Nepal is a land-locked Asian country, bordered by China, India and Bhutan. The capital of Kathmandu is probably best-known as a jumping point to the Himalayas and most notably, Mount Everest.
Nepal was previously a kingdom and from 1996 to 2006, the Nepalese suffered from a violent civil war between the army and Maoist guerrillas. This all ended in late 2007, when the country was declared a democratic republic and held its first elections in the summer of 2008.
There are more than 100 languages spoken in this multi-ethnic country with more than 28 million residents and a majority of them Hindus. There is a significant Buddhist minority, too. Nepal is unique in that its people have meshed Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and their temples are a testament to this.
A common meal includes lentil soup with boiled rice (bhat) and curried veggies along with pickles and chutney.
The usual spices include cumin, coriander, black peppers, sesame seeds, turmeric, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chillies and mustard seeds.
Some mildly-spiced dishes include: Asian BBQ Ribs, Party Potluck Noodles, Lemongrass Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Caribbean-Inspired Meals, Persian Chicken Dishes and Coconut Shrimp.
CHILI CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken breast
- 1 large red onion
- 1 large green or red bell pepper
- 6 to 9 chili peppers
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- chopped cilantro
Method:
- Cut onion, tomatoes and pepper into small cubes. Cut chillies as you prefer. Cut chicken breast into small pieces
- In a pan, sauté onions and peppers in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add spices, chili peppers and salt. Sauté for another minute over low-medium heat.
- Return the chicken into the pan, cook over medium heat until done.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice.
DAL BHAT
Dal Bhat is a most common and classic Nepali recipe and is part of the Nepalese daily diet.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice (Basmati or Long grain)
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp butter (optional)
- 1½ cups lentil (any kind)
- 4 to 5 cups of water
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 -2 tsp garlic, minced
- 6 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
- 3/4 cup sliced onions
- 2 dried red chilies
- salt
Preparation:
Rice: Wash rice and soak for 5 minutes. Boil the rice over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir once thoroughly. Add butter to make rice give it taste as well as make it soft and fluffy. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, for 5 more minutes until done
Lentils:
- Wash lentils and soak lentil for 10 minutes.
- Remove anything that float on the surface after it and drain extra water.
- Add drained lentils in fresh water and bring to a boil again. Add all spices.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are soft and the consistency is similar to that of porridge.
- In a small pan heat the remaining of butter and fry the onions, chilies and garlic.
- Stir into the lentils few minutes before you stop boiling. Serve with rice.
