Taste of Nepal

Kwaanti or Biraulaa ko Ras - Sprouted Bean Soup

Colorful array of homemade sprouted beans

A taste of tradition - celebrate the festival of Janai Purnima (August 21, 2013) by preparing the much loved kwaanti - sprouted bean soup.

Mixed sprouted beans are known as kwaanti, quaanti (क्वाँटी), or biraula (बिरौला) in Nepal and are cooked a number of ways: in soups, in vegetable stir-fries, in salads, or in combination with meats. During the Nepali festival of Janai Purnima or Kwanti Purnima, a delicious stew-like soup is prepared from a colorful array of mixed sprouted beans. Traditionally, the sprouts are prepared from a combination of nine different types of colorful beans. This wholesome soup is highly nutritious and usually eaten with steamed rice. Today, kwaantisoup is cooked regularly in many Nepali households, and one does not have to wait for festival time to enjoy it. Although this dish can be prepared quickly in a pressure cooker, some cooks believe that the sprouts do not absorb the seasoning during the shorter cooking time. While cooking kwaanti, there is no need to mash the beans to thicken the soup. Some sprouts, like mung beans, cook faster than others and by the time the whole dish is cooked, they will become mushy, making the dish just the right texture.

Here is my step-by-step guide to making sprouts and kwaanti soup. I have provided the full recipe at the end of this post.

Listed below are the traditional Nepali whole bean combinations used to make kwaanti, but other combinations also may be substituted.
1/2 cup whole green mung beans, with skins (singo moong ko daal - सिंगो मूंग को दाल )
1/2 cup whole black urad beans, with skins (singo maas ko daal - सिंगो मास को दाल )
1/4 cup dried black-eyed peas (bodi - बोडी)
1/4 cup dried whole green or yellow peas (thulo kerau - hariyo-pahelo - ठुलो केराउ हरियो पहेंलो)
1/4 cup dried soybeans, brown or white (bhatmaas - भटमास)
1/4 cup dried whole brown chickpeas (kaalo chanaa - कालो चना)
2 tablespoons dried whole yellow chickpeas (thulo chanaa - ठुलो चना)
2 tablespoons dried kidney beans (raato bodi - रातो बोडी)
2 tablespoons dried fava beans (bakullaa - बकुल्ला)
2 tablespoons dried small field peas (saano kerau - सानो केराउ)
makes about 6 to 7 cups

Cleaning the beans: Inspect the beans carefully before soaking and remove any foreign materials such as small stones, weeds, seeds, dried soils, or leaves. Once sprouted, it is very difficult to pick out and remove these foreign materials. Certain beans, such whole black urad beans, or Nepali field peas need to be cleaned particularly, as they often contain tiny black stones.

Soaking: Wash, rinse, and drain the bean mixture several times until the water is clear. Discard anything that floats while washing. Water is the key ingredient in sprouts and the soaking process is called re-hydration. The dried beans are soaked in water to bring back their moisture. As a rule, for each cup of beans, use 4 cups of room temperature water. I do not recommend hot water for soaking, because it may cause the beans to sour or the outer skins to break. Very cold water will slow the re-hydration process. In a large bowl, mix all beans together, add enough room temperature water to cover, and leave them to soak for 10-12 hours at room temperature. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly.

Once the beans are soaked, they will swell and double in size. Discard the soaking water.

Wrap the drained beans in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and secure it. Place the bean mixture in a colander or any porous container, as the growing sprouts need ventilation. Place the colander in a cupboard, pantry, or any dark, warm, humid place, to encourage sprouting.

Check occasionally, and sprinkle with a few drops of water, if needed, to keep the beans moist but not very wet. By the second day, the beans will start to sprout, given proper moisture. Remove the beans from the cloth and rinse under running water. Drain the beans, tie them back in the cheese cloth, and return to the warm place. Repeat the process twice a day (morning, evening) until they begin to sprout, which may take 2 to 3 days.

The size of the sprouts will vary depending on the combination of beans. They are ready when the sprouts are about 1/3-inch long. Do not allow the sprouts to grow too long, as they will become tasteless. To stop further sprouting, drain completely and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

When preparing the sprouts for cooking, it is not necessary to remove the outer covering of the beans or pluck off the sprouts. Some sprouted beans cook faster than other beans (mung beans cook faster than other large legumes, for instance). When you are cooking the mixed beans, the soft texture beans may become mushy by the time the cooking process is finished, which is normal.

Kwaanti soup (see recipe below) is easy to put together. You do not need to spend hours in the kitchen. All you need to do is simmer slowly until tender.

Close-up view of slow simmering. For variation, you may add ground meat or momo dumplings in the soup.

. . . Now the soup has become stew-like, and is ready to be served!

Here is the delicious, healthful, and comforting mixed sprouted beansoup (kwaanti). Pour over a bowl of freshly steamed rice and enjoy. A must try!

Here is a close-up picture of a protein-rich vegetarian kwaanti soup. This is such a great combination of flavors and textures!

Enjoy the delicious kwaanti ko ras of Nepal from my kitchen.

From Jyoti's kitchen - serving kwaanti soup and celebrating Janai Purnima festival.

Read more about the benefits of sprouted beans from the Kathmandu Post (here).

"Most festivals in Nepal are associated with great feasts, and these feasts include quite a few dishes that are healthy as well as being delicious turns of local cuisine. Such is the case with food prepared on the recently-passed Janai Purnima, also called ‘Kwanti Purnima’ by the Newar community.
Kwanti is a Newari word that translates directly to ‘hot soup’, consumed in large amounts during Janai Purnima. It is essentially a sprout soup, comprising of nine varieties of beans—black-eyed peas, kidney beans, black gram, chickpeas, azuki, soybeans, mung, peas and favas—although people tend to add other kinds as well. The beans are washed, mixed and soaked overnight, and then allowed to sprout by covering, once they are drained, and storing them in a warm area for two to four days. The sprouted beans are then cooked into a thick soup with different spices.
Grain legume seeds are an important source of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals for human and animal consumption. The proteins in these legumes are relatively low in sulphur-containing amino acids, but are richer in other essential amino acids compared to cereal grains. It is therefore advisable to consume these legumes with cereals—say rice or chiura—for the best, most balanced results......." To read the complete article on the "Call of kwanti," please click here.

The Taste of Nepal Cookbook Kwaanti Ko Ras recipe follows:

Ingredients
2 cups mixed sprouted Beans
2 tablespoons clarified butter (gheu)
4 to 6 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 fresh mild green chilies, split lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
A generous pinch of ground asafetida
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ajowan seeds
Salt to taste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons mustard oil
2 dried red chilies, halved and seeded
1/8 teaspoon Himalayan herb (jimbu)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions:
Rinse the sprouts in several changes of running water. Discard any seed coatings that come loose and float to the top of the water. drain the sprouts and set aside.

Heat the clarified butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, green chilies, turmeric, and asafetida and fry for 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook stirring constantly, until lightly browned about 7 minutes. Mix in the sprouted beans, 1 tablespoon of the ajowan, and the salt and cook, stirring from time to time, until lightly fried and the moisture from the sprouts have evaporated. Add tomatoes, giger, coriander, garam masala, cumin, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and cook until the tomatoes have softened. Stir in 4 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer. Check occasionally to see if the water has evaporated or the beans are soft. If not, add more water and continue cooking, covered. The beans are ready when they are soft when pressed between your fingers. It may take 45 minutes to one hour. Remove the beans from the heat and keep covered.

In a small skillet, heat the mustard oil over medium-high heat until it faintly smokes. Add the dried chilies, jimbu, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ajowan and fry until dark brown and highly fragrant, about 5 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat, immediately pour the entire mixture onto the cooked bean dish, and stir well. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Transfer the beans to a serving dish, sprinkle with cilantro on top, and serve - Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Copyright Information

All information on the Taste of Nepal blog are restricted use under copyright law. You may not re-use words, stories, photographs, or other posted material without the explicit written consent and proper credit to Jyoti Pathak. If you would like to use any materials here, please contact me.

Nepali Goat Curry - बोका को मासु

Serving Goat Curry during festive occasion

In Nepal, Vijaya Dashami (विजया दशमी), Dashain (दशैं) or Bada-Dashain (बडा दशैं), the most important religious festival of Nepal is almost approaching (October 6, 2013). It is time to post about the most loved festival and the feast. During this festival, a large number of male goats, sheep, water-buffalo, pigs, ducks and chicken are sacrificed before the goddess in the temple, or other places like Kot Square, or some private homes and offered to the deities. After religious rites are performed, the ritually sacrificed animals are cooked and distributed among friends, relatives, and neighbors. For many families, this may be one of the few occasions during the year that they are able to eat meat.

The most common and preferred meat is a freshly slaughtered goat and the Nepali word for goat is the same as the generic word for meat (bokaa and khasi). Meat from castrated goats are called khasi ko maasu (खसीकोमासु). All animal parts are eaten, including the liver, intestines, brain, kidney, tongue, tripe, and blood. At Dashain time, great feasts are prepared in many homes and a large quantity of prasaad ko maasu (blessed meat) is consumed. In Nepal, butchered animals are cooked and eaten right after slaughtering, rather than stored. The meat is prepared well done. Most frequently, it is cooked in a pressure cooker to speed the cooking process.

Meat is a high-status food and does not feature frequently in the regular diet of most Nepalese people. Poorer people consume meat only on special occasions and festivities, while the urban middle class consume meat more frequently. Other common meats eaten in Nepal include lamb (bheda) or pork (bangoor or banel). The majority of Nepalese do not eat beef for religious reasons, being Hindu. In many areas of Nepal, certain ethnic groups eat water buffalo (raango ko maasu) as their primary source of meat. Water buffalo is extremely lean and tender. It is also versatile and lends itself to spicy cooking. Water buffalo was once a less expensive alternative to to goat, but as a greater portion of population is beginning to recognize its health benefits, it is becoming increasingly expensive. Game, such as boar (banel) and venison (mirga), is popular in some regions and usually signifies a family celebration. Venison is usually obtained by hunting. Due to lack of refrigeration, on hunting trips it is sun-dried so that it doesn't spoil. In the high altitude areas of Nepal near Tibetan boarder, yak meat (chamari gai) is consumed fresh or dried.

In Nepali, “teen-taha-ko maasu" is translated as three layers of meat, and corresponds to how the meat is cut. These layers consists of meat, skin, thick fat rind, and bone. The special cut pieces of goat is meat is most preferred cut. It is believed that the meat, which is attached to the bone, is the most tender and flavorful. The second layer, the skin is considered a delicacy and is a part of the dish. Fat, the final layer, which is usually left in the meat pieces to cook, because it bastes the meat and makes it tender as it cooks. Nepalese cook are very careful to balance the texture, flavor and the color of the meat and the finished dish is very flavorful goat with some gravy.

Dashain is just around the corner, and a lot of goat has been transported to Kathmandu for this religious season. Come and explore the goat curry and let me show you how I prepare my goat. The recipe is perhaps the most popular way of cooking goat meat during Dashain and other festive occasion. I have provided the full recipe at the end of this post.

Serving Nepali Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari - Nepalese find goat meat very tasty and usually it is a treat to serve tender goat curry for a special occasion.

When researching for goat meat for this post, I found this information about the goat meat - "Goat meat is often called chevon or mutton when the meat comes from adults, and cabrito, capretto, or kid when from young animals. While `goat' is usually the name for the meat found in common parlance, producers and marketers may prefer to use the French-derived word chevon (from chèvre), since market research in the United States suggests that "chevon" is more palatable to consumers than "goat meat". Cabrito, a word of Spanish origin, refers specifically to young, milk-fed goat. In the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, and in some parts of Asia, particularly Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, the word “mutton” is often used colloquially to describe both goat and sheep meat, despite technically only referring to sheep meat"....... to read the entire article, please click here.

Goat meat is widely available in Nepal, but it is not usually for sale in my local grocery store in the area where I live. We buy the farm-raised goat from a local farm, then transport to the meat processing butcher. It will be cut into our specifications piece according to our order, mostly into bone-in 1 ½-inch pieces, which is best for curry. Many families split 1/2 or whole goat and share the cost. Goat meat is readily available in big cities, where a large number of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Caribbean, South Asian, and the Middle East live.

This recipe calls for bone-in young and tender goat (please check the ingredients at the end of this post).

Rinse the goat well under cold water, drain and place it in a medium-size bowl. Set aside while you prepare the spice. Heat a small cast-iron skilled over medium-low heat and toast the cinnamon, coriander, cumin, green cardamom, peppercorns, fennel, bay leaves, black cardamom pods, and cloves, stirring constantly until they give off a pleasant aroma and heated through 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into a dry container to halt the toasting. Cool and remove the seeds from the cardamom and discard the pods. Place the spices in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Drain the chilies and coarsely grind them into a paste with mortar and pestle or spice grinder. In a small bow, combine the oil, garlic, ginger, salt, nutmeg, chili paste, and toasted spices. Rob the spice mixture over the meat. Cover and allow the meat to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate it overnight, but bring it back to room temperature before cooking.

Place the marinated meat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time, until the meat loses its pink color and comes to a boil, 7 to 8 minutes.

Lower the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring often to prevent to scorching, until the meat is tender and cooked through, and the juices are absorbed into the meat. The cooking time depends on the quality and age of the goat. If the meat has not reached the desired tenderness, add 1/2 cup hot water and continue cooking until it is tender and most of the juices have evaporated.

Transferring the meat to a serving dish and serving hot.

Goat curry tastes even better as a leftover.

Enjoy the sample of Dashain feast here (picture top and bottom) cooked during the festival time - from Jyoti's kitchen

A rusty and authentic soupy goat curry served with a selection of fresh vegetables, assortment of pickles and a freshly steamed rice.

Getting ready to cook a large amount of goat meat for a family feast. In Nepal, meat from the castrated goats is called "khasi ko maasu" and the young tender goat meat is called "bokaa ko maasu".

Classic Dashain goat curry - (दशैं को मासु) - our Nepali feast was cooked with a generous amount of ginger-garlic (pounded in a stone mortar-pestle), shallots, and several other spices along with mustard oil to make this delicious flavored spicy feast. We ate the goat curry with a very Nepali way -- with a generous serving of freshly steamed rice.

A delicious and authentic variation of goat curry -"tin-taha ko khasi ko maasu" - translated into "three layers of meat" and corresponds to how the meat is cut. The layers consists of bone-in and boneless meat pieces with the thick fat and skin attached. The meat that is attached to the bone is most tender and flavorful. The skin is considered delicacy, and the fat layer is left in because it help to baste the meat and makes it tender as it cooks.

