Newari Traditional Foods And Dishes

Newari Traditional Foods And Dishes

Newari Traditional Foods And Dishes are most available in Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur are the main areas, however, in modern times they can be found throughout all of Nepal. Other large communities outside of Kathmandu include Palpa, Bandipur, and Butwal and some of Pokhara.

Newars are also well-known for the Malla Dynasty who ruled during the “Golden Age” which lasted 600 years. Newari people have their own caste, culture, religion, tradition and are most famous for their artifacts and cuisine.To study Newari culture, one should explore three ancient kingdoms in the valley,( Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur). The real artifact can be observed and interact with local people, food, architecture, festivals, etc for detailed information.Nepal is a country of diverse caste and culture. The culture of Newar community has always been distinct and significant. There are various food items that were popular in Newar community only and they used to prepare it in some special occasions only but now these newari food items are popular among Nepalese people of all caste. Below are some of the Newari foods you must try. 
 

1. Samay Baji

Samay Baji is a popular Newari dish, mainly served during auspicious occasions of Newars, during festivals and feasts. This dish  loved by every Nepalese people. It’s not an everyday meal, but is great to try if you want to experience Newari culture. It’s a plate full of a variety of food (similar to dal bhat) including bara (type of bread), beaten rice, potato curry,choila, soy beans, boiled egg, and usually a very spicy meat (often buffalo). It is a main dish in a Newari khaja joint.

2. Haku Choila

Haku Choila is grilled buffalo meat. You can also try chicken which is my favorite. This is considered a snack, although for me it always feels like a full meal. It’s extremely spicy and is often served with beaten rice. Choila is a heavenly dish for meat lovers. There is no newari food restaurant without choila in the menu so it is easily available.

3. Chatamari

Chatamari is the Newari version of pizza. I think it’s a bit more like a savory crepe. It’s good to order as an appetizer and share with friends. It consists of a thin rice crepe and toppings which vary from vegetable to minced meat. Prepared with rice flour batter, chatamari is available at various eateries in Pokhara and Kathmandu . Various ingredients such as eggs, meat, vegetables are used to garnish chatamari.

4. Yomari

Yomari is a dumpling with a sweet filling inside. I actually have not had the chance to try one, but now it’s on my list of things to order when I get back to Kathmandu. I’ve seen them on menus but never really knew what they were. This can be eaten as a snack or dessert.Yomari is a special newari food made of rice flour dough and chakku which is prepared during ‘Yomari Punni’ in Newari culture but is available at different newari food joints so you don’t have to wait a year to have it. Generally, the filling inside the yomari is chakku but khuwa, vegetables, meats are also used as fillings.

5. Gwaramari 

Gwaramri, a special Newari snack, best served with milk tea is prepared from wheat flour. Make a batter of wheat flour, baking soda, turmeric power, salt and water. Heat oil in a pan. Then put small round shape of it in the heating pan. Fry it till the color turns brown.

6. Bara

Bara is a type of savory bread and is described as a Nepali pancake. It’s made from lentil flour making it a healthy choice. You can get different types of bara like egg bara, chicken bara, or buffalo bara. It’s perfect for dipping in curries or eating as a side dish or snack.  Bara is a very popular appetizer in Newari food. It is prepared by soaking the lentils overnight and then blend into a thick paste with added spices into it. Usually cooked in thick pan or tawa using oil. Various kinds of toppings can be added to bara like minced meat, potatoes, eggs for extra flavors. It is soft, crispy filled with mouthwatering toppings along with Nepali spices.

 
7. Kwati

Kwati is actually my favorite Newari food. It’s a five bean soup/curry.   I could eat it as a soup or dip some egg bara in it. It has a great flavor and was perfect to order along with other snacks. Kwati is prepared in the newari culture during ‘Kwati Punni’ or ‘Janai Purnima’. It is a thick stew of several kinds of beans such as kidney beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, soya bean, mung bean, green bean, black bean and white beans. It is available at local newari khaja ghar.

 
8. Sapu Micha 

A special Newari delicacy, Sapu Micha is prepared from bone marrow and leaf tripe of water buffalo. The bone marrow is stuffed inside the bag formed from the leaf tripe of buffalo and closed by a thread. It is then boiled and later deep fried.Shapu Mhicha is a beloved and popular dish of Newar Community. It contains buffalo leaf tribe stuffed with bone marrow and eaten has a side dish or snacks. Also it is served with alcohol (chhyang and aila). It is rarely find it in Newari eateries as it takes a longer time to prepare.

9. Aalu Tama

Aalu Tama is a popular Newari vegetarian soup that is sour, hot, and spicy. It is made up of potato fermented bamboo shoots and black-eyed beans. The aalu tama soup is sure to be a winter favorite and is mostly served as a side dish.

10. Kachila (Keema)

Kachila i.e. kachyu means raw and la means meat where the raw minced buffalo meat is marinated with Newari spices along with mustard oil and seasoned with spring onions. It is filled with full of meaty goodness and mostly used in bara and chatamari for toppings.

11. Takha and Sanya Khuna (Thalthale masu)

Takha and Sanya Khuna are also must-have dishes in Newari culture. It is different than a regular meat items, an exotic frozen dish that looks like a jelly where takha is prepared by using buffalo meat and sanya khuna using fish soup. Usually prepared by cooking buffalo meat and bones separately along with the added spices and then mixing together and placed in a wide mud pot overnight to form a jelly. While for Sanya khuna dried fishes are added in the mixture of boiling takha.

12. Chukauni

Chukauni is a very popular yogurt potato pickle or salad originated from the western Nepali district of Palpa. The boiled potatoes are mixed with onion, green chilies, coriander along with the yogurt. It is filled with full of Nepali spices and is served during breakfast. It can be served hot or cold as per the preference.It can now be easily found in Newari restaurants.

13. Chhyang

Chhyang is a very popular Newari alcoholic beverage where the rice grains are used to brew the drink. Here the cooked rice is mixed with the rice yeast powder then put in a bucket and covered for 5-6 days at room temperature. It is the alternative of beer in Newari community.

 
14. Aila (Raksi)

Aila also known as Raksi is a Newari beverage that is usually homemade and prepared by filtration of fermented rice, grains, molasses, millet, etc. It is popular as Newari whiskey. Aila has its own value and plays a very important role in festivals. Mostly served with Samay baji or any kind of meaty goodness.

15. Paau Kwaa (Lapsi ko Achar)

Lapsi ko Achar is a hot, spicy and sweet flavored pickle. It is one of the most popular among all Nepali fruit pickles, can be prepared very easily using sugar and lots of spices in it. This pickle can be served immediately or placed in a glass pot or plastic pot over the sun for days or weeks which makes the rich brown pickle tastes even more spicy and tangy.

17. JuJu Dhau (Curd)

JuJu Dhau known as king of yogurt is the most popular dessert in Newari Community. The main origin of king yogurt is Bhaktapur, in every corners of Bhaktapur you can find this reasonably satisfying dessert. It is soft, creamy, sweet prepared by fermentation of milk into a clay pot or plastic glasses. The must have dessert in every Newari festival or we can say without king yogurt the festival is incomplete.


If you like spicy food give one of these authentic traditional Newari dishes a try!