Nepal's tasty, healthy cuisine shows influence of India, Tibet

December 22, 2010|By Colleen Taylor Sen, Special to Tribune Newspapers

A little-known but delicious and healthful cuisine can be found in Nepal, a small country the size of Illinois nestled in the Himalayas between India and Tibet.

Nepal is an anthropologist's — and a food lover's — dream, with more than 100 distinct ethnic groups. The valley around Nepal's capital, Katmandu, a former lake bed, was once one of Asia's richest agricultural areas. Today, rice and a wide variety of vegetables and beans form the core of the local Nepalese diet. Most Nepalis are Hindu or Buddhist and though not strict vegetarians, they eat meat mainly on special occasions.

Community leader Sharda Thapar, who, like many of Chicago's approximately 6,000 Nepalis, lives on the North Side, said the standard Nepalese meal is dal-bhat-tarkari. It consists of boiled lentils (dal), boiled white rice (bhat), two or three sauteed or curried vegetables (tarkari), plus a selection of hot or sour pickles (achaar).

Because of the country's proximity to India, it's not surprising that cooking techniques and methods are similar. But there are differences.

Rajesh Karmacharya, owner of Cumin restaurant (recent winner of a Michelin Bib Gourmand award), explained that Nepalese curries are generally based on tomatoes, not yogurt or coconut milk, as in India. Nepalis also use fewer and milder spices than Indians. A standard Nepalese masala (spice mixture) contains cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, fenugreek and jimbu, an aromatic grass that resembles chives. Hotness comes from chilies or a berry called timur, similar to Szechwan pepper.

The influence of China and Tibet is apparent in the popularity of noodles, bamboo shoots, soybeans and momos — small steamed or sauteed dumplings filled with meat or vegetables. Momos became the most popular street food in Katmandu after Tibetan refugees opened stalls there in the 1960s.

One of the most developed cuisines in Nepal is that of the Newars, an ethnic group in the Katmandu Valley.

"Some of the best food I've had in Nepal is from Newari kitchens," said Mark Liechty, associate professor of anthropology and history at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In November, Chicago's Newari community celebrated its New Year's Day with a special program. Festival organizer Keshar Tarmarkar explained that Newari festivals always start with three items, called sawata: boiled eggs flavored with turmeric and salt, dried sardines flavored with cumin seed and salt, and a delicious round bread called wo that is made of lentils soaked overnight in water, ground to a paste, and sauteed.

Following a cultural program, a mini feast called Samay baji included flattened rice flakes or chiura (sold in Indian grocery stores as poha); wo; boiled black-eyed peas; soybeans cooked with garlic, ginger and chilies; fried garlic cloves, potato achaar; a green leafy vegetable; and choila, a dish traditionally made from water buffalo but prepared with chicken in the United States.

Even if you're not invited to a Nepalese feast, you can try this tasty cuisine by making one of the recipes here or visiting one of the area's Indian-Nepalese restaurants.

Colleen Taylor Sen is a Chicago food writer whose most recent book is "Pakoras, Paneer, Pappadums: A Guide to Indian Restaurant Menus."

Potato achaar

Prep: 20 minutes

Chill: Overnight

Cook: 25 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Chicago resident Rita Gyawali shared this dish, which she says is like a hot and sour potato salad.

2 pounds red potatoes

1 cup water

1/4 cup each: tahini, fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon each: red chili powder, turmeric powder, ground Szechwan peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons canola or edible mustard oil

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

3 sliced green serrano or jalapeno chilies

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

1. Heat a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Drain; let cool.

3. Peel potatoes; cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl.

4. Add water, tahini, lime juice, chili powder, half of the turmeric powder, Szechwan pepper and salt. Mix well.

5. Heat the oil in a skillet; add fenugreek seeds.

6. Cook, stirring, until blackened.

7. Add the chilies; cook, stirring, until color changes, about 1 minute.

8. Add the remaining turmeric and cilantro, stir well.

9. Add mixture to the potatoes; mix well.

10. Cover; let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

11. Add a little water if needed to moisten the salad before serving.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 236 calories, 37% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 34 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 206 mg sodium, 4 g fiber

Chicken choila

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from Association of Nepalis in the Americas' "The Nepal Cookbook." Serve this hot with steamed rice, chilled or at room temperature.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1. Cook chicken on a grill, grill pan or under a broiler until cooked through, about 10 minutes. When cool, cut into 1-inch square pieces.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add half of the oil. Add onion; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken, lemon juice, cilantro, pepper and turmeric. Mix well.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet; add cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until they start to brown, 1 minute. Add to the chicken. Mix thoroughly.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 207 calories, 34 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein, 75 mg sodium, 0 g fiber