Top 11 Traditional Newari Dishes to Try

How often has it happened that you go over your phone or watch the TV and find people talking about Newari cuisine? Or you plan a day out with your friends, and someone suggests you try Newari dishes? If so, you must be curious about what traditional Newari dishes to try.

 

Newari dishes are widely popular within the Kathmandu valley and in different parts of Nepal. Growing up in a Newari family, I have always been fascinated by the varieties of dishes in Newari culture and by how unique yet delicious they taste.

 

Some dishes are weird to eat for the first time; however, it makes the dish more interesting.

 

There are many dishes to try from Newari cuisine, most of which are available on the restaurant menus. However, to make it easier, I have listed the top 10 traditional Newari dishes to try.

 

A Quick Insight into Newari Cuisine

 

Newari cuisine is a type of cuisine that originates from the Newar people of Nepal. It is known for its diverse range of dishes, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Some popular dishes in Newari cuisine include Chatamari, Yomari, Bara, Samay Baji, etc.

 

Newari cuisine is widely popular among the Newars as well as people outside of the Newar community. Thus, many restaurants today include Newari cuisine in their menu.

It is also known for its use of various spices, including cumin, coriander, and fenugreek, as well as a wide range of herbs, such as cilantro, mint, and basil.

 

Significance of Newari Cuisine

 

Newari cuisine has a long historical and cultural significance in Nepal and continues to be an important part of the country's culinary traditions. It is often served during special occasions and celebrations and is also enjoyed by tourists visiting the region.

Newari cuisine is a traditional style of cooking that originated in the Nepal Valley and is particularly popular among the Newar people, who are indigenous to the region. 

The cuisine is known for its use of a wide variety of ingredients and spices and for its emphasis on fresh, locally sourced produce.

One of the most popular dishes includes Yomari, which is a type of dumpling filled with a mixture of sesame seeds and molasses, and Chatamari, which is topped with a variety of meats, vegetables, and eggs.

 

 

11 Best Authentic Newari Cuisines to Try

 

Given the wide variety of options, choosing a Newari dish from the menu may be challenging. It's particularly difficult the first time you experience it. 

Thus, the following are the top 10 dishes from the delicious and traditional Newari cuisine that you need to try:

 

1. Samay Baji 

Samay Baji is the most popular traditional Newari cuisine holding a lot of cultural significance. It is offered as a prasad during Newari festivals and rituals.

Samay Baji is served during the beginning, often as the starter or as the first course of a meal once the Pooja is over. This traditional Newari dish symbolizes good luck, joy, health, and longevity among the Newars.

 

The typical Newari dish Samay Baji has been passed down from generation to generation. It typically consists of many items on a single plate where the plate is usually made of leaves called 'Tapari.' 

The items in Samay Baji include beaten rice, black soybeans (bhatmas), wa:, chatamari, chhwela, finely cut ginger (palu), fried boiled egg, boiled beans, spinach, and Ayla.

 

2. Yomari

Yomari (Yamari) is one of the popular Newari sweet dishes made of rice flour which has a sweet filling of either Chaku (molasses) or Khuwa. This dish has the shape of a Sankha, which is taken as a sign of good fortune and joy.

 

Yomari is included during special occasions in the Newar community. There is a festival allocated as Yomari Punhi during the full moon of Thinlaa: (the second month of Nepal Sambat), where the Newars gather to make Yomari in different shapes and sizes and celebrate the festival. 

 

Originally, Yomari was also eaten during "Matina Paru," the valentine's day of Newars. People love Yomari even outside the Newar community as it is a unique yet appetizing sweet dish.

 

3. Lakhamari

Lakhamari is another sweet dish of the Newar community that is hard and crispy to bite but melts in your mouth like clouds leaving a sweet taste when eaten.

 

Lakhamari is made of rice flour, butter, and sugar, whose dough is formed and given different shapes. Then they are deep fried and finally dipped in sugar syrup. 

