World Food: Nepal

5 DISHES TO TRY

1Chatamari

Chatamari is a slightly fermented rice and lentil pancake covered with well-seasoned mince, egg or cheese. We call it a Nepali pizza. You will see chatamari stalls everywhere in the Kathmandu Valley. They are cooked on large flat pans, each pancake nested under a conical earthenware lid, leaving the base crispy and the top moist, hot and fresh. Chatamari are a big favourite during festivals.

2Momos

We all know that the best way to experience a country’s cuisine is by sampling its street food, and Momos are our signature dumplings. Legend has it that they were either brought by Newari traders from Tibet, or imported to Tibet through the union of a Newari princess to a Tibetan king. Whatever the history, momos are now Nepali. They are now Nepal’s most popular dish – we have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, where they are steamed, fried, served in soups or with a chutney. Minced buffalo meat is often used in the filling or I enjoy them filled with chicken.

3Chana chatpate

Chana chatpate is a totally addictive crispy, crunchy, spicy, sour, salad of puffed rice, potato and fried chana dal. You will find many street stalls in Kathmandu and all over the Terai region selling their own different versions of it. I like it Kathmandu-style: served wrapped up in paper cones and eaten with little squares of cardboard as a spoon. This is a strong childhood memory for me. We had five different chatpate stalls around our school. During school breaks, we'd rush to the stalls to get our paper cone of crispy, crunchy, spicy goodness.

4Buffalo curry

Cows are holy and protected in Nepal, but buffalos are farmed for their meat and milk. There are different breeds of buffalos, each adapted to the different climates and geo-conditions, from the Terai to the northern mountains. Buffalo meat has become increasingly popular and is used for curries, poleko (barbecues) and as a filling for momos.

5Yomari

Yomari is the most iconic sweet in Nepal. It is a rice-flour dumpling, prepared during the Yomari Punhi, the rice harvest festival celebrated in December after the first rice is harvested. The origin of this sweet is unclear and its fig-like shape is often described as a fish or a Buddhist temple gajur (the ornate top part of a temple). This sweet is made as an offering to Annapurna, the goddess of grains to thank her for the harvest. Yomari is traditionally filled with chaku, a molasses toffee mixed with dark sesame seeds. It is steamed and eaten warm.

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Alamy, Dorling Kindersley: Matt Russell 2 3

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Santosh Shah’s aim is to put Nepali cuisine firmly on the map. He was a finalist in 2020’s MasterChef: The Professionals and won 2021’s MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch. Recipes for these dishes and more can be found in his debut cookbook Ayla out now (£20, DK). Wanderlust Club Members have an exclusive chance to win a copy on p28.