Category: Food

“This blog will take readers through the popular foods in Nepal that natives enjoy, as we explore the ingredients and flavors used in their dishes. Nepal is a unique country with attractive environments and a lively culture, but what both locals and foreigners should know is that it also boasts a rich diet. With mountains higher than any other peak in the world and bustling streets in its capital city, Nepal offers a diverse culinary experience. Depending on where one is situated and their social group, such as tribe or religion, they may find themselves fascinated by the locally prepared cuisine. So, in this blog, we have covered the popular foods in Nepal that you must try. If you want to learn more about Nepali Food Cooking classes, you can join our cooking school.

Here are the popular foods in Nepal that hold sway in the Nepali food market.

1. Dalbhat: The National Food of Nepal.

Dal bhat is on the top of the list of foods in Nepal, as Nepalese people eat Dal Bhat as their regular meal for breakfast and dinner, which is why it is also called the National Food of Nepal. Dal is a soup made from lentils, and Bhat is steamed rice. As it suggests in the name, it only doesn’t includes dal or bhat but also curries of vegetables, meats, and pickles. If you want to enjoy the best version of dal bhat, then you should order the Thakali khana set. Let’s see what the foods are included in the Thakali khana set:

• Steamed rice: A serving of steamed rice is a staple part of the Thakali khana set.
• Lentil soup is also included. Lentil soup can be soup with different types of lentils, like black lentils, red lentils, etc.
• varieties of pickle: various pickles or chutneys are served alongside the main dishes, including tomato chutney, cucumber pickles, or spicy potato salad. Pickle is called Achar in the local language of Nepal.
• Papad or Sanya: Papad, a thin and crispy lentil wafer, or sanya, a deep-fried flatbread, is served as a side snack.
• Salad: A simple salad made with lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes is often included in the Thakali khana set for freshness.
• Curry: Curry is served according to your choice. Mainly chicken curry and mutton curry are served, but an option you can ask for fish curry too.
• Spicy fried potato: Many thakali sets also provide you with a spicy fried potato to add flavor to the khana set.
• Saag(spinach): Saag is also served with Khana set. Rayo ko saag (The broadleaf) or tori ko saag (Mustard greens) is served.
• Gundruk: A fermented leafy green vegetable dish, typically made from mustard greens, is often included in the Thakali khana set.
• Ghee: Ghee is often served with Khana set, where the waiter will pour ghee in your rice and lentils, but if you don’t like then, you can avoid it.
• Yogurt: A small bowl of yogurt is sometimes served to balance the flavors of the meal and aid digestion.

2. Momo: Nepali dumplings, which are the best lunch for most Nepalese.

Momo is the most Famous food while talking about popular foods in Nepal. It is the first choice of most Nepalese for lunch. In restaurants or hotels in Nepal, you will get veg and non-veg Momo, where in non-veg, you will get chicken Momo, buff Momo, pork Momo, and mutton Momo. In most food stalls, you may not find pork and mutton Momo because they are not in high demand.

Buff Momo is the best among others, so it is always in high demand as Momo is originally made with Buff meat by Newari people. Momo was invented by the Newari people. Newari people are the natives of Kathmandu, bound by Newari culture. Momo is made with a thin dough filled with a savory mixture of minced meat or vegetables, seasoned with garlic, ginger, and spices. These dumplings are either steamed or fried and served with a tangy dipping sauce. You can dig into the Nepali Momo recipe if you’d like to see the process of making.

There are various types of Momo: 

• Kothey Momo: Often oval in shape, it is a partially fried and partially steamed momo. Either meat or veggies can be used as the filler. In order to enhance the tangy flavor, they are served with various sauces.
• Jhol Momo: Jhol momo is a fantastic take on the classic Nepalese meal, momo. This dish is made out of perfectly cooked, steamed dumplings served in a flavorful, aromatic broth called “jhol,” which is made with a variety of ingredients, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, and occasionally coriander. We give you a suggestion to have this momo because it is the authentic and traditional version of momo and tastes better than other momos. This momo is very famous on the streets if we look at street foods in Nepal.
• C-Momo: C-Momo is otherwise known as Chilly Momo and is ideal for lovers of hot spicy meals. It is made up of stir-fried chilies, onion, and tomato, soaked in a sauce to further improve the taste of the fried Momo.
• Fried MoMo: Momo that is deep fried in oil is fried momo, which is crispy in nature. It is made just by deep frying the steamed momo.

