Samay Baji

Samay Baji is one a traditional Newari dishes in Nepal that is prepared during festivals.

Typically it consists of  a variety of baji (beaten rice), haku musya (black soyabean), chhoela (smoked meat), puka-la (spicy roasted meat), aalu acha (boiled potato marinated with pickle), bhuti (boiled beans with spices), khen (boiled egg), panchkwa (bamboo shoot, potato, beans mixed curry), wo or bara (black lentil shallow fried pancakes, lava-palu (ginger and garlic), achar (pickle), wauncha (green vegetables) and aaila (Newari liquor). If you don’t have aaila, it can be replaced with any whiskey.

Samay baji is Newari food which is offered to the Gods on many occasions by Newars. This is the traditional dish and a regular item in many Newari festivals. Samay Baji is popular among Nepalese people because of its unique taste, unique cooking style and natural spices used in it.

This year during Dashain, we tried to make Samay Baji and it had

Chiura (beaten rice)

Chiura, called Baji in Newari is beaten rice which is very popular in Nepal. Chiura is a common snack  in Nepal. The snack is made by pounding rice. The dish can be served with yogurt, curry, and or meat.

Wo (black lentil shallow fried pancakes)

Wo is a Newari word which means mashed lentils cake and it is prepared from black lentils or green lentils (Mugh beans). Wo is called Bara in Nepali. There are different kinds of Wo depending on what is put in it and how it is cooked.

Please click here for recipe

Aloo ko achar

Aloo ko achar is a very popular Nepali potato salad which is used in most bhoj in Nepal. There are many variations of this dish.

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Chicken chhoela (smoked meat)

One of my favourite dishes and very popular in Nepal. an be made with goat , buffalo or chicken meat.

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Fried bhatmas (soyabeans)

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the soybean. When it is soft take it out of the pan and keep it aside and let it cool.

Bodi (boiled black eyed beans with spices)

Soak bodi overnight. Press it in pressure cooker until cooked. Normally it will take 3-4 whistles. In a pan add oil, heat it a while then add the cooked bodi. Add garlic ginger paster, salt and chill and sauté for a while. Bodi is ready to be served.

Saag (green leaves)

You can use any type of green leave for this like English Spinach, Choy sum or Bok choy. You can either boil or fried it with some salt.

Khasi ko masu (Goat curry)

Khasi ko masu is one of the main dishes eaten during Dashain in Nepal. It can be made in different ways depending on personal preference.

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Fried fish

Just fry a few anchovies in oil.

Lava-palu (ginger and garlic)

Peel fresh garlic and cut into half.

Peel ginger and cut into thin slices.

• aaila (alcohol)

In Nepal, they make home-made rice wine aaila which is colourless. But that day we don’t have the typical newari wine so used rum.