Another variation of goat curry - yogurt marinated tender young goat with the addition of onions, tomato, ginger, garlic and several other fresh herbs and spices added to make this delicious curry.

All the flavors and fragrance of Nepali cooking -- meet my favorite lady, who runs a neighboring restaurant in the Makhan Tole area in the heart of Kathmandu near my parent's house. She is letting me take a picture of her signature goat curry dish in the front. "There is nothing like savoring her exotic goat curry prepared by her everyday," says a smiling customer who was watching me take a picture.

Goat meat for sale at the open air meat market in Nepal. If you notice the yellow color in the meat that is because the freshly slaughtered goat skin is rubbed with turmeric powder to help preserve the meat. It also have antiseptic properties.

Here is an another image of slaughtered animal that is rubbed with turmeric powder to help preserve the meat.

Slow cooked curried goat spiced to perfection

Here are some useful and informative links about goat, please read about it here.
"How I learned to cook goat meat," from New York Times, please click here.

For Dashain -Goats, sheep to be brought to Kathmandu market from Kathmandu Post, please click here.

My recipe, "Nepali Goat Curry," was submitted to Asian recipe website about six years ago, please click here to see the complete recipe here, and click here for main page.

I am so glad that I was able to share my recipe of goat curry - now it is showing in these web pages - please check here - here - here.

Goat Meat from Wiki - please click here.

Goat Cheese farm in Nepal, please click here and here.

Goat Curry Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in young goat (preferably from the leg), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

4 to 6 green cardamom pods, crushed

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 to 3 bay leaves

1 black cardamom pod, crushed

4 whole cloves

2 to 3 dried red chillies, halved, seeded, and soaked in 1/4 cup hot water until soft

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 to 6 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Celebrating Nepali Dashain festival 2013

Happy Bijaya Dashami to all!

विजया दशमीकेा शुभकामना! (B.S. 2070)

Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 1 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 2 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 3 of 3)

Greetings made by using Burning Bush leaves - (the prized Fall foliage) - by Jyoti

I would like to wish the "Taste of Nepal Blog" readers a very Happy Bijaya Dashami 2013 (Ashoj 2070 – Bikram Sambat - Nepali calender). May the warmth and joy of Dashain fill your heart and home with happiness. Thank you for stopping by and experiencing the cultural, social, and religious exchange during the most auspicious time in Nepal.

विजया दशमी (२०७०) तथा शुभ दिपावलीको शुखदउपलक्षमा हार्दिक मंगलमय शुभकामना अर्पण गर्दछु!

Dashain (दशैं) or Badadashain (बडादशैं) or Vijaya or Bijaya Dashami (बिजया दशमी) is the 15 day long national (religious) festival of Nepal. It is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese people throughout the globe. It is not only the longest festival of the country, but it is also the one which is most anticipated. The festival falls around October-November, starting from the bright lunar fortnight and ending on the day of full moon.

Dashain is celebrated for 15 days; the most important days are the 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th, and the 10th. The fifteen days of celebration occur during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Dashain is also popularly referred to as Badadashain, Dashera, Vijaya (Bijaya) Dashami etc.

Throughout the country, the goddess mother is worshiped in all her manifestations. This festival is also known for its emphasis on family gatherings as well as on renewing community ties. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate together. All government offices, educational institutions and other offices remain closed during the festival period.

... continue reading here for the full article.

The most important days of Bijaya Dashami

First Day of Dashain - Ghatasthaapanaa - घटस्थापना - October 5, 2013

Day 7 - Fulpaati - (फूल्पाती) - October 7, 2013

Day 8 - Maha Asthami - (महा अश्टमी) - October 12, 2013

Day 9 - Maha Navami - (महा नवमी) - October 13, 2013

Day 10 - Bijaya Dashami - (बिजया दशमी) - October 14, 2013

Here are some informative links about the festival that I hope you will enjoy reading -

1. Ghatasthaapanaa, the first day of the Dashain festival, was celebrated across the country on Saturday, October 5, 2013.....please click here to read the article.

2. Dashain ....please click here.

3. For many Nepalese, goat meat is on demand for the festival .... please click here.

4. Mangal Dhun by Sur-Sudha, please click here.

Now that Dashain festival is here, it is time to celebrate the cultural life of the country. I will be uploading several images of the festive mood of Nepalese people from their land of Gods and dividing the pictorial blog into several different sections. Please check out all the parts for a complete Nepali experience.

I hope you will have much fun as I have putting together images of the cheerful and much-anticipated religious festival of Nepal. Please drop me a few lines in the comments section of the blog. Your comments and feedback are important and I would love to hear from you.

Here are the highlights of the best loved Nepali festival - come along with me to explore more on culture, lifestyle and religion - let my captured images show the pictorial story of the Kathmandu valley during this auspicious time. Please note that all the photographs are taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

Images from the land of Gods

Worshiping the Mandala in the street corner

Getting ready to visit temples with Pooja ko Saamagri and holy water (items used during religious offerings)

Dubo ko Maalaa for sale (garland made out of lush green, holy grass) - it has an important role in Nepali culture as the garland is used in many important ceremonies, such as weddings, birthdays, Tihar-Bhai-Tika (brother-sister day), Pasne ceremony (child's rice feeding), and also offered to deities as a mark of devotion.

Busy Kathmandu streets - images of several varieties of fresh vegetables and the vendors are waiting on the customers

Basic Pooja ko Saamaagri (items used during prayer) is for sale in front of the temple - contains multicolored fresh flowers, fruits, vermillion powder, dhoop batti (incense stick), and butter lamp. They are neatly packed in Nepali leaf plates made from Saal ko Paat.

Flower garland, Panchamrit (mixture of milk, honey, sugar, yogurt, gheu), holy water, and other Pooja ko Saamaagri for deities

A flower vendor is busy making marigold flower garlands (सयपत्री फुल को माला) for deities and several other pooja items like belpatra leaves,dhaturo flowers, and fresh coconuts for sale in front of a Shiva Temple in Kathmandu.

A Brahmin priest is chanting in Sanskrit in the temple area and offering vermillion tikaa and blessing to a devotee.

In the early hour of morning (5 am), devotees are lined up to visit various temples with a tray of sacred religious offerings

On the tenth and most important day of Bijaya Dashami festival, a women receives achetta ko tikaa (a mixture of red vermillion powder, raw white rice, yogurt) and blessing from the elders.

Highlight of vibrant and colorful city of Kathmandu - objects of worship in the middle of the streets

A group of young girl scouts marching in the street during festival time

A Thakali Aamaa is busy shopping during Dashain festival in the New Road area (नयाँ सडक), one of the busiest market place in Kathmandu

A multipurpose leaf plate with attached compartments (tapari, duna, bota) made especially for the festival.

A 17th century pagoda shaped building, Maru Sattal is being decorated for the festival.

Another picture of Maru Sattal - a venue for celebrating countless religious festivals.

Image of an antique Nepali temple bell

Sel-Roti (fried rice-bread), the most popular festive food prepared during the auspicious time. Please check my previous posting on sel-roti by clicking here.

Image of two doko carriers (woven wicker cone-shaped baskets) carrying fruits, flowers, and other items used for the festival of Bijaya Dashami.

A Nepali man carrying huge loads of hay in bundles using bamboo poles balancing across his shoulders in the busy area of Durbar square, Kathmandu.

A cheerful Nepali boy carrying a flag during a religious procession

At the entrance of Makhan Pashupatinath Temple (saano Pashupatinath) area, an auspicious Acheeta ko Tikaa is placed in several leaf plates (made from saal leaves) for the tenth day of tikaa ceremony. Passersby are using the tikaa to put on their foreheads as a prashaad (blessing from the god).

Rani Pokhari Shiva temple - open once a year for public during Tihar-Bhai-Tika (brother-sister day) time. Young women offering Tikaa for anybody, especially to brothers who do not have sisters.

Oil fed lamp (diyo) in front of a temple

A women from the middle hills is happy to be photographed, and proudly showing me her Dashain ko auspicious Tikaa.

Small temple of Rani Pokhari - devotees are visiting the temple located in the center of the pond of Rani Pokhari, Kathmandu. The temple is open once a year during Tihar-Bhai-Tikaa Festival.


Another view of Rani Pokhari temple.

Please turn to the next chapter (2) to explore the pictorial blog of Happy Bijaya Dashami of Nepal.

Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 1 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 2 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 3 of 3)

Copyright Information

Celebrating Nepali Dashain festival 2013 (Part 2)

Happy Bijaya Dashami to all!

विजया दशमीकेा शुभकामना! (B.S. 2070)

Part 2 of "Happy Bijaya Dashami"
This is the continuation of previous post. Please come along with me to explore more pictorial story of the festival of Nepal.

Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 1 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 2 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 3 of 3)

The above greetings are made by Jyoti by using the Burning Bush leaves (the prized Fall foliage).

Capturing Dashain moments at Taleju Bhavani Temple at the Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu - some devotees are lined up with their tray of Pooja ko Samagri (religious offering) to the goddess Taleju. The temple is opened to general public only once a year during the ninth day of Dashain festival.

Admiring the sights and sounds of Dashain time - another view of Taleju Bhavani temple - thousands of devotee have started to form a line before dawn and patiently waiting for their turn for Darshan (to pay respect to goddess) and offer prayers.

Daily rituals during festival time - devotees have been visiting many religious temples and shrines in the Kathmandu valley and outside the valley – they are Shova Bhagawati, Nardevi, Naxal Bhagawati, Guheswori, Dakshinkali, Bhadrakali, Raktakali, Maitidevi, and Sankata and many more...

The Taleju Temple in the back - the square's most magnificent temple stands at to the northeast, but is not open to the public. Even Hindus can only visit the temple briefly during the annual Dashain festival. The Taleju Temple was built in 1564 by Mahendra Malla. Taleju Bhawani was originally a goddess from the south of India, but she became the titular deity, or royal goddess, of the Malla kings in the 14th century. Taleju temples were erected in her honour in Patan and Bhaktapur, as well as in Kathmandu.
The temple stands on a 12-stage plinth and reaches more than 35m high, dominating the Durbar Sq area. The eighth stage of the plinth forms a wall around the temple, in front of which are 12 miniature temples. Four more miniature temples stand inside the wall, which has four beautifully carved wide gates. If entry to the temple were permitted it could be reached from within the Hanuman Dhoka or from the Singh Dhoka (Lion Gate) facing Durbar Sq. Directly across from the Taleju Temple is a 10th-century kneeling Garuda statue.....continue reading here, the article from Lonely Planet.

The vibrant culture of Nepal

A young Nepalese women with two tray full of sacred offerings is on her way to Shova Bhagawati temple.

A Brahmin priest outside the temple is offering a prayer and blessing to a young devotee.

Images of a typical red mud circles (raato maato) - in Nepal, before performing a religious rituals, Nepalese apply red mud paste in the floor (रातो माटोले पोतेको ) to purify the area.

Kot courtyard area near Hanuman Dhoka and Durbar square area, Kathmandu - during the 9th day of Maha Asthami, a rituals of ceremonial animal sacrifice (black male goat, buffalo, sheep, chicken, duck) is being prepared in the courtyard.

Official rituals of ceremonial slaughter of animals in the Kot courtyard - with high ranking officials of Armed Police and civil service, the Nepal army, Gurujyu ko Platoon, Nepal police.

Nepali army, Nepali police, and other police forces in the Kot courtyard - carrying marigold flower garland for the ceremony

Visitors watching ceremonial slaughter in the Kot courtyard - the rituals of animal sacrifice has attracted thousands of curious visitors to Nepal during Dashain festival time.

Trying to find a perfect picture taking vista.....worshiping the khukuri, a Nepalese knife with an inwardly curved edge.

Large supply of sacred offerings in several leaf plates (flowers, fruits, Nepali sweets, raw rice, red and white fabric, oil-fed lamp) at Kot courtyard

Decorated ash gourd(kubhindo), a pumpkin like vegetable in the far right is one of the most important gourd in Nepal. - many people these days are offering कुभिन्डो(kubhindo) to deities instead of ceremonial slaughter of animals.

.... and the ritual of animal sacrifice...

...spiritual world of Nepal - devotee carrying offerings for god

On the way to temple

....worshipping vehicles during Dashain festival

...cultural, social, and religious exchange during festival time

Planting your own Jamara (barley shoots)

Dashain is here, and with the first day of Ghatasthapana, every Nepali Hindu household will be sowing Jamara, the pale green shoots so essential for the festivities to be celebrated for the next 10 days thence. Read here more on the method of sowingJamara....another interesting article from e-kantipur about Ghatesthapana, please click here to read.

Picture above and bottom - the most auspicious and joyous time of the year - taking offering to temple

Nepali people in a festive mood

Freshly painted chariot parts

The auspicious Kalasha(कलश), full of holy water is decorated with red and yellow vermillion paste

Religious ceremony before and after the ceremonial slaughter - an army official checks the ash gourd(kubhindo) and fresh coconut cut into two pieces offered to deities

A smiling Nepali women is asking me to buy some मखमली फूल को माला - makhamali phool ko maalaa or supari phool ko maalaa - (globe amaranth garlands)

Capturing a picture of a simple village lady carrying sayapatri ko phool (marigold flower) in a doko (Nepali wicker woven basket)

Please turn to previous chapters to explore the pictorial blog of Happy Vijaya Dashami of Nepal.

Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 1 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 2 of 3) Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 3 of 3)

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Celebrating Nepali Dashain festival 2013 (Part 3)

Happy Bijaya Dashami to all!

विजया दशमीकेा शुभकामना! (B.S. 2070)

This is the continuation of photo guide (part 3) for celebrating Dashain festival. Please come along with me to explore more pictorial story of the festival of Nepal.

Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 1 of 3)
Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 2 of 3)
Bijaya Dashami photo guide 2013 - (Part 3 of 3)

The above greetings are made by Jyoti using Burning Bush leaves (a prized Fall foliage).

Auspicious hour - the Tika ceremony - October 14, 2013 is the 10th day of Bijaya Dashami, which is called Dashami or Tika day.

