Tag Archives: food

Update from Nepal Part 2

Posted on January 13, 2013 | 12 comments

Meeting AS’s uncles and aunts

As I mentioned before, we had very little time after our wedding and so could not visit AS’s relatives; so during this trip we were invited for lunch or dinner at our relatives’ places.

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One of the evenings we were invited to AS’s dad’s brother’s place and another day, at AS’s mom’s brother’s place.

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Both the visit was fun and I got to spend some time with his relatives and of course it ended with a big feast of Nepali food. I am sure we both have put on lots of kilos on but as AS suggested we gonna ignore it while we are in Nepal as we can’t do anything about it. Everyone here thinks I am too skinny and it is their duty to fatten me up as much as possible.

We had yomari in one house which was filled with chaku (molasses) and other one with khuwa.

Lunch at my aunt’s place

One of the days, my aunt (dad’s sister) invited us along with my brother and SIL for lunch. It was fun as I got to meet my cousin’s baby again along with my other aunt and uncle as well.

dinner invitation (1)

We had jeri-swari as starter and it too ended with a big feast of Nepali dishes like goat curry, tofu curry, many vegetables, sukuti sandeko as well as laspsi ko achar.

dinner invitation (4)

Meeting AS’s niece

As I have been telling you that there are babies everywhere around me and one of the AS’s cousin’s also had a baby girl recently.

She is really cute with hazel coloured eye. It was nice to spend some time with her too.

AS niece

As my cousin, his cousin has also put on lots of weight post baby as she has to eat rice with ghee, chaku (molasses) four times a day.  Also they have someone coming to give oil massage to her and the baby in the sun every day.

Family get together

Long before we landed in Kathmandu, my MIL had decided to invite all the family (AS’s father’s side) for lunch at our place so finally we managed to pick a day where everyone was free. Family events are a bit of a pressure for a DIL as every action will be closely watched so I was a bit stressed but AS assured me that everything will go well and it did at the end.

The day before the event, my FIL and MIL did all the shopping and I and my MIL along with the helps started to prepare for the next day. There were lot to do as there was going to be 40+ people coming for lunch.

food

The morning of the get together, me and MIL were in the kitchen early and dishes like chana ko tarkari (Chickpea curry), cauliflower curry, goat curry, fish fried, mushroom curry, Saag (green leaves) along with dal (lentil), bhaat (rice) was ready before 11am. Also we had three different types of pickles ready to be served which were laspsi ko achar, mula (radish) ko achar and tomato achar.

By the time, the first guest arrived; all of us at home were ready to mingle. Everyone including AS’s grandparents came and the house was filled with buzzing noise in every room. Once everyone was settled then, we served lunch in batches.

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family gettogether (2)

After lunch everyone sat and talk until it was tea time and we served tea, cookies and pan fried tarul (yam).

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After a while everyone left, one by one. It was a nice afternoon with my new family.

family gettogether (1)

My brother leaving for Sydney

Almost 10 days ago, my brothers along with my SIL and nephew have left for Sydney. It was a very sad moment for my parents as they were so attached to their adorable grandson.

my brother leaving (1)

It is a custom in Nepal to put tika as blessings before anyone leaves home. So my mum prepared and put tika and sagun in the morning.

my brother leaving (2)

my brother leaving (4)

On the way out, my brother and SIL put coins on the pitcher on either side of the door. It is believed to bring good luck during the journey.

my brother leaving

At the airport, my mum couldn’t help it and she cried. It was really sad to see her so sad. I am hoping they will visit us in Oz soon.

Visit to Pokhara

I went on a road trip to one of the beautiful cities of Nepal, Pokhara, with AS and his parents. We had a great time there and I will sure post the details soon. For now I am sharing some amazing photos from there.

Pokhara (1)pokhara Pokhara (8) Pokhara (5) Pokhara (4) Pokhara (3) Pokhara (2)

Pokhara (6)

Pokhara (7)

AS leaving for Sydney

As I mentioned before, I have extended my holiday by 2 weeks but AS has no holiday left. So he left for Sydney 2 days ago.

AS leaving (2)

On the day of his flight, like my mum, my MIL gave tika and sagun to him. On the way out, he put coins on the pitcher on either side of the door.