3. Newari Cuisine: Traditional and cultural foods of Kathmandu.

The Newari community is an indigenous ethnic group primarily residing in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. The Newari community is mostly famous for making dishes of buff. They make multiple dishes with buff like Buff Momo, choila, kachila, etc. Newari Cuisine is the most popular food in Nepal that all tourists love to eat while they are in Kathmandu. So, let’s know about the popular dishes in Newari cuisine. Dishes of Newari food are the best foods in Nepal.

• Choila: Choila is a spicy dish made from Buffalo meat. At first buff meat is grilled, and after that, they cut into edible pieces. After cutting the meat, it is mixed or marinated with different spices and masala. The main ingredients here are green garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Its taste also depends on how people make it. It can be one of the favorite foods in Nepal for those who love smoky, spicy non-veg items.
• Bara: You can understand as it is a lentil pancake made from black lentil called urad dal in the local language, which is soaked for normally 6 hours. Then, after the lentils are ground to make a thick batter. And the thick batter is fried until crispy on the outside.
• Chatamari: Chatamari is also known as “Nepali traditional pizza”. The dish resembles a pizza crust in texture, but it is a thin, round rice crepe. It is cooked on a hot griddle using rice flour batter that is seasoned with salt and cumin, and turmeric powder, among other spices. Cooking involves adding ingredients such as eggs, meat (minced), green peppers, onion, and tomato pieces. It is then topped up with herbs and spices before serving, so that the bottom becomes crispy while the top remains soft after being cooked.
• Yomari: A classic Newari treat from Nepal; yoghurt is especially well-liked on Yomari Punhi festival (also known as Yomari Purnima). It is composed of steamed dumplings made from dough made of rice flour and sweet fillings, usually a mixture of sesame seeds and molasses (chaku), though other sweet fillings like coconut or reduced milk solids (khuwa) are also frequently used.
• Kachila: Kachila means raw meat in the Newari language. So, it is a dish particularly made from raw meat of buff marinated with different spices like green onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and mustard oil.
• Sapu Micha: Sapu Micha is buffalo leaf tripe filled with bone marrow. Like other foods, it is fried and cooked. After being fried, the skin gets crunchy, and the marrow jellifies. Tastes get emulsified within as you bite through the skin. With just the right amount of spice flavor to keep things interesting, it tastes smooth and light on the tongue.
• Lakhamari: It’s a kind of deep-fried pastry made with sugar, ghee (clarified butter), cardamom, and nutmeg, among other spices. After smoothing out the dough and rolling it into thin sheets, the dough is shaped into diamond or rectangular shapes and deep-fried until crispy and golden brown. Lakhamari has a glossy finish and a wonderful sweetness when it is covered with a syrup consisting of sugar, water, and cardamom or rose water after it has been fried. It is a popular food of Nepal among the sweets category of foods of Nepal, mainly made by the Newari community.
• Gwaramari: It is the traditional deep-fried bread known as gwaramari. Typically served hot, gwaramari tastes well on its own or with a range of condiments including yogurt, pickles, or chutneys. Yeast, sugar, salt, water, and wheat flour are combined to form a dough for gwaramari. Then little spherical dough is formed and deep-fried till puffy and golden.
• Juju Dhau: Juju Dhau, which means king curd in the Native language. Newar of Bhaktapur make this kind of curd especially which is sweet in taste. It is one of the popular foods in Nepal that provides freshness to your tired mind and body.
• Samay Baji: I am listing this dish in last item of Newari cuisine because Samay Baji includes traditional foods in Nepal like Fried and Boiled Egg, Bara, Chatamari, Choila, Bhatmas (Black Soybeans), Palu (Finely Chopped Ginger), Samay (Newari word for Puffed Rice), and so on that I have already mention above. It is a distinctive Newari cuisine from Nepal. Samay baji is eaten on festivals and other occasions. It is a ceremonial dish with a variety of tasty and flavourful ingredients.

