Nepali Recipes

14 recipes

Nepali food changes with altitude and community, but the everyday meal is dal bhat tarkari: lentil soup, steamed rice, a seasonal vegetable dish and a sharp pickle called achar. Hill and mountain households also rely on maize, millet and buckwheat, cooked into thick porridges such as dhido. Spices are used with a light hand. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, timur (a citrusy Himalayan pepper) and jimbu (a dried mountain herb in the onion family) give most of the flavor. Fermented greens called gundruk and sun-dried vegetables carry families through the winter. Newar cooking in the Kathmandu Valley adds beaten rice, rice-flour crepes, buffalo dishes and festival sweets, while momo dumplings, thukpa noodle soup and milk tea reflect Himalayan and Tibetan links. Festivals bring their own foods: sel roti at Tihar and Dashain, yomari in the cold season, and kheer at feasts.

Staple ingredients

rice
lentils
maize, millet and buckwheat
mustard oil and ghee
timur and cumin
gundruk and dried vegetables
potatoes and seasonal vegetables
buffalo, goat and chicken

Soups 2
Main Dishes 5
Breads 1
Desserts 2
Snacks 2
Drinks 1
Sauces, Dips and Condiments 1

Soups

Main Dishes

Breads

Sel Roti (Nepali Ring-Shaped Rice Bread)NP1 hMedium

Desserts

Snacks

Drinks

Masala Chiya (Nepali Spiced Milk Tea)NP15 minEasy

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

Golbheda ko Achar (Nepali Roasted Tomato Chutney)NP30 minEasy

Common questions

What is Nepali food known for?

Dal bhat tarkari, momo dumplings, thukpa, sel roti and tangy achar pickles. Meals are mild to medium in heat and rest on lentils, rice and vegetables.

What is the national dish of Nepal?

Dal bhat, lentil soup with rice, is the everyday national meal, usually served with a vegetable curry and a pickle. Momo is the best-known snack.

Is Nepali food spicy?

Moderately. Dals and curries are gently spiced, while the heat comes from fresh chilies and achar served on the side. Mountain flavors such as timur add a tingle more than a burn.