Rice is a staple in the Nepalese diet.
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia; it is nestled between India and China. Mount Everest is located in Nepal, and 29 million people call the country home. The Nepalese people eat a wide variety of foods, most of them colorful and flavorful due to wide variety of spices they incorporate. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Dal Bhat Tarkari
Peppers and garlic are Nepali diet staples.
A typical Nepalese meal is dal bhat tarkari. Dal is a type of lentil dish, a spicy, soupy concoction of lentils made with onions and chillies. Bhaat is boiled rice. Dal bhaat is the staple daily diet of the majority of the Nepalese people. To kick the meal up a notch, they add curried vegetables, takari. This dish is commonly accompanied by pickles, fresh chili peppers and/or chutney.
Spices
Spices save the Nepali diet from being bland.
The Nepali diet is relatively simple but it is not without flavor. The people use a great deal of spices in their cooking to enhance flavors, most notably ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric, pepper, black peppers, cumin, chilies, cilantro, methi, mustard oil, mustard seeds, ghee, cinnamon, sesame seeds, cloves and even yak butter.
Meat
Meat is consumed occasionally by the Nepalese. When they do eat meat, they tend to go for roasted or grilled meats such as chicken, duck, wild boar, goat, buffalo, pork, fish or mutton. They also eat dried meats which have been prepared over a charcoal fire. Steamed or fried pork dumplings is another consumed meat. Sometimes the meats are included in hot or cold soups. Beef is rarely eaten, mostly due to religious preferences.
Other Foods
Citrus fruits are common in the Nepali diet.
Vegetables make up a healthy portion of the Nepali diet. Nepalese often consume spinach, mustard greens, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage and potatoes with bamboo shoots. Sometimes fruit is on the menu; popular options include lemons, mandarin oranges, Asian pears and limes. Rice is eaten every day. Hot or cold soups are a part of the Nepali diet and they are usually made with grains. Flat breads are munched on for a snack between meals.
Desserts
Unlike many parts of the world, desserts are not served with every meal in Nepal. When it is eaten, it usually involves curd of some kind. Curd is eaten on its own or with some fruit (usually dried) added. Silky yogurt is another consumed dessert, as is rice or carrot pudding. Milk balls (boiled milk, vinegar, and sugar) are another treat.
Beverages
Tea is the hot beverage of choice in Nepal.
Many Nepalese start their day with a hot, milky, sweet tea for breakfast. Another popular drink is chang, a rice or barley-beer-type drink that is made in people's homes. Keeping with the alcohol theme, rakshi is a spirit that is made from grain, rice or potato. Tonga is consumed as well, a form of homemade wine.
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