"On this day, a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermilion is prepared by family members. This preparation is known as "Tika". Elders put this Tika and Jamara, which is sewn during Ghatasthapana, on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them for the upcoming years. The red also symbolizes the blood, which ties the family together. Elders give "Dakshina" or a small amount of money to younger relatives at this time along with blessings. This continues to be observed for five days til the full moon at which point families and relatives visit each other to exchange gifts and greetings. This ritual of taking Tika from elder relatives (even distant relatives) greatly helps in the renewal of community ties. This is one reason why the festival is celebrated with so much of vigor and enthusiasm".........continue reading more here.

The pictures above and below are the images of Kathmandu streets during festival time.

"Dashain Aayoo" - Dashain is here...

Roads are crowded with vendors calling out the prices of their products displayed along the footpaths. Store windows are peppered with colorful signs proclaiming sales. People spill in and out of shops juggling a few too many carry bags. These sights are common during Dashain when the whole nation seems to be on a shopping spree.........continue reading more here.....

The Nepal army (the Guruju ko Paltan, Nepali Police)
parading in a cheerful mood with Dashain spirit.

A brass Kalasha (तामा को कलश ) is a holy vessel with wide base and narrow mouth kept in the entrance of the house filled with holy water. Nepalese consider Kalasha as an auspicious pot that is used in almost all ceremonial occasions.

The monumental zone - Durbar square, Kathmandu

Beautiful pieces of woodcarving in doors are seen in every corner and courtyard

Images of Nepali police women sitting in front of Hanuman Dhoka, Durbar square area during the festival

In preparation of Dashain, every house is cleaned, painted and decorated to welcome the goddess - here a Nepali army officer is cleaning and painting the entrance of Kot Courtyard with red mud (raato maato)

The holy Sadhu (holy man) with a painted face - is he on a spiritual search?

A Nepali man chanting and praying to the god inside the carved window

The wandering holy man with painted face and forehead decorated with colorful horizontal stripes and black dots. He is mostly seen around Durbar square area, Kathmandu - giving you blessings, Tika of vermillion powder - in return you are supposed to give him some money.

Hindu deities and religious ceremonies - here is an interesting article about, "Animal Sacrifices - a Ritual or Malpractice?" by Nistha Rayamajhi - to read the article, please click here.

The top and bottom images are of venders and buyers - negotiating the price of chicken and duck used for the ceremonial slaughter on the ninth day of Dashain festival.

To read more on "Festive Rituals"- please click here.

Another holy man with painted face - if you see him, ask him how he became Yogi, he will tell you the story!

The top and bottom images are the entrance of Kumari Chowk (courtyard area). Amazingly beautiful magical place.

"A big brick building on Durbar Square in Kathmandu, the Kumari Ghar (or Kumari Chowk) houses the living goddess of Kathmandu. Built in 1757, the temple is known for its magnificent carvings as well as its divine inhabitant"....... continue reading more here.

Joyful Dashain time - Children and young adults are playing in the bamboo swings - photo taken at the Garden of Dreams, Kathmandu

The chanting holy sadhus - I am receiving another blessing....

Butter lamps in brass pot in front of a temple

Offering Butter Lamps is the most powerful offering because their light symbolizes wisdom. Just as a lamp dispels darkness, offering light from a Butter Lamp represents removing the darkness of ignorance in order to attain Buddha's luminous clear wisdom.........continue reading more here

Festival time - even vehicle is being blessed and worshiped

Images of cleaning local streets in Kathmandu during Dashain festival time - sweeping and street cleaning is done 2-3 times a day.

Happy Bijaya Dashami to all!

A joyous occasion filled with music and dance - several flute artists performing

A traditional dress worn by Newari women called Haaku Pataasi - handwoven cotton saree, usually black color with red border and chaubandi cholo (typical Nepali blouse made by handwoven fabric).

Happy Bijaya Dashami 2013 - (Part 1 of 3), Happy Bijaya Dashami 2013 (Part 2 of 3), Happy Bijaya Dashami (Part 3 of 3)

I hope you will have much fun as I have putting together images of the cheerful and much-anticipated religious festival of Nepal. Please drop me a few lines in the comments section of the blog. Your comments and feedback are important and I would love to hear from you.

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2013 - Happy Deepawali, Tihar, Bhai-Tika, Bhintuna & Chat Parba

Wishing all my blog readers
Happy Deepawali! - (शुभ दिपावलीको शुखद उपलक्षमा हार्दिक मंगलमय शुभकामना)

Happy Tihar and Bhai-Tika! - (2070 साल को तिहार, भाई-टिका को शुभकामना)

Happy Bhintuna Greetings! - (भिन्तुना शुभकामना)

Happy Chat Parba! - (छत पर्बको उपलक्षमा हार्दिक शुभकामना)

May Peace, Love and Prosperity follow you always and forever!

A traditional decorative ever-green Dubo grass garland (हरियो दुबो घास को माला)

If you are a new visitor to Nepal, you may have come across elegantly hand-woven and decorated green grass garlands (dubo ko maalaa) either in the many tourist areas and alleys of old Kathmandu, wrapped around the temple deities, or simply hanging in the flower shops for sale. In today's blog posting, I am happy to share one of most uniquely Nepali “traditional dubo grass garland” made from ever-green sacred grass. When researching for the scientific name of the dubo grass for this post, I found the grass is called Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers, also most commonly known as Bermuda grass. Nepalese call it dubo ko ghaas(panjaa, seto duvo, narkabam). In Sanskrit, it is called (dhurva, durmara, durva). It is an evergreen perennial creeping grass common in warmer regions in Nepal. Many people believe that the grass has medicinal value. The grass can be easily planted from grass seed, sod or grass plugs.

Some useful information about dubo grass can be found here.
To read about Nepal marriage ceremony and grass necklace, click here.

Dubo grass has a deep religious significance and special meaning in Nepali culture. They are used during many festivals occasions, social and religious ceremonies. No Nepali Swayamber ceremony, स्वयम्बर (part of Nepali marriage) is complete without the most auspicious grass garland. The bride and groom exchange the garland to each others during the religious ceremony. According to the spiritual belief, the purifying quality of the grass offers everlasting love and relationship. The grass does not dry and wilt so easily after it is pulled from the ground, so the evergreen dubo grass blesses newlyweds with fertility, prosperity in every step of their newly married life. The garland is used in many important ceremonies including:

Janmostav (जन्मोस्तव) - birthdays
Tihar-Bhai-Tika (तिहार-भाई टिका) - brother's sister's Days
Bratabandha ceremony (ब्रतबन्ध- उपनयन) - sacred thread ceremony, young boys journey into manhood
Pasne ceremony (पास्ने) - child's rice feeding ceremony
Ghatasthapana (घटस्थापना) - the 1st day of 10-day religious festival of Bijaya Dashami
Naag Panchami (नाग पंचमी) the day of serpent god
Dubo garland is offered to deity (भगवान लाइ चडाउने) - as a mark of devotion during many auspicious celebration

It is also presented to honorary guests to welcome, honor and show the respect (अथिति सत्कार)

Garland makers are often busy making the maalaa for special orders. They have mastered weaving the grass into a beautiful work of art. Apart from using as a garland, just plain small bundles of dubo are offered to deities during Pooja ceremony. The sacred grass itself is considered auspicious and is used in many religious rituals. During Tihar-Bhai-Tika ceremony small bundles of grass are dipped in oil with holy water and applied in the floor for purification of the place before the ceremony starts. Small bundles dubo grass are used as a brush to apply oil in brother's hair by sisters during the ceremony.

While walking through the narrow streets of Bhedasingh near Indrachowk area of Kathmandu, during Tihar-Bhai-Tikaa festival time, what really caught my attention was several ladies creating traditional dubo grass garland, weaving in such a beautiful way -- a true work of art. I asked the lady in the corner if she minded me photographing and observing her method of creating the garland. She delightfully agreed to my proposal, but asked that I do not show her face in the pictures.

Discover how easy it is to create the beautiful dubo garland from the delightful lady who sits in front of the temple daily. If you ever get hold of perennial creeping grass, dubo and want to re-create the most important grass garland of Nepal, here is her step-by-step tutorial pictures. If you ever create the garland, please take a picture and post in the comment section of my blog.

Image on the left - artfully woven, enhanced with shiny silver metallic yarn (zari) decorated with pink beads and sequences - special ordered garland ready to be hand delivered or picked up by a customer. The garland maker prepares garlands for many occasions, usually completes in 55 minutes or less, but they have several helpers during busy festival seasons when there is a big demand.

A large amount of bulk dubo grass has arrived to the florist wrapped in a plastic bag from a nearby warm (Terai) region of Nepal. The grass is kept in a cooler spot, away from direct sun light to avoid wilting and getting dried up.

..... she is selecting only the freshest, bright green dubo grass and getting rid of wilted, yellowing and brown spotted ones

...before making a garland, she divides the grass into small bundles and measures a strong heavy red colored thread to wrap around the bundles

...starting with one end of the thread, she collects small bundle of grass with one hand and loops the thread over, under and back of the stem side of the grass facing the same way. She ties the grass into secure knots.

... She continues adding more bundles until the dubo ko maalaa is complete.

...close up image of securely tying the thread

... finally dubo ko maalaa is ready

She is attaching a decorative metallic silver zari work boarder in the garland

Beautifully hand-crafted zari work design frames are for sale at a store near the hidden alleyways in Indra Chowk, Kathmandu (cokhache galli). It is specially made to give decorative touch tocompleted dubo ko maalaa.

Another shiny decorative enhancer for grass garland

The lush green auspicious grass garland getting ready to be decorated.

Picture of a traditional green garland especially made for a Nepali wedding - some garland maker will custom make dubo ko maalaa according to customer's specification.

…carefully rolling the finished garland into bundles before dipping in a bowl of cold water.

…sometimes, the completed garlands are covered with moistened towel to keep it fresh. It is then stored in a cool place until ready to use. The above two images show that the garlands are stored plain without adding metallic decorative enhancer.

... another picture of grass garland - on the right with metallic silver zari trim and the left is waiting for a decorative touch.

Vendor is selling simple dubo grass and marigold flower garland, lotus flower buds and other flowers for religious offerings in front of a temple in Kathmandu.

Another tray of religious offerings to deities - decorated grass garland, whole coconut, dubo grass bunches, traditional sweets - have an important role in many Nepali religious rituals.

Nepali Swayamver ceremony - exchange of auspicious grass garland

Image of traditional Nepali wedding ceremony - the dubo ko Maalaa is placed around the groom's neck which symbolizes everlasting relationship forever.

The ritual of Swayamvar ceremony during Nepali marriage. Swayamver is a kind of engagement ceremony, where the bride and groom exchange a traditional grass garland, rings and take a blessing from the family.

Here is another picture of bride and groom exchanging the auspicious grass garland during marriage ceremony.

Dubo grass and marigold flowers for sale in Kathmandu markets during Thulo Ekadashi (Haribodhini Ekadashi)

The bundled holy grass are for sale in Nepali markets to offer to deities. It is believed that the grass has a purifying powers according to Nepali spiritual belief.

The street vendor is selling small bundles of dubo grass during tihar-Bhai-tika festival time. He told me the grass has great medicinal value and said to have a strong healing effects. he added, "if you walk on the grass barefoot early in the morning, when the grass is still covered with dew drops, it has a great healing power."

Dubo grass bundles are an important items used during the auspicious festival of Bhai-Tika.

... Purifying power of ever green Dubo grass ... cultural heritage of Nepal

The above two images of group Bratabandha ceremony (journey into manhood) in front of a temple in Kathmandu - Several young boys are receiving sacred thread during the ceremony.

Nag Panchami celebration - Nepalese devote is sticking a picture of a snake god above the doorways of a house with a offering of dubo grass, rice and red vermillion powder on the occasion of Nag Panchami. Photo courtesy.

My friend's son's wedding ceremony - sorting the dubo grass and trying to make"Dubo ko Maalaa"

listening to the famous Nepali folk song, while creating the garland "फ़ैलियॊ माया दुबो सरी, कहिले घटेन (failiyo maayaa dubo saree, kahile ghatena" - translation - how love spreads like the dubo creeping grass, everlasting) - here is the link of the song through you tube.

Here is the picture of groom and bride exchanging the dubo ko maalaa during Swayamvar ceremony.

Enjoy freshly-made Tomato Achaar with Maachaa ko Sukuti (dried fish)
(गोलभेडा को अचारमा माछा को सुकुटी हालेको)

Golbheda ko achaar (tomato pickle) has been one of the most popular and well loved pickles in Nepal. Achaars are an important and almost necessary accompaniment to most dishes in the Nepali kitchen. Achaar is also served with a variety of other Nepali dishes, such as rotis (breads), cheura (pressed rice flakes), snacks, and even alongside dessert dishes like sel-rotis and traditional sweets.
This fiery tomato achaar will perk up any traditional Nepali Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari and goes well with just about any Nepali meal.

In this recipe, vine-ripe tomatoes are cooked with several herbs and spices until the moisture from the tomatoes has evaporated. Then, add bite-size sukuti fish to enhance the flavor.

... cooking with home-grown tomatoes

The term “achaar” translates to pickles in Nepalese, and includes preserved or fermented pickles (lapsi ko achaar, kaankro khalpi achaar, moola ko achaar, ledo achaar), salad-like dishes prepared like vegetables (aloo ko achaar, koreko kankro ko achaar), no-cook chutney made fresh everyday (cilantro, mint), dry-powdered achaar, roasted sesame seed pickle (til ko chhope), or dipping sauces.

There are numerous home-made variations of tomato achaar with or without adding dried fish. Some tomatoes are oven roasted, tawaa roasted (circular iron pan), or just cooked on top of a stove. Each family has their own variation and no matter what variety or size of tomatoes you use, and whatever method you use, the tomato achaar will taste better, if cooked with ripe, red and vine-ripened tomatoes.

Here is my classic, tangy and spicy recipe and directions for a easy quick and, most importantly delicious tomato pickle with maachaa ko sukuti (dried fish). The achaar will even taste better next day as the sukuti will be marinated further with the cooked tomatoes. This achaar will keep well at least 4/5 days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

¼ cup mustard oil

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

8-10 medium tomatoes, any variety, chopped

4 fresh hot green chilies, halved lengthwise

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon jimbu – Himalayan herb

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons peeled and julienned fresh ginger

1 cup maachaa ko sukuti(dried fish)

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

Dry-roasted whole spices

1/3 cup sesame seeds

3-4 dried red chilies, stemmed and cut into several pieces

¼ teaspoon Szechwan pepper (timmur)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds, chilies, timmur, cumin, and mustard, stirring constantly to prevent the seeds from flying all over, until they give off a pleasant aroma and darken. Remove the spices from the skillet, pour them into dry container to halt the toasting, and let them cool. Transfer the cooled spices to a spice grinder, grind to a fine powder, and set aside

Here's what you will need to make tomato pickle - sesame seeds, dried chilies, timmur (szechwan pepper), cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, ground turmeric, jimbu, fresh garlic and ginger, green chilies and mustard oil.