This hard yet crispy sweet dish can often be found in the markets of Kathmandu valley and can be eaten as a snack.  

 

4. Bara

Bara is a pancake-like authentic Newari dish made of black lentils. This dish has a unique taste which is also nutritious and healthy to eat.

 

Bara is made by soaking black lentils overnight and washing them until the lentils' coat comes off. Then the lentils are ground to make a thick paste to which water, salt, and spices are added.

 

The Bara batter is now poured in sections to give a round roti shape and fried.

You may find other variations of Bara, such as egg bara and meat bara. You will find Bara included in many feasts of Newars and in the Samay Baji set.

 

5. Panchkol (Chhyalcha)

This recipe comprises five primary ingredients, as the name implies. They are ginger, garlic, beans, radish, and potato. Then the five key ingredients are cooked into a thick soup and served hot. 

 

However, this is a festive dish and is not frequently consumed. This dish is typically consumed during social gatherings and other cultural events in the Newar community.

 

6. Ta:kha (Nyakhuna)

Ta:kha or Nyakhuna is one of the Newar delicacies that are not so popular outside of the Newar community but are widely consumed by the Newars. This dish is simply a meat jelly where the meat soup is coagulated into jelly.

 

In Ta:kha, the buffalo meat is boiled by adding spices to thicken it while a little water still remains. Then it is refrigerated overnight to coagulate, which forms a jelly-like dish.

 

The coagulating agent varies, but "Jhamsi," a substance that resembles a cross between "mosambi" and lemon, is most frequently used.

 

The soup is the only distinction between Nyakhuna and Ta:kha. The soup in Nyakhuna contains little dried fish, whereas the meat in Ta:kha is buffalo meat.

 

7. Chatamari

This dish resembles pizza and has a variety of toppings. Hence, it goes by the name "Newari Pizza." It is a typical and traditional Newar dish that the whole family can enjoy exclusively on rare occasions.

 

To make Chatamri, simply combine water and rice flour until they form a thick liquid, heat the pan and add a little oil, and then pour the mixture while thinned using a cup or anything else. Similar to pizza, you can add toppings any way you like with meat, eggs, or beans.

 

8. Wa: (Wo)

Wa: is one of the simplest yet healthy dishes in the Newar community. You can also call it a lentil patty as it is mainly made of lentils like "mugh beans" or "musur."

 

Musur or Mugh is minced, combined with a little water and spices like garlic and ginger juice, and then briefly fried.

 

Additionally, we can also find variations like "khen wa: (egg wa:)" or "laa: wa: (meat wa:)" where meat or eggs are mixed together while preparing the batter.

 

9. Chhwela

Chhwela is one of the tastiest and most popular Newari cuisines. It is made with spiced roasted buffalo meat and is often served with beaten rice. 

 

The recipe to make chhoila varies from person to person. However, it is mostly made by roasting the buffalo meat until the surface is charred, cooling it, then combining it with some spices and marinating it for a while. It is one spicy food that goes well when served with Samay baji and Ayla.

 

10. Kachila

Kachila is a traditional Newar dish made with raw, minced buffalo meat that has been marinated. The phrases Kachyu, which indicates raw, and La, which denotes meat, are the origin of the name "Kachila." It is a favorite among fans of Newari cuisine and one of the most well-known Newari specialties. 

 

11. Sapu Mhicha

A unique dish among the Newa community in Nepal, "Sapu Mhicha" is made of buffalo leaf tripe that has been stuffed with bone marrow. 

Essentially, the thin skin of a buffalo is filled with spiced bone marrow and deep-fried. After being fried, the bone marrow transforms internally into a jelly, whereas the skin becomes crunchy.

 

The Newar cuisine of the Kathmandu Valley's Sapu Mhicha is a delicious treat that is typically made for special occasions.

 

When a man visits the home of his wife's parents for festival feasts, the delicacy is one of the delicacies prepared to honor him. It is offered both before and after the main course.