Bara/बारा/वो(Lentil Pancake)

Bara

          Bara is a traditional newari snack called as wo(वो) in newar community of Nepal. Call it Nepali lentil pancake or traditional nepali pizza ;).It is prepared out of black lentil paste dough and cooked in a pan, it could be either plain bara, egg bara, meat bara. Traditional bara is made with Black lentil paste dough, whole egg & minced buffalo meat served along with soup.

Ingredients required for preparation:

• Black lentil(mass ko daal) to be soaked over a night: 2 cup
• Minced meat buffalo/chicken: 2 cup
• Egg:4 nos
• Ginger & Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Chopped coriander: for garnish
• Chilli powder: 2 tsp
• Oil: to fry
• Salt: For taste.
  

         Method of preparation:

• Traditonal bara is made out of simple and with least no. of ingredients.
• Wash the soaked lentil until most of the outer cover is removed.
• Take a grinder, place the washed lentil in it & add salt, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder.
• Make a fine paste of it, adding few amount of water during grinding is necessary.
• Heat a non-stick fry fan/ tawa, and add oil, ensure oil is circulated around the pan otherwise bara might get sticked while being prepared.
• Add the black lentil paste in the pan and press it with hand or use spatula to form a round and thin pancake(use your hand and often dip it in bowl of water to form a round shape bara)
• Cook it in a medium heat, both the sides to be cooked for coupled of minutes
• Plain bara gets prepared till this step, for egg & meat bara
• While bara is being cooked in bottom side, add minced meat and whole egg in the upper side. chopped coriander could be added for garnish.
• Turn the bara and cook the both sides for couples of minutes.
• Turn off the heat, bara is ready to serve
• Bara is served along with soup/chutney as a snack.

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Gundruk /गुन्द्रुक(Fermented leafy vegetable)

Gundruk 

                 is a fermented leafy vegetable and is a popular food in Nepal and claimed to be one of the national dishes. Gundruk is obtained from the fermentation of leafy vegetables(saag). Served as a side dish with the main meal and is also used as an appetizer.

• Ingredients required for preparation

• Gundruk: 1 cup
• Potato(cut into medium dice): 2 nos
• White Bhatmas(soyabeans): 1/2 cup
• Onion(fine chopped): 1 pc
• Tomato(fine chopped): 1 pc
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 1tsp
• Dry red chillies: 2 pcs
• Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Ginger & Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
• Oil: 3 tbsp(First to fry bhatmas and then for gundruk preparation)
• Salt: As required.

Note: pc/pcs/nos=pieces, tsp=tea spoon, tbsp= table spoon

Method of preparation:

• Heat the pan & add oil, fry bhatmas till it turns brown and place a side.
• In the same pan add cumin seeds, dry red chillies & chopped onion.
• Cook the onion till it turns brown and add turmeric powder, potato & stir well, let it to be cooked for couples of minutes.
• Then add Gundruk & stir well, add the fried bhatmas and chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, corainder powder, ginger & garlic paste and stir well. let it to be cook in a low flame for couple of minutes.
• Prepare corn starch for thicking the gundruk jhol, take a bowl with 2-3 tbsp of corn/refined flour & add water mix it well till it forms into thick liquid.
• Add the corn starch  in the pan with few cups of water(as required for jhol)
• Cook for 10 minutes with closed lid pan in a low flame.
• Finally stir well taste seasoning and is ready to serve.
• Gundruk goes well with Dhindo.

Gundruk Ko Achaar/ गुन्द्रुक को अचार

Gundruk Ko Achaar

                                   gundruk ko achaar is inarguably the most loved and nationally famous dish of Nepal. The peculiar flavour from the gundruk(fermented leafy vegetable) is just addictive. It is most commonly found delicacies in the Nepali households.

Ingredients required for preparation:

• Gundruk: 1 cup
• Spring onion(chopped): 1/2 cup
• Chopped coriander leaves: 1/2 cup
• Fried cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp
• Tomato(boiled): 1 pc
• Ginger & Garlic(chopped): 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Fried dry red chilli: 4 pcs
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt: as required

Note: Soak the gundruk in a bowl of luke warm water for 20 minutes and grind all the above mentioned ingredients(gundruk, tomato, ginger&garlic, red chillis, cumin seeds) in a traditonal grinder(jhaato) separetely and keep a side.

Method of preparation:

• Grind all the species and vegetables including soaked gundruk.
• Place the grinded gundruk in a mixing bowl& add tomato paste, chopped onion, all grinded spices and salt too.
• For tempering(tadka), heat the pan add oil as soon oil gets heated add fenugreek seeds then add a pinch of turmeric powder and pour tempering in the same mixing bowl.
• Finally add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• Ready to serve.

Chukauni/चुकौनी(spicy potato yogurt salad)

Chukauni

is a authentic Nepali pickel generally prepared and is very famous in western region of Nepal, mainly in Palpa district. It is usually served as an snack with Batuk & Flattened rice(chuira).

Ingredients required for preparation:

Boiled Potato: 4 big pcs

Thin Curd: 2 cups

Onion(Julienne cut): 1 pc

Lemon: 1 pc

Red chillies: 2 pcs

Green chillies(chopped): 4 pcs

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Fried sesame(til) powder: 1 tsp

Fried mustard(tori) powder: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek(methi) seeds: 1/2 tsp

Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp

Salt as required

Coriander(dhaniya) leaves: for garnish

Method of Preparation: 

• Firstly, boil the potatoes & peel it.
  
  
• Cut the potatoes into small dices.
• Mix the curd into the potatoes in a mixing bowl.
• Add the julienne cut onion.
• Add  all the spice powder i.e. fried sesame powder, fried mustard powder, red chilli powder.
• Squeeze a piece of lemon in it.
• Add chopped coriander leaves & chopped green chillies.
• Heat a pan(for tempering) and add 1 tbsp of mustard oil,add 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds, 2 pcs of red chillies fry till it turns brown.
• Turn the heat off and add a pinch of turmeric powder and pour the tempering in that mixing bowl.
• Finally add salt and mix well.
• Serve chukauni with batuk, roti, flattened rice or  enjoy it as an spicy snack in summer.

Traditional Nepal Candies

                                 

                                 Chaku

Pic: Chaku Preparation

Chaku is a sweet dish made from concentrated sugarcane juice, jaggery, ghee & nuts. The mixture is cooked down until it is a solid form, and then pulled on a hook in a manner similar to making taffy and then cut into small rolls, or it may be cooked in a shallow dish & cut into small diamond shaped pieces chaku may be eaten separately, or it can also used in making Yomari(newari sweet dumpling)

Chaku is served by Nepalese with ghee and yams(yomari) during the festival of Maghe sankranti. Chaku traditionally got origined from newar community of Nepal.

Til Ko Laddoo(Sesame Sweet Balls)

Til ko laddoo is a mixture of roasted sesame(til) seeds and jaggery or molasses syrup(chaku) and the mixture is formed into round ball called as laddoo. It is served in festive seasons in magh(january) as well as in other cultural functions too.

Muri Ko Laddoo(Puffed Rice Sweet Balls)

Murai ko laddoo is made out of beaten rice or puffed rice also known as "bhuja ko laddoo" in Terai region of Nepal, it is prepared with melted jaggery, cashew, date, almond, cardamon powder, ginger and mixed with puffed rice. And the mixture is formed into small round balls known as Murai ko laddoo. It was most famous snack in early childhood for every nepalese kids.

Sapu Mhicha

Sapu Mhicha(सपू म्हिचा)