Preparation Instructions

Heat the mustard oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium high-heat until faintly smoking. Add the fenugreek seeds and fry until dark brown and fragrant, about 5 seconds. Ad tomatoes, green chilies, salt, and turmeric and cook, covered, until the tomatoes soften. Adjust the heat to medium and cook stirring from time to time, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, mix the dry roasted spices (see method above - szechwan, sesame, cumin, mustard, dried chillies) and cilantro and set aside.

Remove the bone and skin from dried fish and break into bite-sized pieces, set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add jimbu and cook until darker and fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, and fry, stirring until golden and slightly crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic, ginger with jimbu, draining as much oil as possible, and add them to tomato mixture. Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the dried fish to the pan. Cook stirring constantly, until slightly crisp. Transfer the fish to the tomato achaarand let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes for flavors to develop. The fish sukuti will soften further and will become flavorful. Transfer the achaar to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.

...place the whole spices in a small cast-iron pan

...dry-roast until the spices gives off a pleasant aroma and darken, and remove the spices from the pan and pouring into a dry container to halt the toasting, and let it cool.

... transferring the roasted spices into a spice grinder

... grinding into fine powder

....mix the dry-roasted and ground spices into cooked tomato.

... here is a close up image of home-made fish jerky from Jyoti's kitchen

Rich-flavored and delicious home-made fish jerky (trout) made in a food dehydrator.

Dried fish sukuti from Malekhu ko Bazaar, Nepal - the fish from local rivers are dried in a traditional method. First, the fish is cut into pieces, weaved into thin bamboo skewers, placed next to wood-burning store until the moisture from the fish is evaporated and slightly hardened. Then, the fish is preserved further by sun-drying. Please check my previous posting regarding "Malekhu ko Maachaa" to learn more about fish sukuti by clicking here.

Special treat from Malekhu Bazaar, Nepal - sun-dried fish on a wooden sticks for sale - the small whole fish is weaved into a thin bamboo skewer, and dried in a traditional way.

Here comes the another picture of curled-up dried fish from Malekhu Bazaar. Before adding to the cooked tomato pickle, the skin and bone of the dried fish needs to be removed.

The dried fish is torn into small bite-size pieces then fried in the oil until crisp before adding to the tomato achaar. The fish will slightly soften once mixed with cooked pickle and you will be savoring the delicious flavored achaar.

Enjoy the freshly made Tomato Pickle with Sukuti Fish - (गोलभेडा को अचारमा माछा को सुकुटी हालेको)

Serving Nepali Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari with tomato pickle

Every year in the late Spring, when we plan our vegetable garden, we always plant different varieties of tomatoes. This year we were fortunate to have an abundant harvest of tomatoes, so I hope you enjoy these four pictures from my home garden - eating right off the vine - flavorful, ripe tomatoes straight to mouth - with a salt shaker in another hand.

From my home garden - bright red, vine-ripened cherry tomato ready for harvest. This variety of tomato will make most delicious oven roasted chutney.

Early ripening clusters of cherry tomatoes - some of them have already split opened on the vine....

Checking for ripeness - 3 fully ripped tomatoes and 6 slightly unripe ones on the vine. I hope you enjoyed these pictures!

The Festival of Nepal - Maaghe Sankranti (माघे संक्रान्ती)

...root vegetables are filled with Nepali markets during Maaghe Sankranti time

Maaghe Sankranti Festival is just around the corner, so I invite you to discover more about the most important festival in Nepal. I am so happy to share the photographs of such a colorful, vibrant and exciting time of the year in Nepal.

Maaghe Sankranti (माघे सङ्क्रान्ति), also called Makar Sankranti (मकर सङ्क्रान्ति),
is one of the most important and auspicious religious festival in Nepal. It is celebrated in the first day of Maagh (Nepali calendar Bikram Sambat) which falls on January 14, 2014. Nepalese celebrate the festival to mark the end of winter into upcoming spring where the temperature is getting warmer and days are getting longer. As per Wikipedia, "On this day, the sun is believed to leave its southernmost position and begin its northward journey. Maaghe Sankranti is similar to solstice festivals in other religious traditions."

Photo courtesy - welcome Nepal - Maghe Sankranti

Devotee wake up early hour of the morning before sunrise, and take a ritual bath in many holy rivers, while singing devotional songs and offer water to Surya (sun god). According to spiritual belief, the bath is to purify the self, soul and to fulfill all the wishes. After the dip in the water, they visit different temples and offer flowers, sacred foods and light incense.

"Observant Hindus take ritual baths during this festival, notably at auspicious river locations. These include Sankhamul on the Baagmati near Paatan; In the Gandaki & Naarayani river basin at Triveni near the Indian border, Devghaat near Chitwan valley and Ridi on the Kaaligandaki; and in the Koshi River basin at Dolalghaat on the Sun Koshi". To read more on this, please click here.

Photo courtesy - The Network for Freelance Journalists

Pilgrims Celebrate Maaghe Sankranti in Devghat
"thousands of pilgrims come to Devghat, Nepal to take the holy bath in the Narayani River to celebrate Maghe Sankranti. Devghat is located at the junction of Krishna-Gandaki and Sapta-Gandaki (which becomes Narayani after converging) rivers in Central Nepal. It is 5 km from Narayangath, which is the business hub of the Chitwan district and 200 km Southwest from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal..." continue reading more here...

In addition to holy bath and visit to the temples, people go and visit the most respected elderly relatives, friends and family and receive and give blessings. They feast on certain food items during the festival, they are Chaaku (retreated molasses), Tilauri and Til ko Laddu (a chewy candy made out of sesame seeds and sugar), Gheu (clarified butter), Khichadi (traditional way of cooking rice with black gram daal), Sakhar-Khand (sweet potatoes), Pidaalu (Taro Roots), Tarul (Yam), and green leaf spinach. All food items during the festival focus on healthy eating, are geared towards warming up the body during cold days, good nourishment, a lifetime free of disease, and purification of one's body. The pictures below are all the food items used during the festival.

Chaaku (चाकु) - retreated molasses patties in different size and shapes (dark brown package) and the lighter round packages are semi-solid jaggery (गुड) for sale during the festival

Tilauri (तिलौरी) - made from sesame seeds and sugar

Til re gud ko Laddu - (तील र गुड को लड्डु) - roasted sesame seeds and jaggery shaped candy into small balls

Gheu - (घीउ) - clarified butter - butter made clear by heating and removing the sediment of milk solids

Gud - (गुड) - semi solid jaggery in a plastic bag for sale

Image of street vendor with two wicker basket full of Maaghe Sankranti foods

If you are wondering about the photo in the left about Chaaku, it is not captured by me, but I am happy to share the link from Xinhua News by Sunil - to see more pictures on the preparation of Chaaku, please click here.
"Local people prepare molasses..... (Chaaku in local language) for Maaghe Sankranti Festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, Jan. 6, 2014. Molasses is usually prepared and consumed during the festival and throughout winter by Nepalese. Concentrated sugarcane juice, jaggery, ghee and nuts are the basic ingredients."

A smiling Hindu priest (बाहुन बाजे) is surrounded by daan ko maal (gifts) given in the name of ancestors placed in saal ko paat (plates made from saal leaves), given by devotee during the festival of Maaghe Sankranti.


Generosity of giving away food items during the Maaghe Sankranti

Here is another picture of food items offered as daan gift to unfortunate - on the auspicious day, one must give food and receive blessings.

A big event and an important day in Nepali culture - many devotee bring gifts of foods to the priest who performs religious rituals, chants from the holy books, and gives blessings and good luck.

Amazing varieties of root vegetables for sale in the old section of Kathmandu

....looks like an elephant feet-size yams - getting everyone's attention...

....this is time of the year, every street corners are filled with sweet potatoes, different varieties of yams and taro roots..

... in different size, shapes, and textures

I hope you enjoyed the photo tour of festival time in Nepal. Please read more on the festival from Nepalnews.com "Maghe Sankranti observed nationwide"

Devotees across the country observed Maghe Sankranti, which is the beginning of the holy month of Magh, by thronging to various Hindu temples and taking holy dip into rivers and ponds on Monday. The festival is believed to bring an end to the ill-omened month of Poush that forbids all religious ceremonies. Maghe Sankranti is also regarded as the coldest day of the year and marks the start of warmer season.

Hindus worship Lord Shiva on the day and celebrate the festival by offering delicacies such as sweet potato, sesame seed candy, Chaku, another Nepali sweet, yam and ghee. It is believed that one becomes healthier by consuming such items on this day.

Also, the largely Hindu Newar, Tharu and Magar ethnic communities celebrate Maghe Sankranti, with great enthusiasm by organizing various programmes across the country. In the Terai region, Tharu people observed Maghi festival with new dresses, and food stuffs bought from the money they have by selling new harvests made just a month ago. The government has declared public holiday on Monday by recognizing Maghe Sankranti as a national festival of the Magar and Tharu community.

Various events were organized at Tundikhel in Kathmandu this afternoon to celebrate this special occasion. Religious fairs were also organized in Chitwan's Devghat including Baraha Kshetra where people take holy bath on the confluence of Trishuli, Kali Gandaki and Koshi River"....... continue to read the entire article by going to the link here -

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2013/jan/jan14/news03.php

It is Bhogate season in Nepal! Enjoy the classic citrus salad dish, especially made during the winter season - sweet, sour, tangy dish, adorned by dry-roasted sesame seeds, salt, sugar, yogurt, chili and several other spices. We call it "Bhogate Saadeko or Bhogate Saandheko".

Fruit and Vegetable Market in Kathmandu - The lady in red khasto shawl is filling her large bag with hand-picked and freshly delivered bhogate - perhaps she is planning to make pomelo salad.


Attention shoppers! High quality fresh pomelo have just arrived in Nepali markets - looks like the pomelos are fighting for attention - and they are destined for a saadeko dish.

Pomelo is known as “bhogate -भोगटे or भगटे" in Nepali language. It is one of the largest citrus fruit, thick-skinned and grown in subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Like grapefruit, pomelos are pink or yellow, with fibrous flesh separated into segments by membranes. The fruit is covered by a thick, tough, and loose fitting skin, which peels off easily with some effort. Bhogate is abundant in the winter months (December-January) in Nepal. Even though this salad-like fruit dish is probably hard to find in Katmandu restaurant menus, it is a great favorite of Nepalese. The preparation of the refreshing salad is a leisurely family affair. Typically, family members, relatives, and friends gather in the sunniest part of the house, usually the top open floor (kausi) or the sunny part of the garden or porch area, on a warm sunny day. A large amount of pomelos are brought in and everyone helps to peel the fruit, separate it into segments, and mix with spices.

When the green skin of pomelo starts to change to yellow, it indicates that the pomelo have ripened, and so will become juicier with best flavor. Some of the Nepali pomelo growers will not pick up the fruit from the tree, until they are fully ripened. Other growers pick the fruit while they are still light yellow-green and store it for more than a month for a better flavor before using it.

Common name: Pomelo, Pummelo, Pompelmous, Botanical name - Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck)

Be careful to select ripe pomelos. When ripe, the fruit is dry, and the flesh is firm, and has a slightly sweet-tangy taste. Some of the immature pomelos can be bitter, dry and overpowering taste and the fruit may not be suitable for the salad. Choose the ones that are heavy for their size then you will end up with juicy pomelos.

Below is the recipe for most delicious, classic salad made for my family especially during the season of pomelo - tastes heavenly in its own way, based on a recipe from my book "Taste of Nepal - page 40-41".

Ingredients

4-6 medium white of red pomelos, peeled and sectioned

4-6 medium navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

¼ cup light brown sesame seeds

2 cups plain yogurt, stirred well

½ cup sugar (add more if the pomelo is sour)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Szechwan pepper (timmur), finely ground with a mortar and pestle

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons mustard oil

½ teaspoons fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

A small pinch ground asafetida (less than 1/8 teaspoon)

Method

With sharp paring knife, prepare the pomelo by peeling and separating them into segments. The segments can be difficult to get to because of the thick rind. The membranes are tough and inedible. Discard the white membranes, seeds, and place in a large bowl.

Heat a small skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat and dry-roast the sesame seeds, stirring, constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent the seeds from flying all over, until they give off a pleasant aroma, and the sesame seeds are a few shades darker, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the seeds from the skilled and pour in dry container to stop from further roasting. Cool and transfer to spice grinder and grind to make fine powder. A mortar and pestle can also be used to grind the spices.

Combine the pomelos, with orange segments, ground sesame seeds, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, black pepper, timmur, and salt, and mix gently.

Heat the mustard oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the fenugreek seeds and fry until dark brown and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle in the turmeric, and asafetida. Immediately pour these spices into citrus mixture and stir well. The finished dish should be spicy, sweet, tangy and tart. Adjust the seasoning accordingly. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the seasonings and flavor to develop. Transfer the pomelo salad to a bowl and serve - makes 4-6 servings.

How to peel a pomelo - with a sharp paring knife, slice about 1 ½ inches off from the top end of pomelo or remove the cap off until the flesh is exposed like in the above picture.

Cut several vertical slice-lines all around the pomelo moving your knife from top to bottom. Pull each outer thick-spongy skin. You may have to use some force.

The above picture of the pomelo peel will be made into pomelo skin hat (भोगटे को टोपी). Nepali children would love to wear and play with the hat, a perfect hat for their amusements. It is also a popular past time for young children to kick the pomelo skin like a football during the salad preparation time.

Pull away all the membrane that surrounds each segments and continue this process until you have removed it all.

......here is a picture of perfectly peeled pomelo..

..... Can't resist these mouth-watering - भगटे सांधेको dish - This is one of the most popular and refreshing salad dish which I grew up eating in Nepal enjoying with my siblings, cousins, and other relatives. This dish was typically prepared during the weekends of push-maagh(पौष/पुष, माघ), the winter months in Nepal. All the family members would gather in the uppermost section in the sunny and open area of the house that we call it "kausi". We used to sit cross-legged, on a sukul mat (woven straw mats) or carpets and help peel the citrus fruits. Pomelos have a very heavy, thick skin and yields more cottony pith than the fruit itself. You need to have a lot of patients to peel, and separate the fruits into segments, but we were more interested in pomelo skin hat (भोगटे को टोपी) and take off to play as soon as the skin of the fruit was separated. It was such a joyful occasion.

