Nepalese Cuisine

Try your hand in the characteristic Nepalese cuisine comprising several lip-smacking local dishes with variations on Asian themes

The food eaten in Nepal by the entire population or the Nepalese cuisine comprises a variety of food items based on the ethnicity and geographical diversity. The universal food of Nepal, regardless of the cultural or geographical location, is Dal-Bhaat-Tarkari. Dal is lentil soup, Bhaat is boiled rice and Tarkari is spiced vegetable curry. Tarkari could be anything seasonal. Other supplementary items with the so-called national dish are achaaror chutney (spicy pickles), nibuwa or kagati (sliced lemon or lime), hariyo khursani (green chilly), and papad (very thin round, crisp flatbread). Most of the population in Nepal, especially in the rural areas, eats the universal food twice in a day.

When traveling in Nepal, you will find there are plenty of other mouthwatering traditional Nepali dishes. These dishes are generally considered reasonably healthier than majority of the other south Asian cuisine. The blend of amazing flavors of the lip-smacking food takes the influence from its geographical confidantes such as India, Tibet, and China.

Food Items You Should Not Miss

Listed below you will find some of the most preferred and of course, the most popular food items of Nepal which travelers should try at least once during their visit to this wonderland.

Sel Roti (deep-fried version of Nepali donut)
Gundruk (fermented green leafy vegetables)
Bara (thick savory rice flour pancake)
Pulao (butter fried rice with vegetables seasoned with turmeric and cumin)
Momo (Nepali dumplings filled with either vegetable or meat)
Chhwela or Choila (barbecued and marinated buffalo meat)
Chiura (beaten rice)
Samosa (fried pastry with savory spiced potato fillings)
Yomari (rice flour steamed dumpling filled with jiggery, ghee & nuts)
Chatamari (rice flour crepe or the Nepali pizza)
Thukpa (hot noodle soup)
Dhindo or Dhido (buckwheat flour, wheat/corn flour or millet flour added to boiling water until mixture becomes stiff)
Juju Dhau (the king yogurt)
Samay Baji (a single plate of starter comprising Chatamari, Chiura, Bara, Chhwela, fried boiled eggs, black soybeans, spicy potato salad, finely cut ginger, spicy boiled beans, and leafy vegetables.
Chukauni (Nepali Potato Yogurt Salad)
Sujiko Halwa (Semolina pudding)
Kheer (sweet rice-milk pudding)
Kwati (mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans)
Sekuwa (meat roasted in natural wood fire)
Sukuti (dried meat product)
Tama (bamboo shoots)