak rice bean (siltung/masyang) lentils overnight or for at least 5–6 hours. Massage soaked lentils with your hands and wash several times to remove the outer black layer.Drain the lentils completely.
  • Grind the lentils into a medium-fine paste. The slightly grainy paste gives Batuk some texture and makes it fluffy.
  • Transfer the paste to a large bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder, ginger paste, and garlic paste and mix them together.
  • Wet your hands, take a small handful of paste,form a donut or ring with a small hole in the center, and gently pour in the oil. Wet your hands each time before taking paste. Fry on both sides until golden brown; 3 to 4 minutes per side.

 Chukauni

Chukauni  is a spicy potato yogurt salad. It is a typical Nepali pickle generally prepared and very famous in the western region mainly in Palpa district.

To prepare Chukauni, you will need:

  • Boiled potatoes
  • 1 whole ‏red onion,finely sliced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic,minced
  • 3  chilli peppers,finely chopped
  • 1 whole ‏lemon,squeezed
  • 1 cup ‏fresh cilantro,chopped
  • 2 cups ‏plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon ‏salt (or acc. to your taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ‏chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon ‏turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons ‏mustard oil (or any vegetable oil)
  • two pinches ‏fenugreek seeds (about 15-20 seeds

Directions:

  • Bring some water to a boil in a medium pot.Wash the potatoes in running water, and immerse them into the boiling water.The potatoes should be ready after about 20 minutes. If you stick a fork, it should go through quite easily. Drain the water and wash the potatoes in cold water.Peel the potatoes if you’re using larger potatoes. Slice them into bite-size pieces.
  • In a bowl, add the potatoes and yogurt, then add the onion,chilli pepper,garlic,salt, chili powder, and lemon juice, and mix well.
  • In a small saucepan, heat some mustard oil and add the fenugreek seeds. Once the seeds start to turn dark brown, turn off the heat and add the turmeric powder to the bubbling oil. Pour the oil into the mixing bowl
  • Mix it well and garnish it with cilantro.

Kaguno kheer  

Kaguno is an ancient grain, a type of millet also considered to be the first millet to be domesticated in Nepal.It is cultivated in many hilly areas in the Karnali, Lamjung and Kaski regions. Unlike other types of millet,when cooked,it has a very smooth and creamy texture and makes a very delicious kheer.

 

 

To prepare Kaguno kheer,you will need:

  • 1 litre whole milk 
  • 2/3 cup of kaguno
  • 2-4 tablespoons sugar
  • 3-5 cardamom
  • Salt (Optional)
  • Honey(Optional)
  • Banana or any seasonal fruit (Optional)

Directions:

  • Wash the kaguno grains a couple of times to remove impurities.
  • Add a liter of milk in a large pot and cook it  on medium heat.When the milk starts to boil, add some crushed cardamom, sugar and salt. 
  • Then,add kaguno and cook it for 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.Once the grain is cooked (Pick the grain with your finger to check whether the grain is cooked), turn off the heat. 
  • If the kaguno is not cooked and the consistency is very thick,add milk or water and cook it for a few more minutes.
  • The kheer is ready to be served,hot or cold. Drizzle with locally sourced honey for more sweetness and flavor.You can also top it up with nuts or seasonal fruits of your choice.

 If you make this recipe,please don't forget to tag us on our Instagram @ne_nepal or Facebook.