You can serve the pomelo salad by itself or with other snacks and beverages, for a leisurely afternoon get-together. It is best eaten right away or can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days and served chilled.

If you can't find pomelo in your area, you can substitute with regular grapefruits. Here, in the part of the US where I live, I have started to see large-sized pomelos in my supermarkets, but not regularly. So I tried to recreate “bhogote saandeko” dish with regular grapefruits and found it just as good and full of flavor. The following recipe is made with pink variety of grapefruits.

Combine the grapefruit with orange segments, dry-roasted sesame seeds, plain yogurt, sugar, fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, timmur, and salt to taste in a mixing bowl.

... mix well

Heat the mustard oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the fenugreek seeds, and fry until dark brown and fragrant (5 seconds). Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle in the turmeric and asafetida. Immediately pour the entire content into the citrus mixture and stir well. The finished dish should be spicy, sweet, tangy and tart. Adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Transfer the grapefruit salad to a bowl and serve.

The picture (above and bottom) - is captured from my cousin's backyard garden in Nepal and I would like to share the pictures with my blog readers. Her garden was full of citrus fruit trees, such as oranges, lemon, tangerines, but the most impressive was the hundreds of pomelos hanging from the tree, just ready to be picked. She was kind enough to give me a large bushel of pomelo and informed me that these pink variety are much sweeter and much sought after in Nepal compared to the white ones.

Here are some interesting link on pomelo that you may want to check it out.

"How to clean a pomelo like a professional fruit seller", please click here to watch the helpful video on YouTube.

"Sweet and sour Bhogate Sandeko" from Republica Newspaper (Leisure Section), please click here to see the page.

An article by ECS Nepal - "Tangy to Taste" by Yukta Bajracharya. Please click here for the link.

Refreshing, delicious recipe and information from Desigrub Blog - "Pomelo salad (Bhogatee Paun)". Please click here to read his blog.

Another recipe and informative article from, Nepaliaustralian blog - "One of the things widely eaten in Nepal after the festival of Tihar is Bhogate Sandheko also during Mha Puja and Bhai Tika." Please click here to read her blog.

There is nothing like eating fully ripe, sweet and fragrant
Loquat - लौकाट fruit of Nepal

Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while will know that I have been trying to introduce Nepal's unique vegetables and fruits, whenever I get hold of it – listed below are the link of my previous blog that you probably have gone through. They are Balsam Apple (barela - बरेला), Fiddlehead Fern (neuro - नीयूरो), Bauhinia (koiralo ko phool - कोइरालो), Pumpkin Shoots (pharsi ko munta - फर्सी को मुन्टा), Taro(karkalo-gaava-pidhaalu - कर्कलो-गाभा-पिँडालु), Himalayan Wild Fruit - (kaaphal - काफल), Tree Tomato(tyammatar - ट्यामटर), Ash Gourd (kubhindo - कुभिन्डो), and Banana Blossom (kera ko bungo - केराको बुङ्गो).

Today I want to share with you an attractive evergreen fruit tree and its fruit, we call it "Nepal Loquat" (लौकाट). In scientific journals, Nepal loquat is called Eribotrya eliptica. The Wikipedia describes the fruit as Eriobotrya japonica, a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to south-central China. Some of the common names of loquat are Japanese plum, Chinese plum, LoGuat and Maltese plum.

"Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe in late winter or early spring. The flowers are 1in in diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance."

"Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to sub-acid or acid, depending on the cultivar."

"Each fruit contains from one to ten ovules, with three to five being most common. A variable number of the ovules mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe.The fruits are the sweetest when soft and orange. The flavor is a mix of peach, citrus and mild mango".....continue reading here.

...hand-picking loquot fruits from our own tree

I have occasionally seen loquat fruits (in small quantities) for sale at local Kathmandu markets, carefully hand-picked and brought by villagers. The fruits bruise so easily and begin to brown immediately after picking up, that makes this fruit travel unfriendly. Many Nepalese who live in the city are unfamiliar with loquat fruits. My husband who was born and brought up in Kathmandu says that he has never eaten or heard of this fruit, whereas it is growing abundantly in many backyard home garden throughout the country.

Loquats bring me back to my childhood days in Kathmandu. I fondly reminisce eating these delicious golden yellow fruits straight off the tree from my grandfather's garden in Kathmandu. His backyard garden had two huge loquat trees and every year, it yielded a big harvest. Generally the fruits were allowed to ripen on the tree to golden-yellow and the juicy and fragrant fruits were carefully hand-picked from the lower branches before the birds starts feasting the fruit. Some adventurous neighborhood kids would throw stone at the fruits in the upper branches and wait for the loquat to fall. They would enjoy the fully over-ripped fruits and some of them even ate the sour and fuzzy green fruits. The unpicked fruits from the unreachable branches would over-ripe, the color would changes into orange and fall from the tree to perish. The fruit bruise very easily and do not store well, so once picked, my grandmother and her helper would make delicious fruit leather out of it.

Close up photo of loquat, they have begun to turn into beautiful golden-yellow and soft in texture on the tree. They are ready to be picked up. The flavor of the fruit can be described a cross between apricot and plum.

Picture of unripe fruits growing in clusters - photo taken at my mother's farm house in Gitanagar, Chitwan District at the Terai zone of Nepal

Each fruits contains shining large brown seeds (3-5). The seeds are inedible.

...Spotting loquat tree fruit plant at Nepali Nursery, mostly trees are sold as seedlings

While researching for the botanical name of the Loquat tree in the Google search, I found a book named, "Don't let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees" by an American Surgeon, Thomas Hall. There are many good reviews of the book, one reviewer, Dani Moore writes, "What a fascinating peek inside the life of an American Surgeon in Nepal. I always really get enthused by learning about another life from the inside, but I found this especially enjoyable"....... please click here to read more in good-reads. I have not read the book yet, but if I get hold of it, I would like to read it.

If you have any more information on loquat fruits and would like to share, please post them in the comments section of this blog. I am always looking for more input. Thank you.

Festivals of Nepal - Maha Shivaratri - (Feb 27, 2014)

Wishing you all my blog readers - A Happy Maha Shivaratri 2014. Here's sending you warm wishes, good luck and prosperity on this special occasion of lord Shiva's celebration, I am uploading some pictures that I captured during the festival time.

The Pashupatinath Temple during Maha Shivaratri

Source Wikipedia - "Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also much popular as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Night of Lord Shiva', is observed on the (13th night/14th day) in the Krishna Paksha every year on the month of Maagh according to the Hindu calendar. Alternate common spellings include Sivaratri, Shivaratri, Sivarathri, and Shivarathri. It marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Hindu calendar month Maagha which falls in February or March as per the Gregorian calendar. Of the twelve Shivaratris in the year, the Maha Shivarathri is the most powerful.

The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or golden apple or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil (jagarana). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", a sacred mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva. In accordance with scriptural and discipleship traditions, penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly. On this day, the planetary positions in the Northern hemisphere act as potent catalysts to help a person raise ones spiritual energy easily. The benefits of powerful ancient Sanskrit Mantras such as Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra increase manifold on this night.

In Nepal, millions of Hindus attend Shivaratri together from different part of the world at the famous Pashupatinath Temple (पशुपतिनाथको मन्दिर). Thousands of devotees also attend Mahasivaratri at the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham of Nepal.

.......continue reading here - source Wikipedia


Image of Shri Shankar Bhagwan

Happy Maha Shivaratri!

Jai Mahadev, Jai Shiva Shambhu, Jai Bhairav, Jai Bholenath, Jai Gangadhar, Jai Kailashmnath!

Here are some useful informative links, and webpages about Maha Shivaratri. Please check each link to get detail information.

1. From ekantipur - Shivaratri today: 700,000 expected to turn up - please click here to read the read the complete article.

2. Shivaratri Festival In Nepal Includes Temporary Lifting Of Marijuana Ban, to read the article, please click here.

3. Maha Shivaratri 2014; the Great Night of Lord Shiva (photo, bhajans) from Huffington Post - please click here to read the page

4. Devotees pouring in for Maha Shivaratri Celebration from Republica, please click here to read the complete article.

Simmer a pot of the Rahar ko Daal (रहर को दाल) for your weeknight Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari meals - all time favorite of many Nepalese!

From my pantry - dried beans, lentils and peas - they come in wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. A great way to add protein to your diet!

Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari is the traditional meal of Nepal. It consists of daal (legumes), bhaat (rice) and tarkaari (vegetables), and is is mostly eaten two times a day in rice-cultivating regions. No Nepali meal of rice is complete without daal - made from any dried legumes, such as beans, lentils and peas. When cooked daal is paired with rice, the meal is called daal-bhaat. In my next blog post, I will add more pictures and recipe of daal-bhaat.

Daal is very easy to cook and does not require any special skills. Today's recipe is a delicious, easy to make comforting daal that is slow-simmered in low heat with fresh ginger, turmeric, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt and clarified butter (gheu). The daal is cooked until creamy and tender, not mushy or crunchy. It is then finished off with extra spices that are fried in clarified butter and added to cooked daal for extra flavor. This process is called tempering or "daal jhanne" by Nepalese. Many Nepalese prefer rahar ko daal over many other nutritious and hulled-split daals because of its pleasant taste and flavor. Nepalese generally prefer soupy daal rather than thicker porridge-like forms of it, making it suitable to eat over boiled rice.

The scientific name of Rahar is Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp, and the common name is Pigeon Pea, Red gram, Cajan pea, Congo pea, yellow dahl (English); ambrévade, pois d’Angole (French); straucherbse (German); arhar, tuver or toovar (India); feijoa-guandu, guandú, guisante-de-Angola (Portuguese); cachito, gandul (Spanish); kachang (Asia) - source Wikipedia.

Pigeon peas are usually sold split without skins. The daal has a slightly nutty taste, is easy to digest, and resembles yellow split chickpeas. In Nepal, rahar ko daal is considered the king of daals. They are available dry or lightly coated with castor oil. The oily kind looks glossy and the oil preserves freshness and discourages spoilage. If you are using the oily type, make sure to wash them several times in hot running water to remove oil completely. They are cooked by themselves or can be mixed with other legumes. All imported daals (sold in burlap sacks) must be picked over for tiny stones, dirt, or any foreign matter. To clean daal, spread it on a large platter, pick through it carefully, and discard foreign matter.

Here is a close-up picture of
rahar ko daal that is hulled and split into two rounds. My mother's kitchen help, Thuli Bajai, suggests "not to add salt while simmering the daal, because it slows down the cooking time" -- she always emphasizes her method and tells me in Nepali - "नून हालेर बसाल्यॊ भने, दाल गल्दैन - खालि पानि मात्रै हाल्येर पहिले बसाल्ने" In my experiment with several batches with or without salt, I did not see much difference and I am back to my regular method of simmering with salt.

Images of freshly picked pigeon pea pods - I picked up some pods from the plant just to take pictures. The farmer, Tek Bahadur Thapa who showed me the plant told me, "we leave the pods on the plant until they have completely dried up and leathery before harvesting them." The next four pictures are the images of pigeon peas and the plants in the village near Narayan Ghat, Terai section of Nepal. They are usually sold dried, but fresh ones are also eaten as a cooked vegetable.

Images of freshly picked and shelled pigeon pea pods and refreshing Bottle Brush flower from the local farm.

Pictured here is the vine that is loaded with podded pigeon peas - this picture was taken during my morning walk in the village. The plump pods are shinning with morning dew drops.

Pictures of freshly shelled pigeon peas. The name "pigeon peas" has nothing to do with pigeon, but they are a well known protein powerhouse. These peas are dried, split into two rounds, and the the skins are removed. The finished product is pale-yellow to golden in color. They are one of the most delicious daal and has a wonderful taste. They are sold in the Nepali markets as "rahar ko daal."

Here is a recipe for a delicious and a quick way of cooking rahar ko daal from a skinless, split yellow daal. There are two basic steps steps in cooking this recipe, first slow-simmer the beans with several herb and spices, then temper with aromatic spices and clarified butter.

Ingredients
1 cup split yellow pigeon peas, without skins
2 tablespoons clarified butter (gheu)
1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon
1- 1/2 teaspoon peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 small bay leaves whole
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
A small pinch ground asafetida (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon of lime juice
Chopped cilantro

Instructions
Combine the daal, 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, cinnamon, ginger, salt, turmeric, bay leaves, and 3-4 cups of water in a large deep, heavy pot. Bring the mixture to boil over medium-high heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture is not boiling over or sticking and lumping together. There is no need to skim away foam that rises to the surface, because it contains flavorful ingredients. When it comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the daal have swelled to double their dry volume, softened and fully cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. if needed, add more water to attain a soupy consistency. Simmer for 5 minutes everytime you add water. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

In a separate small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons clarified butter over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin and saute until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add the cloves and asafetida, remove the skillet from the heat, immediately pour the entire mixture into the cooked daal, and stir well. Cover, and allow the seasoning to soak in and develop the flavor for 5 minutes. Mix the lemon juice, transfer it to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve.

... learn to recognize a different variety of daals ...

... freshly cooked rahar ko daal is a great partner with freshly cooked rice

... best home-cooked daal-bhaat-tarkaari... served with seasonal vegetables, rahar ko daal, goat curry and home-made refreshing yogurt.


....start off the dinner with Nepali flavor - consists of rice with the combination of rahar ko daal, fiery tomato chutney with green chilies, pan-sauteed asparagus, and fish curry - all made with minimum spices.

Perfectly cooked rahar ko daal at Thakali kitchen - lovely presentation of authentic daal-bhaat-tarkaari

The above picture of Rahar ko daal is cooked with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato along with other tempering spices which gives a unique flavor - My mother-in-law, Aama Hazoor was an excellent traditional Nepali cook and I learned a lot from her. In her way of traditional way of Nepali daal cooking method, she would never add onion-garlic-tomato. I knew she would never approve of me putting these, but when she tried the daal here, I saw a smile on her face. She said, "It's hard to believe the delicious flavor onion-ginger-garlic-tomato gives to daal."

Delicious, super easy and a family favorite daal!

