Newari Foods

Picture: Newari Khaja Set
नेवारी खानारू

Newar or Newah are the indigenous people living in Kathmandu valley. The language of Newars is Newari. They have multiple ethnicity, race (Mongolian, Aryan, Austro-Dravidian) and faith within the community united by same language . 

The Newari language is called Nepal Bhasa and it has its own script. Nepal Bhasa, is of Tibeto-Burman origin. Newars are very rich in culture and traditions. Newari foods are very delicious and famous all over the world.
             
Food is very important part of the ritual and religious life of the Newars. The food items served to the guests during festivals and feasts have own symbolic significance. Different sets of ritual dishes are placed in a circle around the staple rice flakes to represent and honor different sets of deities depending on the festival or life-cycle ceremony.

We can classify Newari meals into three main categories

1) Daily meals (ja),

2) Snack (baji)

3) Feasts (bhoye).

The meal consists of rice (ja), dal (ke) and vegetable (tarkari).  Same meal is eaten morning and evening. If one can afford, meat (la) item is seen on the side of Newar’s regular meal.

Newars prefer to eat snacks in the afternoon. It generally consists of flattened rice (baji), eaten with such items as roasted and curried soya beans (musya), fermented mustard leaves (gundro), or curried potato (alu tarakari). They also have some meat (la) and home- made liquor (thon) with it. Baji is called chiura in Nepali.

Another main category of food is served at feasts. In this meal also beaten rice (baji) is the main dish. At feasts various preparations based on buffalo meat are served along with curries of vegetables and pulses. Home-made liquor (thon) is served along with the food. Generally, feast meal is concluded by serving curd, sugar and fruit (sisapusa). Pieces of betel nuts and cloves are also served at end of the meal.

Kwati (soup of different beans), Kachila (spiced minced meat), Choila which is water buffalo meat marinated in spices and grilled over the flames of dried wheat stalks, wo (lentil cake), paun kwa (sour soup), stuffed lung, fried liver, fried tongue, tripe stuffed with bone marrow and jellied fish soup are some of the popular festival foods. Dessert consists of dhau (yogurt), sisabusa (fruits) and mari (sweetmeat). Thwon and aila are the common alcoholic liquors that Newars make at home.

At meals, festivals and gatherings, Newars sit on long mats in rows. Typically, the sitting arrangement is hierarchical with the eldest sitting at the top and the youngest at the end. Newar cuisine makes use of mustard oil and a host of spices such as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, mint, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili and mustard seeds.

Gwarmari

posted Jul 12, 2012, 4:17 PM by Weall Nepali   [ updated Sep 4, 2012, 11:48 AM ]

How to make Gwarmari

Utensils
gwarmari

A deep bowl
Frying pan
Spatula

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - Half Lb
Baking powder - Half tea spoon
Turmeric power - little
Cumin and Coriander power - a pinch
Ginger paste - little
Garlic paste - little
Cooking Oil - 300 ml
Salt - as per taste

Method

Mix wheat flour, baking powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and salt in a deep bowl

Stir the mixture properly till all get mixed

Pour water to into the mixture stirring it continuously

See that you get a good paste of the mixture (the paste should be medium - neither too thin nor thick, it should drop easily onto the pan while cooking)

Keep the mixture for about 5 hours to get good taste (you can cook it immediately also)

Heat the pan pour the oil, let the oil heat nicely (make sure that the mixture dough when cooking deep into the oil)

Take about a table spoon of the mixture and drop into the hot oil. You can cook several of them at a time. 

See that all the doughs puff up 

Fry till they all become brown. 

Take those brownies out and soak the oil in a towel or a paper.

Serve hot Gwarmari with achar, tarkari or tea!!!


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