4. Street Foods in Nepal: That rules the street.

• Chowmein: Chowmein is a typical meal in the Nepali diet that is served at home, in restaurants, or on streets across the land; it is essentially Chinese stir-fried noodles adapted to suit local people’s tastes and desires. A favorite dish among Nepalis, chowmein consists of boiled noodles stir-fried with different ingredients such as vegetables (e.g., cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onion), various types of meat (i.e., chicken, buff), and sometimes eggs. In general, a Chinese stir-fry cooked with chopped vegetables is regarded as chow mein. It is a popular street food in Nepal.
• Pani puri: Panipuri is the most famous among the street foods in Nepal. This is an Indian influenced food which is called golgappas or puchhkas in India. Panipuri is made up of puris, hollow round balls made from deep-fried wheat flour dough, while the water is nothing more than flavored water with spices mixed into it, known as pani. A general feature of these snacks includes definite ingredients such as boiled potatoes, black chickpeas (boiled), masala powder from various kinds of spices, accompanied by powdered tamarind known as imli, which is made by cooking the pulp until water has evaporated. On top of them, there could be chopped onions, sprouted moong beans, or any other sprinkle of choice.
• Chatpatey: If we talk about popular street foods in Nepal, then Chatpatey comes at the top. Chatpatey generally refers to spicy and tangy in the local language. You will find this food in the same stall where you find panipuri. Mostly the girls or females are crazy for Panipuri and chatpatey. Chopped veggies including tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and boiled potatoes are among the many components that are usually combined to form chatpatey. Peanuts, chickpeas, fried noodles (sev), crumbled papad, and puffed rice (muri) are a few other popular additions. After that, the mixture is seasoned to taste with a mixture of spices, including chaat masala, chili powder, roasted cumin powder, and salt.
• Laphing: Laphing is a dish you find on the streets. It’s cold, spicy, and made with a gelatinous substance. This food probably came from Tibet, where it is very common among some communities there. This dish is very popular in Nepal, particularly in Kathmandu, the capital, where you will find many people selling it all over town at any time. It is usually prepared by adding mung bean starch or flour into water to make a gelatinous dough, which is then sliced into small cubes or strips, which look a little like jelly.
  The jelly-like strips or cubes are typically chilled, and they are flavored with a tasty sauce that is generally concocted from soy sauce, vinegar, chili paste, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, among other spices. Other times, you may find that these jellies have extra toppings on them like chopped cilantro or spring onions or peanuts, or even sesame seeds, for added excitement and pleasure.
• Syafale: Sha Phaley is a street food item originating from Tibet, and because of Tibetan influence, this dish has become the favorite food of many Nepalese and foreigners in the street food list in Nepal. It is made by stuffing spiced, shredded meat, and vegetables into a dough wrapper that is then deep-fried to make it crunchy.
• Sekuwa: Nepalese people adore sekuwa as it is a simple yet delicious street food consisting of marinated and grilled meat pieces placed on skewers. It is one of the popular street foods in Nepal. It can be made from goat’s, chicken, buffalo, or pork meat, which has been marinated using different spices like chilli powder, cumin seed powder, coriander leaf, etc., together with onions or garlic cloves that have been crushed prior. Finally, all these pieces are barbequed on hot charcoal or fire from wood chips until they turn golden brown in color. The smell of smoke coming out during this process makes this entire process very enjoyable because one cannot wait but taste what has been prepared for him/her even though he doesn’t know what it really is. Sekuwa is usually eaten hot, together with beaten rice in Nepal.
• Sausages: Even though it is not originally from Nepal, sausages are now widely sold in Nepal as fast food, especially within urban centers as well as tourist destinations. Normally, these are prepared by mixing together minced meats (which are often chicken or Buff) having diverse spice varieties and seasoning agents, plus herbs. Usually, Nepali sausages get subjected to deep frying in a pan, making them acquire a taste that is simply delightful. These sausages are put on sticks and served with pickles and chutneys. Sausage is one of the famous stick foods in Nepal.
• Samosa: Samosa is one of the famous street foods in Nepal, mainly for vegetarians. As the Nepalese community is also influenced by Indian culture, that’s why this dish is popular in Nepal. Samosa is an original dish from India, but it is also popular in Nepal. It’s a crispy, triangle-shaped pastry filled with tasty stuff like spiced potatoes and peas, served with tangy sauces or tarkari (curries of peas and potatoes).
• Alu chop: Alu chop which is quite popular as one of the street foods in Nepal. It is made up of mashed potato patties, which are deep-fried until golden and crispy after being coated in a spiced chickpea Flour batter mixture. These delicious, crunchy potato chops have a savory, seasoned mashed potato inside. To add even more taste, alu chop is frequently served hot with chutneys or sauces for dipping.
• Onion Pakora: Onion pakoras are among the most loved fast foods in Nepal and are commonly known as “pyaj ko pakoda” or “pyaj ko bhajiya”. In this recipe, onions are sliced thinly and battered with spicy gram flour just like their Indian counterpart. The blend of conventional cumin seed, coriander seeds, ground turmeric root, and red pepper gives a unique taste to the mix used in making it, which also includes wheat flour lightly mixed just enough so that crumbs can be formed when fried on medium heat. These pakoras are served hot and fresh, often accompanied by tangy chutneys or spicy sauces.