Picture above is chanaa ko daal (split, hauled brown chick-peas) and picture bottom is rahar ko daal (split, hauled pigeon peas) - one gets easily confused by seeing the similarity of these daals. They are almost same size and both have golden yellow color. If you notice closely, the yellow split chanaa daal is a little thicker-larger-rounder and takes a little longer to cook, but rahar ko daal is slightly flatter and smaller and has a shorter cooking time.

... there's not much that is as delicious as a simple bowl of daal ...

The New York Times recently published an article "The How and Why of Daal" by Davis Tanis. Please click the link to read the entire article.

I left an online comment after the article was published, and would like to share it with you - "Beautifully written article by David Tanis and love the pictures ... I come from Kathmandu, Nepal and our main signature dish is "Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari" - which translates to daal-rice-vegetable combination. Daal is our simple everyday dish and we cook in simple ways - a pinch of "hing" aka Asafetida, is a must spice in our daal along other spices like ground turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic - when you eat daal combined with rice, it is suppose to remove bloating and act as anti-flatulent diet. You may want to check how Nepalese cook their black daal(maas ko daal) in an iron pot (tapke), simply tempered with "jimbu" Himalayan herb and clarified butter".

http://tasteofnepal.blogspot.com/2012/09/maas-ko-daal.html

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Homemade Yogurt -Yogurt Made Overnight - Ek Raate Dahi - (एक राते दही)

Do you feel like making homemade yogurt today?

Yogurt, called Dahi, दही, in Nepal, is considered one of the most country's important dairy products. It is consumed throughout the country in different forms. Making yogurt at home is simple and easy, and does not require any special skills. Most of the equipment needed to prepare it can be already found in your kitchen.

I was born in a family where home-made yogurt was made almost everyday. We called the yogurt "ek raate dahi"- एक राते दही, which translates to "yogurt made overnight" or "one-night yogurt." Most Nepali households make a small amount of yogurt on a daily basis with just two ingredients: fresh milk and live and active yogurt cultures (usually from a previous batch). A warm place to rest for the culture to incubate and a "do not disturb sign" are also important. The delicious yogurt will be ready in 6-8 hours. Yogurt made this way is typically consumed within a day or two before it starts to acidify and turn sour.

Nepalese like their yogurt fresh, plain, thick with best flavor and texture, but not runny. Sour yogurt is called amilo dahi, अमिलो दहि, and it is not liked by many. Due to lack of refrigeration in Nepali local life, after the homemade yogurt is set, it is kept at the room temperature in the kitchen until used. Yogurt that is left in the natural stage starts to sour immediately. The longer you leave the yogurt at room temperature, the more sour the yogurt will be. If the yogurt has become too tart, it is possible to mix with gram flour (besan) and several spices to make a creamy soup-like dish called dahi kadi, which is eaten with freshly steamed rice. Some Nepalese believe that when the yogurt starts getting sour, it actually preserves the spoilage.

The origins of yogurt are unknown, but many of my friends believe that it originated in the Eastern European or the Middle Eastern countries centuries ago. Yogurt is now popular worldwide. Yogurt has been made basically the same way for centuries, by carefully controlling the temperature of the milk and adding a starter culture and wait until it starts to ferment. Basically, it is a semi solid stage of fermented milk. Although most of the yogurt in Nepal is prepared from cow or water buffalo (bhaisi) milk, yak and goat-milk yogurt are also popular in certain mountain regions.

Yogurt in Daily Life - Yogurt is not only used for culinary purpose, but it is also deeply routed in Nepali cultural traditions, rituals, and religions. For example, yogurt is eaten to purify during religious fasting days. It is also consumed as an auspicious blessed food, before departing from home to travel. Many Nepalese believe that yogurt brings good luck, so a fresh container of yogurt is placed in the entrance ways for a special welcome and departure. The fresh plain yogurt is used in the preparation of achetaa ko tikaa, which is a red paste, prepared by mixing together rice grains, red vermillion powder and yogurt. On auspicious occasions, the red achetaa ko tikaa is carefully applied on the forehead for family blessing.

Religious offerings during the festival time

Yogurt is considered one of the purest forms of food to be offered to the deities during religious festivals. One of the most essential divine liquids called "Pancha Amrit" (five nectar of immortality) is offered to deities during religious festivals which consists of yogurt, milk, clarified butter, sugarcane juice and honey. Plain yogurt is also offered to deity as a sacred offering, and later eaten as a blessed food. In the picture to the right, a Nepalese woman is on her way to a temple holding a brass pot (tasalaa) filled with sacred offerings for deities. The colorful offerings consist of flowers, pure holy water, uncooked rice, betel nut, samay baji, traditional sweets, butter lamp, red and yellow vermillion powder and incense stick. In the middle of the tray, you will also notice a small bowl of plain yogurt.

Below, I have added three photos of the auspicious food of Samay Baji Festival with "Yogurt in a clay Pot" -- To get a complete Nepali experience, please see my previous blog posts for more information on samay baji and juju dhau. You will also notice several festival delicacy such as laakha mari are placed around the food display -- please click here for a detail description.

Decorated yogurt container in the festive food - here is a picture of Samay Baji food display at the Indra Jatra Festival in Kathmandu - Samay Baji is a ritual Newari dish that is prepared during the festivals and offered to deities. Hundreds of devotees celebrate the festival and later the blessed food will be shared and distributed as an auspicious (prashad)food. The religious offering symbolizes the expression of gratitude for making the devotee healthy, happy and prosperous and bringing peace in their daily life.

Another image of auspicious food display Samay Baji with yogurt - ritual offerings consists of several items - flattened rice flakes (cheura or baji), puffed rice (samaya, swaya baji), black soybean (puka-la, bhuti), marinated and fried, fresh ginger rhizomes (palu, aduwa), julienne and fried, marinated grilled or boiled meat (chowella), dried fish fried in oil (sanya, sidra-maacha), boiled-fried eggs (khen), fresh fruits, lentil patties (baara, woh), several variety of Newari mari breads, and alcohol (ailaa). The festival delicacy laakha mari, and other Newari traditional sweets are placed around the display symbolizing good luck, fortune, prosperity and the round bread symbolized family reunion. All the food items are selected according to traditions and customs.

Juju Dhau, the sweetened custard-like yogurt in a red clay container from Bhaktapur, Nepal, is one of the most important component for the feast during the festival.

Yogurt is also known as an ancient healing food. It is used in different forms to cure indigestion and intestinal infection and recognized as a cure for hangovers. Yogurt is also eaten to obtain soothing effect in the stomach after eating rich, spicy and greasy foods. "10 Reasons Yogurt is a Top Health Food" - please click here to read the article.

The most popular delicacy juju dhau, the king of yogurt, is a rich-creamy-smooth yogurt from Bhaktapur, Nepal, is a must for all the festivals, feast and celebrations including weddings, Annaprashan, Dashain festival, Tihar-Bhai-Tika, Mother's & Father's day and so on. The yogurt made in a decorative clay pots (kataaro) are also presented to families to show gratitude and good will.

My Homemade Yogurt - The habit of making homemade yogurt stayed with me even after coming to the USA. I usually make large container of yogurt every week that lasts almost 8-10 days in the refrigerator. The yogurt is best if used within one week, but as the yogurt starts aging, it becomes sour. I usually make yogurt before going to bed and the next morning I am rewarded with a perfectly incubated overnight-creamy yogurt. For festive occasion, I use my decorative clay pots (earthenware pots in different size and shapes) called kataaro in Nepali. I have never used a thermometer to check the temperature of boiled milk, I just use my fingers to judge the temperature. If you like to eat yogurt often, you can try to make homemade yogurt today. Everything you need to make "ek raate dahi" is probably already in your kitchen, so let's get started with my step-by-step tutorial photographic examples with homemade yogurt.

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk - (you can use reduced fat milk (2% fat), low-fat (1% fat) or skim (no fat), whatever you prefer - the fat content of milk you use will dictate the consistency of your yogurt: the higher the fat content, the creamier the yogurt will be).

3/4 to 1 cup plain yogurt with active culture

Directions

Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and remove any skin that forms on the milk. Once it is boiled, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. You can speed up the cooling process by setting the pan on top of a bowl of ice and stir continuously until the milk has cooled. Test the temperature of the milk by dipping in your clean finger; when the milk is lukewarm it is ready.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk with the starter yogurt culture, and stir well. Return the mixture back to the warm milk. To mix thoroughly, I pour milk into another bowl, transfer it back to the clay pot, back and forth 2 to 3 times. This way, beautiful tiny bubbles forms on the milk surface and gives a decorated touch to set yogurt. You can use your own method to stir until completely incorporated. Transfer the mixture to clay pot and cover it with a lid.

My favorite method of incubating the yogurt is on top of the food warmer tray. Place the clay pot on a rack on top of the food warmer tray, and adjust the heat setting to the lowest setting. Use whichever method of keeping the milk warm works for you (see Helpful Hints below), but it is important that the yogurt is kept undisturbed until it sets. Do not shake or stir the milk during this process. Remember to maintain a warm temperature when incubating the milk and it will take at least 6-8 hours for yogurt to set.

To test if the yogurt has set, slowly tilt the container. if the yogurt pulls away from the side of the container in one piece, then it is ready. Once the yogurt has set, refrigerate immediately, the yogurt will thicken up further once chilled. Don't forget to save 1/2 cup of yogurt to make another batch of yogurt.

Getting ready to decorate the freshly made yogurt with pistachio nuts (sliced-chopped), raw pieces of cashew (halved), raisins, dried coconut chips, dates, almonds-pecan nuts, the seeds of cardamom pods and saffron strands. You can use any combination and any variety of dried fruits or fresh fruits. Let your imagination run wild!

Here is my delicious yogurt decorated with dry-fruits to create a flower - having friends and family come over to enjoy this!

Home cooked traditional Nepali Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaariwith a bowl of plain yogurt

Freshly made plain yogurt served with the raw natural cane sugar. A sprinkle of raw sugar provides a sweet touch, but you can also add coarsely chopped almonds for a crunch.

... serving Nepali mid-afternoon snacks with milky tea and cheura (pressed rice flakes) - here in the picture, you will see Nepali fried fish, cauliflower-potato-peas vegetable, carrot desert, and a flavorful achaar that go alongside with a fresh container of yogurt

For a taste of an authentic Nepali daal-bhaat-tarkaari,try Thakali food - accompanying dishes are buttered rice in the center, with seasonal vegetables, chicken curry, black daal, achaar dish, and a bowl of yogurt.

Helpful Hints

If you prefer to make a smaller quantity of yogurt, use 1 quart of milk and 1/4 cup plain yogurt with active cultures.

If you use low-fat or skim milk, the yogurt will have a less creamy consistency. You can thicken it, by boiling it until reduced and thickened or add 2 to 3 tablespoon of dry milk powder before heating the mixture.

Longer fermentation will yield a more tart yogurt. If your yogurt is too watery, this may have been caused by insufficient starter culture or the culture that was not properly mixed with the milk, or the mixture may have been disturbed or shaken during the incubation period. If the temperature is too high or too low during incubation, the mixture will result in a nearly liquid yogurt.

If there is a large amount of whey floating on top of the set yogurt, your incubation period might have been too long.

You may use an electric oven to incubate the yogurt. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting for 10 minutes, turn it off, and place the milk container inside. To maintain the temperature, you may also leave the oven light on.

You can place the yogurt inside a gas oven to incubate the yogurt. There is no need to turn on the oven; the yogurt will set from just the heat of the pilot light.

Some people use a cardboard box to incubate the yogurt. Line the box with a clean kitchen towel and leave the box in a warm place to maintain a steady temperature until yogurt has set.

- here is a wide range of flavors and texture - serving my traditional daal-bhaat-tarkaari meal with the combination of "ek raate dahi".
Yogurt is a specialty at Nepali kitchen, and is served with almost every meal.

Collection of my clay pots in different size and shapes for making yogurt.

Creative spin on homemade yogurt and juju dhau - The three images below shows how the plain yogurt has become "show-stopping centerpiece". When we think of juju dhau, we typically think of creamy, custard like yogurt made in clay pot, but these days the sweet yogurt is decorated with bright colorful creative designs made for special occasions.

Here is a picture of decorated juju dhau that is made specially for a Nepali wedding - transforming the basic yogurt to a work of art - photo courtesy Rajesh Madhikarmi, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Decorated yogurt for "Supari Pathaune" ceremony during Newari wedding traditions - one of the fun activities family and friends get to contribute is decorating the yogurt. Bright and colorful yogurt (above) is decorated with dry fruits (almonds, golden raisins, cashew nuts), whole cloves, dried shredded coconuts, fruit jellies, carrots and fresh cilantro springs. Photo courtesy - "Little Black Yellow Seeds" blog. I am happy to introduce the blogger, here you will find a very informative and entertaining blog about "Newari Wedding Tales". Please visit the site here.

Homemade yogurt made for an anniversary party - creative fruits and dry-fruits toppers - photo courtesy Prarthana Singh

Here are some interesting links about yogurt culture, "Eternal Yogurt: The Starter that Lives Forever" from npr.org. Please read more about it here. Another informative link, "Yes, it's worth it to make your own yogurt" by Nicole Spiridakis, please click here to read the entire article.

A Happy Nepali New Year!

Shubh Nav Varsha!(Baisakh 1, 2071 - bikram-sambat)

May Peace, Love and Prosperity follow you always and forever!

नव वष॔ २०७१ को मंगलमय शुभकामना!

Come, celebrate the Nepali New Year (April 13, 2014) with me by viewing my pictures from several rural Nepali villages. You will smell fresh flowers, see newly painted mud houses, and observe the spectacular rolling hills of golden mustard seed plants. You will also see the customs of the friendly, welcoming villagers and all the good things happening here to celebrate a new beginning for the New Year.

Please set aside sometime to view these pictures and let me take this opportunity to thank to my blog readers for your support, comments, feed backs and following me regularly. May this Baisakh month and throughout the year bring a lot of happiness to you all!

A village mother and her children enjoying their evening time at one-room mud-hut (chapro-छाप्रो) made of wood, straw and a thatched roof.

Collecting grasses to feed the animals

Nepali Hukka-Chilim and pipe - a local instrument for smoking tobacco

A friendly local villager stops with a smiling face -- pauses for a photograph and asks me if I came from Kathmandu and inquires, "भान्छा गर्नु भयो" - translation "Have you had your meal (rice) today?"