AS leaving (3)

Time went too quick at the airport and before I knew it he was on the plane to Oz and I was there with my in-laws and dad coming back home.

AS leaving (1)

I was happy to stay in Kathmandu but without him I am kind of lost these days. I am so attached with him that I feel lonely among millions of people here.

One of the reasons I extended my holiday was to spend these two weeks with my family as the last 4 weeks I was staying at my new home with AS so I couldn’t spend a lot of time with my mum and dad. So now I am at my parents’ home with them. I am really happy about it and we have already spent lots of quality time together but at the same time in some corner of my heart, I wished AS was with me here.

He has already reached Sydney safely and I will be seeing him in 16 days.

Till my next post, take care everyone.

12 Comments

Posted in Kathmandu, Nepal, Nepal 2012 / 2013

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Samay Baji

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 14 comments

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

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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.

Samay Baji

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.

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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.

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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.

aloo ko achar (14)

Please click here for recipe

Chicken chhoela (smoked meat)

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

Chicken chhoela (10)

Please click here for recipe

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.

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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.

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Saag (green leaves)

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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.

goat curry (7)

Please click here for recipe

Fried fish

Just fry a few anchovies in oil.

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Lava-palu (ginger and garlic)

Peel fresh garlic and cut into half.

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Peel ginger and cut into thin slices.

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  • 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.

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14 Comments

Posted in Nepal, Nepali food, Newari Culture

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Nepali style Goat curry (using a pressure cooker)

Posted on December 4, 2012 | 2 comments

goat curry (1)

Ingredients

  • 2 red onions sliced
  • 2 tomatoes dices
  • 500gm goat meat
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of coriander powder
  • 2 tablespoons of garam masala
  • 3 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon of chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh coriander to garnish

 Steps

  • Take a pressure cooker and heat oil in it.
  • When the oil is hot add curry leaves and the finely sliced onions.

goat curry (2)

  • Add a pinch of salt so that the onion will get cooked quickly and becomes golden brown.

goat curry (3)

  • Add Ginger Garlic paste, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, chili and let it cook for 2 mins.

goat curry (4)

  • Add finely diced tomatoes and let it cook completely, with the onion.

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  •  Add the goat meat  to this mixture.
  • Let it cook for 10 min .
  • Add some water, close the cooker lid and keep the flame on medium
  • After 6 full (long) whistles, turn the heat off
  • Let the pressure in the cooker dissipate by itself; do not force the steam out by lifting the whistle etc.

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  • When the pressure has dissipated, open the lid and check if the mutton is tender enough if not add some water if required and let the curry cook for about 3-5 min on low to medium heat
  • Garnish the goat curry with fresh coriander and it’s ready to server!

goat curry (7)

You may also like :

*Momo *Aloo ko achar *Chicken chili

2 Comments

Posted in Nepali food, Recipe

Tagged , , , ,

Bhogate Sadekoo

Posted on November 27, 2012 | 12 comments

One of the things widely eaten in Nepal after the festival of Tihar is, Bhogate Sandheko. Bhogate is called Pomelo (Chinese grapefruit) in English and is used in Nepal during Mha Puja and Bhai Tika. Bhogate Sandheko roughly translates to marinated pomelo in English.

You may also like :

*Momo *Chatamari *Chicken chili

Pomelo is a crisp citrus fruit native to South and Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick albedo (rind pith).

Pomelo tastes a bit like grapefruit but is sweeter, less tart, and is not bitter. In Australia, we can’t find pomelo so the closest thing to Bhogate is grapefruit which is what I used in Bhai Tika during Tihar.

So like my mum used to, I tried to make Bhogate Sadekoo and am sharing my recipe here.

Ingredients:

  • 1 grapefruit/pomelo
  • 2  oranges  (I used oranges but you can use any fruit)
  • 4 tablespoons of  plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoon of red chili powder (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoon of sesame seeds, roasted and ground
  • Salt to taste
  • Sugar to taste (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons of mustard oil
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric

Process

  • Peal grapefruit/pomelo and oranges and put it in a bowl .

  • Roast sesame seeds in a pan stirring constantly making sure it turns golden brown, not black.
  • Cool it and grind it.

