A cookbook on Nepali cuisine explores the diversity of the region through food

As a prevalent habit one often homogenises countries culture food and people Nepalese cuisine with fermented foods handrolled noodles steamed ingredients flavourful meats and mountain cuisine never fits into a box For instance this writer has sampled desi Chinese at street stalls helmed by Nepali chefs and has been partial to their thukpas and momos made on special request at midnightHowever another memory comes to mindmdashthat of her housing society in Mumbai Central secured by a Nepali watchman Every Sunday an inescapable smell rose from the back of the building compound as he would slow roast the head of a goat over a fire fuelled by coal and wood Khasi ko tauko or goat head curry a speciality among Nepali security personnel The delicacy is now dead with the number of Nepali watchmen reduced almost to nilThe Bahun Chetri people cook wheat and maize with beansveggiesHolding on to this memory we picked author Rohini Ranarsquos recently released The Nepal Cook Book Penguin Random House Rs 1999 to see if we could find that recipe In 2021 The author had previously written The Rana Cookbook Recipes from the Palaces of Nepal Though we didnrsquot see a mention of the goat head curry we did find the book fascinating in its approach Divided laterally into the Himalayan mountainous region from northwest to northeast Nepal it explores the cuisines of Sherpa and Thakali communitiestribes It then moves on to lower mountain ranges and hilly areas inhabited by communities such as Thakuri Khas and Bahun Chetris in western Nepal and finally to west Nepal moving to the midsection and then towards the eastThe third and final region of the book and its related recipes is the region of Terai where communities such as the Tharus in the west Madeshis in the midTerai section and the Bhojpuris and Mithila Madeshis in the east who share similarities due to the history Rana who is the daughter of Raja Saheb Digvijay Pal Singh and Rani Saheba Anant Kumari of Awagarh Uttar Pradesh tells us ldquoThe book is divided into regions to show the variety of the countryrsquos cuisine People might know some popular dishes but might not know their historyJhol momos are served in sauce made of soy beans sesame and peanutsIn 1977 she married Lt Gaurav SJB Rana who later became the Chief of Army Staff Nepal Army 2012ndash2015 She fell in love with her new homersquos kitchen where her husbandrsquos nanny Chiniya Champa didi initiated her into Rana cuisine ldquoUntil then I had no idea about Nepalese cuisinersquos variety and depthrdquo she confesses ldquoPeople in the mountainous region of a certain tribe or culture would eat a certain kind of food while those from the flatlands have a very different palaterdquoThe book is a visual artistry of motifs typography and design with 108 recipes each accompanied by stunning photographs We asked her favourites and she speaks fondly of the simple fix aloo chuk It was the first dish she learnt in Rana cuisineldquoIt may sound like a simple snack but the flavours just explode in your mouthrdquo she says ldquoI was aware of another version of the dish back home but this flavour and memory stays with me till todayrdquoNewari communityrsquos honour gods with lentils and riceThe book starts with Sherpas arguably the most recognised Nepali community and their shyakpa or thukpa a soup we are familiar with Itrsquos various variations are spread over the North East Himalayan states of India too The thukpa mentioned in the book is made with thin noodles chopped vegetables and soup Rana simplified the recipe to make it less intimidating for non NepalisAn intro to each section includes a deep dive into each regionrsquos rich tapestry of culture and historymdashmaking the book a musthave for those who wish to know more about one of the worldrsquos healthiest cuisinesAloo chukIngredients12 kg small potatoes12 cup mustard oilghee6 red chillies halved12 tsp cumin12 tsp fenugreek seeds12 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp red chilli powder1 tsp cumin powder14 tsp timur powder1 tbsp ginger2 tbsp chuk amilo lemon concentrateSalt to tasteMethodWash the potatoes well and retain the skin Cut them in half and parboil with a pinch of salt Drain and keep aside Heat oil till it smokes add chilli fenugreek and cumin seeds and cook till they splutter and change colour Add the potatoes and sprinkle salt and turmeric powder on top Now mix it all together and keep stirring till the potatoes turn crisp and golden Dissolve ginger paste red chilli and cumin powder in onefourth cup of water pour over the potatoes and keep stirring till crisp and golden If necessary add one tablespoon of oil to make the potatoes even more crispy Add the timur powder and chuk amilo the potatoes should change colour to a dark brown Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hotKinemaIngredients12 kg dry soya beans1 tbsp mustard oil2 green chillies12 cup sliced onions12 cup chopped tomatoes12 tsp turmeric powder12 tsp red chilliesSalt to taste12 cup chopped greenCoriander and green garlic shoots for garnishRohini RanaFor fermentation of soya beans Roast the soya beans in a thickbottomed pan for five minutes on low heat then pressure cook with four cups of hot water for three whistles Prepare a doko basket made of cane layered with banana saal or pumpkin leaves Cool the beans layer between the leaves and leave to ferment for three days Once they start smelling strong and become sticky lay the beans out and dry them in the sun for later use You can cook immediately as wellMethodHeat oil in a pan and add the green chillies onions and tomatoes cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy Add salt turmeric powder two cups of kinema and boil three cups of hot water in a pressure cooker for four whistles Once the beans are well cooked and integrated with the other ingredients the kinema soup is ready to serve Garnish with coriander and garlic shoots