At the end of season, harvesting the black gram daal, urad beans, maas ko daal(Botanical Name - Phaseolous mungo L., Vigna Mungo) - the local farmer is busy picking and shelling the dried out urad beans by the traditional methods - pulling the plants, cutting, threshing and gathering the seed pods.

A village woman is sitting on the floor and using a traditional circular grinding stone (Jaato - जाँतो) to split the Urad beans. The stone grinder consists of two round stones and the top part has a hole in the center. She is pouring the beans in the hole by using her left hand and her right hand to rotate the stone in a circular motion.

Farm-fresh vegetables - chopping, cleaning and cooking the vegetables in the open wood burning Nepali stove for the evening meal

Beautiful traditional two story, three-room mud house made of wood, mud and straw. The floor and the walls are painted with red mud (रातो माटोले लीपेको घर).

A smiling young village women is pumping well water and washing her feet.

Boiling water in a large aluminum tea kettle over an open fire.

Meeting a smiling devotee after his visit to a local temple - he is wearing a long teekaa - टिका (multi colored vermillion powder) in his forehead that starts from his hairline to the top of his nose

After the sun set - members of the family and neighbor gather around and enjoy the leisurely time together

....Oops, not too happy today!

Rice planting and harvesting days - a women is cutting down the rice stalks and neatly laying down in bundles to dry in the sun

Posing for a photograph - four village children dressed in their best clothes

Two girls heading home with collected leaves for the livestock, in the background you will see some freshly cut rice stalks

Kubhindo - Ash Gourd (कुभिन्डो) hanging from the vine getting ready to be picked up. Kubhindo is also called, Ash Gourd, Wax Gourd, White Gourd or Winter Melon, and it is a watermelon or pumpkin look-like large gourd. The gourd range from oblong to cylindrical and has a pale green skin with a chalky wax coating. The mature gourd has a hard and tough shell with a firm and white flesh. It is one of the common vegetable grown in Nepal, India, China and many parts of Southeast Asia.

Collecting Holy Basil leaves (tulasi - तुलसी)

Too Heavy!


Daily chores - gathering firewood for the evening meals

Savoring a delicious and healthy Nepali meal of daal-bhaat with mustard greens

Children taking care of younger siblings while parents work in the field

Sun drying a heavily used winter blanket that needs a little mending before putting away

Decorating and writing in the vehicle is long-standing tradition in Nepal, perhaps came from India. The message here says - "Blessings from the Parents" and below "Himal, Mountains and Terai is all ours"

Singing and dancing at a village feast

Hay stacks, several helping hands and a ladder

A village wood burning stove - a mild aroma of freshly boiled rice is spreading all over the kitchen

Going for a morning walk holding a stick in his hand

Panoramic view of rice terraces

Globe Amaranth blooming everywhere - मखमली फूल - makhamali phool or supaari phool

A village women is using a round wicker tray (nanglo) to remove husks and debris from the rice grain

Taking a picture of the tall grasses that are collected in bundles and left in the road sides to dry. They are used for roof thatching in the village mud houses

Corn hung on a pole to dry in a village house wall

Native tree of Nepal - Pipal tree (Ficus Religiosa) and next to it is Bar tree - Buddha achieved enlightenment underneath the tree when he was meditating.....

Saving dried beans with pods for next year's planting

Feeding freshly picked leaves for his goat

Taking a picture of an adorable Nepali child learning how to crawl in the grass holding a pair of traditional Nepali handmade slippers

"Me te budi maanche baa - jhandai chaar bees bhayo" says this Nepali woman with honorary wrinkles (translation - I am an older woman, almost nearing 80), still active and doing daily chores happily

Witnessing life, untouched and unspoiled

Happy grandmother taking care of a little grandson

Good looking family and relatives - happy to pose for a picture

A simple and sweet village lady with an angelic face giving me a smile and posing for a picture

Collecting and tying the fresh leaves into bundles to feed the animals

Three friends resting and chatting in the warm afternoon, weaving the tales of their daughter-in-law and happy to share with me.

The perennial Tiger Grass plant (Thysanolaena maxima) growing in abundance in the hilly region of Nepal. Nepalese call it amliso ko kucho, and use it to make a broom.

Witnessing a life untouched and unspoiled in a remote village of Nepal

Mother-in-law with two daughter-in-laws - on the way to work with doko (wicker basket) on the back


Enjoy a safe and happy holiday. Naya Barsha ko Shubha-Kaamanaa!

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Nepali Mother's Day - Aamaako Mukh Herne Din or Maataa Tirtha Aunsi

(आमाको मुख हेर्ने दीन, माता तिर्थ औंसी)

Mother's Day is April 29, 2014 in Nepal (Baishak 16, 2071 B.S.)

A very Happy Nepali Mother's day to all our wonderful mothers, grandmothers, mother-in-laws, and mothers-to-be.

(Haardik Subha-kaamanaa - हार्दिक सुभकामना!)

Celebrating Mother's day by cooking for Mom.

This day is my favorite time of the year. It gives me the opportunity to tell my mother how much I appreciate, admire, and respect her. This year I am preparing her favorite meal of traditional home-cooked Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari, with fresh ingredients and bright Nepali flavors -- all made from the scratch.

Dinner consists of larger portions of freshly boiled rice and the accompanying dishes are daals, seasonal vegetables, yogurt based cucumber achaar, tofu, mixed salad, Quail curry and fiery tomato chutney. The dessert includes freshly cut-up fruits with home-made yogurt and pistachios topped cashew barfi.

Freshly cooked Basmati rice with butter

Maharani Mixed Daal

Buttered Peas with ginger-garlic and spices (kerau ko tarkaari)

Taaba roasted tomato chutney (taabaa ma poleko golbheda ko chutney)

Quail with yogurt and spices (battain dahi masalaa)

Potato-onion-tomato-radish medley (alu-pyaj-golbheda-mula ko tarkaari)

Black Urad daal (jhaaneko kaalo maas ko daal)

Shredded Cucumber, yogurt and sesame seeds (koreko kankro ko achar)

Sauteed Asian eggplant (Nepali bhantaa aloo)

Cucumber, red onion, tomato salad (mismas salad)

Freshly cut-up tree ripened mangoes, papaya, ripe jack fruit, home-made yogurt and cashew-pistachios barfi (phalphul, dahi, barfi)

A very Happy Mother's Day to a very special mom!


आमाको मुख हेर्ने दीनको धेरै-धेरै शुभकामना! Here are some news clippings from different Nepali newspapers about Matha Tirtha Ausy or Mother's Day which is being observed all over the country - E- Kantipur reports - April 29, 2014 - Mata Tirtha Ausy or Mother's Day is being marked all over the nation on Tuesday to celebrate the love and the bond between mothers and their children. Major market places in the Capital have been crowded since morning with people shopping for sweets, fruits and gifts for their mothers. As per Hindu traditions, children revere their mothers for having given birth to them and provided protection. Children of deceased mothers visit Mata Tirtha Kunda near Thankot and take a holy bath, among other rituals. People also perform 'shraddha,' a Hindu ritual of making offerings to the deceased, at different religious sites throughout the country in memorial of their departed mothers. **********

Republica online reports - KATHMANDU, April 29: Large numbers of devotees have thronged Matatirtha in capital to mark the Matatirha Aunsi or Mother´s Day on Tuesday.

A special fair is organized at the place every year where large number of people takes holy dip in the Matatirtha pond commemorating their deceased mother.

It is widely believed that remembering one´s late mother during the holy dip will free oneself from his/her debt towards his/her mother and also liberates the mother’s soul. Please click here to see more pictures.

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Gorkhapatra online reports - Kathmandu, Apr 28: The Nepali Hindu people across the nation are celebrating the mother’s day on Tuesday.

The mother’s day which falls on Matatirtha Aunsi day during the month of Baishak is observed by offering respect along with sweets, gifts and delicious foods to mothers.

People who have lost their mothers visit Matatirtha located in Machchhegaon VDC nearby Kirtipur, have a holy bath and pray for the eternal peace of their mother’s soul.

The people who cannot visit Matatirtha of Machchhegaon visit Aryaghat of Pashupati.

Married women visit their mothers' place with various gifts for their mother. The sweets and fruit shops were crowded with the people buying gifts for their mothers.

In Newar community they celebrate this day by offering curd, boiled egg, fruits, sweets and fabric to their mother.

********

Enjoy the delicious and colorful vegetable dish made with the combination of chayote squash, potatoes and spices -- इस्कुश को तर्कारी -- it will add a variety to your everyday Nepali traditional meal of Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari

Chayote Squash (Iskush ko Tarkaari)

Iskush for sale at Nepali vegetable markets in Kathmandu

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you will notice that I have been introducing all the unusual and unique vegetables that are grown in Nepal -- listed below are the link of my previous blog that you probably have gone through. They are Balsam Apple (barela-बरेला), Fiddlehead Fern (neuro - नीयूरो), Bauhinia (koiralo ko phool - कोइरालो), Pumpkin Shoots (pharsi ko munta - फर्सी को मुन्टा), Taro (karkalo-gaava-pidhaalu - कर्कलो-गाभा-पिँडालु), Tree Tomato (tyammatar - ट्यामटर), Ash Gourd (kubhindo - कुभिन्डो), Banana Blossom (kera ko bungo - केराको बुङ्गो), Luffa Gourd - Gheeraula (घीरौला, पाटे घीरौला) and Pointed Gourd (Parvar - परवर).

Today, I want to share with you a delicious mild flavored squash that grows on a climbing vine and Nepalese call it Iskush or Ishkush (इस्कुश). In the scientific journals, it is called Sechium edules SW.

Chayote squash growing on vine

Chayote (pronounced chai-oh-tay) is a pear-shaped, lime-green colored squash with crispy white flesh and a single large, soft seed. Chayote is one of the easiest and fastest vegetable to grow in the warm tropical or subtropical climate (temperature) in the world. In Nepal, the chayote plants are treated as a summer annual or perennial and once the plant begin to grow, they can take over the whole garden and grow onto anything. The vine starts climbing wildly over and across the roof of village houses, over the fences, and climbing out around the trees. The chayote plant does well where there is abundance of full sun that helps to yield a lot of fruits. It is a favorite and staple vegetable for many Nepalese who live in the hilly parts of Nepal as one single plant can provide more than 75 to 90 squashes in a season. It is a constant supply of vegetable for a family all summer.

Chayote squash growing on vine along with smooth skinned Luffa Gourd

Wikipedia states that chayote (Sechium edule) is a popular vegetable in many parts of the world; it's used widely and gives all different names – "chayote is known as christophene, cho-cho, mirliton (Creole/Cajun), chuchu (Brazil), Cidra (Antioquia, Caldas, Quindio and Risaralda regions of Colombia), Guatila (Boyacá and Valle del Cauca regions of Colombia), Centinarja (Malta), Pipinola (Hawaii), pear squash, vegetable pear, chouchoute, choko, güisquil (El Salvador), Labu Siam (Indonesia), Iskush - (इस्कुश Nepal), Pataste (Honduras),Tayota (Dominican Republic), Sayote (Philippines). It is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, along with melons, cucumbers and squash".

There are so many varieties of Chayote with different shapes, sizes, and textures. Mr. P Regmi, in his book "The Introduction to Nepalese Food Plants" describes the Iskush as "strong, climbing, tuberous rooted, scabrous, fruit mostly pyriform or ovoid, furrowed and wrinkled, green or whitish, soft spiny when immature. It is taken into cultivation mostly in the hilly region of Nepal and not grown in Tarai. Fruit is eaten either boiled or oil cooked."

The young, uppermost tender shoots and leaves of chayote vine is called iskush ko muntaa (इस्कुश को मुन्टा). They are harvested by pinching off the tender ends and cooked similar to pumpkin vine shoots. They are served as a savory vegetable dish along with freshly boiled rice. The root of chayote plant is called iskush ko jaraa(इस्कुश को जरा)is also cooked and eaten by some Nepalese. They are delicious addition to sauteed root vegetable dishes.

The mild flavored chayote squash is loved by many Nepalese because the vegetable is so versatile and can be blended with various other ingredients and spices. It is also sauteed with other vegetables such as potato, and fresh or dried beans. Sometimes, it can be cooked with goat, lamb or chicken to create a variety of dishes. It has also known for excellent storage life.

Another common variety of iskush for sale at Nepali vegetable markets – the chayote is covered with thorny (prickly) spines. When I captured the picture here, I asked the vegetable vender if the squash tasted similar to smooth skinned variety. He told me, all different varieties should taste somewhat identical, except the over-matured, dry and tough ones will be,“ne mitho - नमिठो” (translation - more bland in taste).

Iskush ko Tarkaari -- the following recipe has a simple ingredients and a quick preparation, so that you can have a delicious vegetable dish that can be served with freshly cooked rice or warm Nepali breads. Let's get started with my step-by-step tutorial photographic examples with chayote squash.

These recipes were cooked with chayote that are found in the United states

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or brown mustard seeds

2 dried red chilies, halved and seeded

2 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes or cut into thin half slices

4 medium fresh chayote squash, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
A small pinch ground asafetida

For the freshness of flavor, be sure to select chayote squash that are fresh, young, tender without any bruising or indention and should be heavy for its size. If you are cooking with smooth skinned variety, it can be easily peeled with a vegetable peeler. If you are using spiny chayote, the skin can be a little tough so use a paring knife to trim away the skin.

While peeling and cutting chayote squash, you will notice that a sticky sap (iskush ko chop - इस्कुश को चोप) is released which may cause a irritation to your hand temporarily. If you have sensitive skin, just rub some oil into your hand or peel the fruit under running water to prevent skin irritation. You may also use rubber glove while cleaning.

Image of peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced chayote squash - make sure they are cut into even pieces so that they cook at the same time.

Cutting potatoes into thin slices

Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the dried chilies, fenugreek and mustard seeds (or cumin seeds) and fry until the fenugreek darkens, the mustard seeds pop, and they are fully fragrant, about 5-7 seconds. You may cover the pan, as mustard seeds splatter when heated.

Add the potato, chayote, garlic, ginger, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and asafetida and cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the chayote to a serving dish and serve.

Here is my cooked vegetable ready to be served with Nepali traditional meal of Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari. Enjoy!

Enjoy the combination of chayote, potato and spices that gives this vegetable dish a unique flavor!

Close-up Shot!

Iskush for sale at Nepali vegetable markets – many varieties are available here – in the picture you will see some are slightly rounded, the skin ranges from pale yellowish white to dark and light green ones. Some variety come with thorny spines with a rough looking appearance. Some chayote is almost sprouting.