  • Add yogurt, salt, sugar, sesame powder, red chili powder in the bowl with the pomelo and oranges and mix well

  • Heat a pan with mustard oil in it
  • When hot put fenugreek seeds in it
  • When the fenugreek seeds turn golden brown, take it off the heat and pour oil with fenugreek into the Bhogate mixture in the bowl

  • Mix it well

  • Bhogate Sandheko is ready to serve, yum yum yum 🙂

12 Comments

Posted in Nepal, Nepali food, Recipe

Tagged , , , ,

Loy Krathong in Parramatta

Posted on November 26, 2012 | 14 comments

Sydney is so multicultural that every weekend there is some traditional celebration going on in different parks across the city. Two weeks ago we went to Parramasala and last weekend we were able to attend another amazing cultural event called Loy Krathong.

Loy Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. It is also called Thailand’s “festival of lights” and it is the time of year when the waters around the country come alive with candlelight and look not unlike a massive fairy ballrooms.

The history behind the festival is complex, and Thais celebrate for many reasons.  The main rice harvest season has ended and it’s time to thank the Water Goddess for a year’s worth of her abundant supply, as well as an apology for polluting the waters. Some believe that this is the time to symbolically ‘float away’ all the anger and grudges you have been holding onto, and including a fingernail or a lock of hair is seen as a way of letting go of the dark side of yourself, to start anew free of negative feelings. If your candle stays alight until your Krathong disappears out of sight, it means a year of good luck.

To celebrate this occasion, Sydney’s largest water festival, the Loy Krathong Festival, was held in Parramatta at the banks of the river by the same name. The festival attracted more than 12,000 people from Parramatta, Greater Western Sydney and Asian communities from all around Sydney.

The festival started at 5pm but we were there by 7 pm. By then, there were lots of people on both sides of the river.

We started our journey from the main stage where there was some dancing going on. We watched a few shows and then started to look around to find out what else was going on.

I was really drawn to the crowd where there were tables and chairs set up to make your own Krathong that you could put in the river later in the night.

There is no equivalent word in English for ‘krathong’. You may hear people referring to it as a small boat, vessel, receptacle or container. In the run up to the festival, many shops and market stalls will display ready-made Krathongs, or in parts so you can assemble and decorate as you wish. In the past, krathongs were made from natural materials – usually a section from a banana tree trunk, crafted into a lotus shape by using folded banana leaves, and these can still be found for sale around the main festival sites. More recently, Thais have become more creative in their craft and design the krathongs from coconut shells, flowers, baked bread, potato slices, some breaking with the conventional lotus leaf shape in favour of turtles and other sea creatures.

It was really fascinating to see kids and adults trying to make the Krathong. I joined the crowd and here are some of my photos AS took during the process. I really didn’t know what to do but I was happy to watch people and learn. It was fun and it took around 10 minutes to finish it.

I guess at the end it turned out great. What do you think? 🙂

From there we looked at the stalls and check out lots of traditional jewellery making, umbrella making, the art of painting umbrellas and masks, weaving, making a lotus lantern, as well as other stuffs where there were beautiful ladies in traditional dresses explaining what they were doing.

Then we moved on to the food stalls where there was a long queue. We did manage to get some curry puffs, spring rolls, taro spring rolls as well as duck salad and Thai green curry with rice.

With all this food we took a seat on the grass by the river and enjoyed the food and waited for the launching of Krathongs.

Once the official Krathongs were launched , I joined the queue and put mine into the water as well.

The river looked really beautiful with so many different designs and sizes of Krathongs floating on the water.

After that we went to the main stage where we watched Golden Lantern Dance, Candle Dance, Fighting Cock Dance as well as a Thai Puppet Show.  All of them were really interesting and fun.

After the show we went and crossed the bridge to go to the other side of the river where they had set up a Thai village as well as amusement rides for children.

At one corner there were fire dancers performing and there was also some free face painting going on. We also heard people singing Loy Karthongs songs in the competition.

Finally we finished the tour of all the stuffs and decided to sit at the top of a slotp on one side of the river and waited for the fireworks to start.

At 9.55, they started the fireworks and it went for more than 5 minutes. It was a really beautiful display. Finally we headed home after a good evening out.

14 Comments

Posted in Australia, Thailand

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