5. Other foods: Foods that are in Nepalese heart.

• Thukkpa: Thukkpa is generally a noodle soup. It is considered a Tibetan dish. It is hand-pulled wheat noodles in a delicious broth loaded with vegetables like carrots and cabbage, and sometimes meat—buff or mutton. Spiced with a pinch, it is a comfortable and satisfying meal for cold days. It is taken hot and can often be shared with family and friends; therefore preferred in many cases. It is popular among the Himalaya foods in Nepal.
•  Sel Roti: Sel Roti is one of the popular traditional foods in Nepal that Nepalese cooks mostly in Festivals like Tihar, Maghesanghrati, Dasain, etc. It is sweet in taste and donut-shaped. It is prepared from the batter of rice flour, sugar, and milk or water. Sel Roti is deep-fried until it gets a golden-brown color, with a crispy outside and a soft and fluffy inside.
• Keema noodles: Keema refers to minced meat in the local language of Nepal. So, this dish generally means a combination of noodles and minced meat. Minced meat is cooked with different flavorful spices like cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, etc. After this, they will serve you cooked noodles with toppings of cooked minced meat with soya sauce and chili pepper sauce. Then you should it by mixing it all together by adding soy sauce and chili pepper sauce, you’ll give the keema noodles a savory umami flavor from the soy sauce and a spicy kick from the chili pepper sauce, complementing the richness of the spiced meat and the texture of the noodles. Keema Noodles is popular in the Boudhanath Stupa area, where many people have said the keema Noodles of that area is best. It is one of the popular foods in Nepal for lunch.
• Khapse: Khapse is one of the popular festival foods in Nepal, where it is mostly cooked in a festival called Loshar, celebrated by the Sherpa, Tamang, and Gurung communities of Nepal. It is a Tibetan snack introduced by this community in Nepal. It is a deep-fried pastry made of flour, butter, sugar, and sometimes milk. The dough is shaped like twists or knots, and afterward, it is deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.
• Rildok: Rildok is one of the famous Himalaya foods in Nepal that the Sherpa community mostly makes. Boiled potatoes are mashed, mixed with flour, and then put into dumplings, which are boiled in water or broth until they float to the surface. The soup base is seasoned with salt and possibly other spices or herbs. This dish has recently become popular.
• Thenduk: Thenduk is one of the most popular Himalayan foods in Nepal; it is a part of the cuisine of the Sherpa. It is similar to thukkpa, but the noodles in thenduk are thicker and chewier, similar to homemade pasta. It is usually cooked separately before adding it to the broth. Comparatively, the broth is richer and highly spiced with a deeper flavor profile in Thenduk. Thenduk is often embellished by a great variety of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, and spinach, while for meat, tender pieces of buff, yak, or goat are used.

These are the popular foods in Nepal that every tourist should try while travelling in Nepal. Journey to Nepal is not only about the journey of your body, but it is a journey of your soul, journey of your mind, as well as the journey of your tongue, where your tongues get to visit different types of yummy and delicious tastes. These are the famous foods in Nepal that are making their way in other countries too. Now Momo is famous globally, where you can find it in the majority of countries, but the authentic and original taste is only found in Nepal.