Iskush for sale at Nepali vegetable markets

If you have any more information on Nepali variety of chayote squash (इस्कुश) and would like to share, please post them in the comments section of this blog. I am always looking for more input. Thank you.

Have you ever tried these wild greens - #Nettle Greens?

Sishnu ko Saag - (सिस्नु को साग)


Nettle Greens - Com. name: Stinging Nettle, Bot.name: Urtica dioca L. Family: Urticaceae

Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. It is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica. The plant has many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on its leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamines and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals. The plant has a long history of use as a medicine and as a food source.......you can find about this on this site.

Sisnu, sishnu, Lekali sishnu, Thulo sishnu, Ghario sishnu, Bhangre sishnu or Patle sishnu is the Nepali name for edible stinging nettles. The plant is popular in areas where there is a scarcity of vegetables. They are picked up from moist woodlands, along rivers, forests and many shaded trails. The young tender leaves and shoots are cooked similarly to any other leafy vegetables. Nettles are known for their sting, but cooking completely eliminates their stinging effect.

In the photo (left) - I was lucky enough to find a street vendor selling a bag full of nettle greens early in the morning near the Jana Baha area of Kathmandu. It is not common to see nettle greens sold like this since one has to go to the wild to collect it.

When nettle greens are picked or gathered, only uppermost tender shoots and top green leaves are picked. The older and mature leaves from the lower part of the plants are tasteless. The blue sweater lady told me the nettles were picked up by using Nepali metal tongs called chimta (चिम्टा). If you trying to explore and collect nettles from the wild, use rubber gloves, tongs or scissors. Make sure not to touch the shoots, leaves and plants with your bare hands. The stings of this plant is not a pleasant one.

Nepal's best kept secret among wild green vegetables, the nettle is prized for its taste, nutrient value (iron, vitamin A and C), and healing properties - the link here will help you read further about the amazing health benefits.

Sishnu ko saag is one of the most traditional wild vegetable growing like a wild-weed in many waste lands, walls, hedges and all over the central hill of Nepal. Nepalese have been eating unique vegetables for centuries and these have been an important food source for many. All the pictures that I uploaded in the blog here are Nepali variety of nettle greens that I captured in Nepal.

I would like to share my early childhood memory of stinging nettle bush (sishnu ko jhaang - सिस्नु को झाँग) -- when playing with friends around the farmlands near the shaded and moist area, I accidentally bumped into and touched the bush of an angry nettle plants. The fuzzy hairs from the leaves gave me a bad sting with burning sensation, and I still have not forgotten the blisters. I was turned off and hesitant to try the nettles greens until later in my adulthood. When I was writing my cookbook, I have been meaning to try to cook and introduce the Nepali recipe on the book. Finally an elderly Nepali woman, Bhagawati bajai, showed me how to collect, cook and serve this vegetable. Below, I have posted her recipe from book Taste of Nepal.

Sishnu ko Tarkaari Recipe from The Taste of Nepal Cookbook - under vegetables - page 157

Many people find nettle greens reminiscent of spinach. I've heard from some describing the greens as mild flavored, earthy tasting greens and somewhat mixture of cucumber and spinach.

The street vendor in the Kathmandu market was selling freshly-picked stinging nettle greens at the open vegetable market. She was singing the song, "Saag re sisnu khaaeko aanandi manle"...

Most of us are familiar with the great Nepalese poet, Shree Laxmi Prasad Devkota, and his epic "Muna Madan". It is one of the most popular works in Nepali literature. He beautifully delivers the message in his poem to many young Nepalese who have gone to foreign lands to find work leaving their aging parents and family. The excerpt is about how one can be happy with just plain nettles greens in your own country than travelling to collect golds.

Haat kaa maila sun kaa thailaa, ke garnu dhanle? - (हातका मैला सुनका थैला, के गर्नु धनले )
Saag ra sisnu khaaeko besa aanandi manle! - (साग र सिस्नु खाएको बेस आनन्दी मनले)

Translation: Sacks of gold are like collected dirt on your hands, what is one to do with all these wealth?

It is better to eat nettles greens and cultivate happiness in your heart.

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If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you will notice that I have been introducing unique vegetables that are grown and collected from the wilds in Nepal -- listed below are the link of my previous blog that you probably have gone through. They are Balsam Apple(barela - बरेला), Fiddlehead Fern(neuro - नीयूरो), Bauhinia(koiralo ko phool - कोइरालो), Pumpkin Shoots (pharsi ko munta - फर्सी को मुन्टा), Taro(karkalo-gaava-pidhaalu - कर्कलो-गाभा-पिँडालु), Tree Tomato (tyammatar - ट्यामटर), Ash Gourd (kubhindo - कुभिन्डो), Banana Blossom(kera ko bungo - केराको बुङ्गो), Luffa Gourd - gheeraula (घीरौला, पाटे घीरौला), Pointed Gourd(parvar - परवर) and Chayote Squash (iskush - इस्कुश).

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Here are some useful links that you may want to check it out.

"The Stinging Nettle – A paradoxical Green Goddess"

"Nettles Bring Spring To The Kitchen", by by Nicole Spiridakis

Here is a recent article from New York Time on Stinging Nettle - "A chief in the Field-Nettles" and the recipe - (Nettle, Dandelion and Mint Soup), to read the article and recipe, please click here.

"Eat Your Wild Greens: "The Delectable Nettle" by Lara Katherine Mountain Colley

Enjoying unique Nettle Wine (सिस्नु को रक्सी) made in Nepal, manufactured by Sakaro Beverages.

Nettlange is one of the popular Nepali wines in the local market, made from nettles and oranges.

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Please share your experience about nettle greens (sishnu ko saag) or give your suggestion on how you or your family gather this wild vegetables and prepare. Please give few tips on where to look for this greens in your area and post them in the comment section of this blog. I am always looking for more input. Thank you.

Try something new today with the edible shoots of bamboo plants, one of the most common ingredients in Asian cooking.

Taamaa-Alu-Bodi ko Tarkaari

तामा-आलु-बोडी को तर्कारी

Explore the most traditional Nepali flavors!

Bamboo shoots are ready for harvest

Bamboo shoots are the underdeveloped, young, edible shoots of the bamboo plant known as Taama (तामा) in Nepali. They have a unique flavor and texture, are considered a delicacy in traditional Nepali cuisine and are a favorite wild vegetable for many. The young and tender shoots are mild-flavored and mix well with most ingredients. In fact, the shoots can be pickled, fermented, dried, or cooked with any combination of vegetables and other ingredients. The fermented bamboo shoots are made into a popular stew-like dish combined with black-eyed peas, potatoes and several other herbs and spices and the Nepalese call this medley,taamaa-alu-bodi ko tarkaari (तामा-आलु-बोडी). The savory dish has an exotic bamboo flavor dominating the whole dish and usually accompanied with freshly boiled rice as a part of everyday Nepali traditional meal of Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaarimeal. To make fermented bamboo, the fresh bamboo shoots are sliced into thin pieces, mixed with salt, mustard seeds, turmeric, and mustard oil, and cured in the sun until they become slightly sour and flavorful.

Cone shaped bamboo shoots with brown husks

There are many varieties of bamboo plants growing throughout Nepal, but not all of them are edible shoots. Mr. P. Regmi in his book, "the Introduction of Nepalese Food Plants" under the section of "tender shoot vegetables" gives the scientific name; Bambusa vulgaris Schrad, Family: Gramineae and the common name is Feathery Bamboo or taamaa bans (तामा बाँस). He writes, "These are armed or unarmed, erect or scan dent, tall growing, tufted and woody plants. They are very commonly distributed in various species throughout Terai, inner Tarai and temperate regions of Nepal. The younger tender sprouting buds or shoots can either be eaten raw or mostly utilized to prepare "taamaa: by special process of natural fermentation. Taamaa constitutes the typically favorite vegetable food for most of the Nepalese particularly those living in the hilly area. It is eaten fresh in succulent condition or in dried form which can be preserved for a long time".

Harvesting Bamboo shoots and peeling away sheath covering: the young and tender sprouting buds or shoots are dug out in the spring from the surface of the soil growing next to the bamboo plants. They are cylindrical in shape and are covered with numerous layers of brown husks. Before the shoots are used, the outermost woody brown sheaths are removed one by one until the edible and tender layers are exposed. The edible portions are ivory to light-yellow in color. The woody outer base is is also trimmed off before using. Now the bamboo shoots are ready to be sliced, cooked or preserved for later use. By the time the brown shoots are trimmed and cleaned, the original size of the shoot becomes much smaller.


Nepali vegetable vendor selling freshly sliced bamboo shoots in the local markets

Here is my recipe for making a delicious "Bamboo Shoots, Potatoes, and Black-Eyed Peas Medley" - it has simple ingredients and quick preparation. The authentic flavor of the dish comes from the selection of bamboo shoots you use. Some people prefer fresh taamaa to cook with, but some like fermented taamaa. No matter what your preference is make sure to enjoy one of the most traditional wild vegetable Nepalese have been eating for centuries.

For this recipe, you may substitute packaged bamboo shoots, which are readily available in many forms (fresh, canned, bottled, packed in brine, vacuum-packed in plastic) at Asian markets.

Ingredients:1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas (bodi)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch-thick
2 fresh hot green chilies, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds, finely ground
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Salt to taste 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 small red or green bell pepper, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
2 cups (bottled or canned) bamboo shoots, well rinsed, drained, and cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

Directions:
Sort and soak the black-eyed peas overnight, and drain.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the fenugreek seeds, and fry until dark brown and lightly fragrant, about 5 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and turmeric, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the drained black-eyed peas and cook for 10 minutes. Mix in the potatoes, green chilies, mustard, ginger, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and bell pepper and continue cooking until the tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add 3 cups of water, and bring the mixture to a boil for 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring from time to time until the black-eyed peas and potatoes are tender and sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots and cook for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add some water and boil further. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

...cooking taamaa-alu-bodi

Perfect bowl of taamaa-alu-bodi to accompany the main meal of Daal-Bhaat-Tarkaari!

Simple everyday Nepali meal served with bamboo shoots curry

Inviting friends and family and serving Nepali food buffet style for a huge crowd. A large container of bamboo shoots dish in the front of the table.

Close-up picture of bamboo shoots - still needs to add cilantro - chopped fresh cilantro adds freshness and color to this savory taamaa dish.

These tasty pickled bamboo shoots are for sale at a Nepali markets; they are a popular hard-to-resist condiment.....

Fermented bamboo shoots in a bottle - richly flavored with pickling spices such as ground mustard seeds, salt, ground turmeric, chili powder and mustard oil.

Several bottles of savory, fermented bamboo shoots coated with ground turmeric for sale near Malekhu Bazaar, Nepal. All you need to do is buy and start making your favorite bamboo dish.

Dried bamboo shoots are readily available in Nepali markets and will last indefinitely. They need to be soaked to rehydrate before cooking.

Close-up picture of dried bamboo shoots

The Fragrant Allure of Tejpaat (Cassia Leaves)

Nepali name: Tejpaat (तेजपात)
Common name: Indian cassia, cinnamon leaf, tej patta
Bot. name: Cinnamomum tamala (Buch-Ham) T. Nees & Eberm.
Family: Lauraceae
Information source - An Introduction to Nepalese Food Plants by Dr. M. Regmi

Dried Tejpaat leaves

Tejpaat (तेजपात) in the Nepali name of Indian cassia, cinnamon leaves, tej patta (in Hindi), tamaalpatra (तमालपत्र) in Sanskrit. In scientific journals, tejpaat is known as Cinnamomum tamala.

These highly scented leaves come from medium-sized evergreen aromatic tree, cinnamomum cassia (Lauraceae family). It is commonly found growing wild in Sinduli Rasuwa, Salyan, Dolpa district and many other adjoining southern Terai regions of Nepal. The leaves are shinny, somewhat oblong shaped, tough, usually have three prominent and straight veins running downs the length of the leaves, and attractive dark green color. Once dried, cassia leaves turn into dull brown to green and have a warm, sweet and distinct aroma of cinnamon.

Cassia Leaves are ready to be picked

Nepali farmers pick the leaves and tiny branches by hands, tie into small bundles, hang them upside down to dry under the relentless Terai sun. The leaves are also left to dry naturally in warm and airy places to retain full flavor. They are dried until all the moisture has been evaporated. Then the leaves are separated from the branch and packed in plastic bags for marketing. Tejpaat leaves are also sold in fresh or dried forms in Nepali vegetable markets. In fact, the fresh leaves are more robust, have distinctive flavor and fragrance, compared to dried ones, but the dried ones can be stored for a long time.

The dried leaves are lightly sauteed in oil to bring out the flavor for all kinds of spiced meat curries, gravy-based fish curries, savory rice dishes, lentils, some sweet dishes, vegetables stews and soups. Some Nepali families use fresh or dried tejpaat when making clarified butter (gheu). The leaves are gently simmered with clarified butter for a delicious aroma. They are usually removed from the dish before it is served. Cassia leaves are an important spice ingredient for the preparation of Nepali Garam Masalaa. When the recipe calls for cassia leaves, you can use fresh or dried leaves. When using fresh ones adjust the amount in the recipe because the fresh is more aromatic and strongly flavored. In the West, they are available at Asian food markets, whole or torn into small pieces under the name "Indian Bay Leaves." The leaves are also known to have some medicinal properties and for the treatment of colic pain and diarrhea.

Just picked, fresh cassia leaves in a wicker basket (doko) for sale at local Nepali market

Air-dried cassia leaves - a little Nepali village girl is helping strip the dried leaves from the branch

What is the difference between dried cassia leaves and bay leaves? Why use one over the other?

There is a little confusion between cassia and bay leaves. They look somewhat similar in appearance and color. They can be substituted, but they will have entirely different flavor.

They are often labeled as "Indian bay leaves," or just "bay leaves", causing confusion with the leaf from the bay laurel, a tree of Mediterranean origin in a different genus. The appearance and aroma of the two are quite different. This may lead to confusion when following recipes. Bay laurel leaves are shorter and light to medium green in color, with one large vein down the length of the leaf, while tejpaat leaves are about twice as long and wider, usually olive green in color, and with three veins down the length of the leaf. True tejpaat leaves impart a strong cassia or cinnamon-like aroma to dishes, while the bay laurel leaf's aroma is more reminiscent of pine and lemon. Indian grocery stores usually carry true tejpaat leaves....continue reading here...

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