CREATIVE NEPALI COOKING WITH TULSI REGMI
 

 

 

Introduction

Appetizers

Meat

Poultry

Seafood

Vegetarian

 

 

Soups

Rice& Rotis

Achars

 Marinades

Desserts/Beverages

Momo

 














 

 


SOUPS

Lamb and Barley Soup (Lamb and Barley Soup, Sherpa Style)
Chickpea Suruwa
(Chickpea and Potatoes Curried with Tomatoes)
Spinach and Lentil Suruwa
(Spinach and Lentil Soup)
Vegetarian Quantee
(Curried Soup with Mixed Sprouted Bean)
Lamb Quantee
(Curried Soup with Mixed Sprouted Bean and Lamb)
Nepali Dal
(Lentil Soup Prepared with Spices)
Gundruk Suruwa
(Soup of Fermented Vegetables)


Lamb and Barley Soup  
(Lamb and Barley Soup, Sherpa Style)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup barley
1 lb lamb, cut into 1/4-in. thick slices (half inch long)
4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 lb. spinach, washed and torn into small pieces
1 cup chopped onions
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and Pepper
5 cups lamb broth or water as required

DIRECTIONS
In a non-stick sauce pan, heat butter. Add onions and saute till lightly browned. Season lamb with salt and pepper and add to the onion mixture; brown well. Add mushroom to the lamb mixture and saute for five minutes or so over low heat. Add garlic, ginger, and turmeric; stir for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, soy sauce, and broth. Increase the heat; bring to a boil and add barley; stir well. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour until the barley grains and lamb are tender and a desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. At last, add spinach to the soup and wilt it for one minute. Serve hot.
 
 
Chickpea Suruwa
(Chickpea and Potatoes Curried with Tomatoes)  

(Note: Chicken or lamb can be added to prepare non-vegetarian suruwa.)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chickpeas, presoaked overnight
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 lb boiled, chunked meat (optional)
2 cups onion, diced
1 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups broth or water or as required
1/2 cup cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)


DIRECTIONS
In a large non-stick sauce pan, heat oil and fry cumin seeds for a minute or so. Add diced onions, green pepper, and celery; fry until lightly browned. Add garlic, ginger and chili for a couple of minutes over low heat. Bring heat to medium-low; add potatoes and stir-fry for five minutes or until potatoes are half cooked. Add turmeric and mix well for a few seconds. Put soaked chickpeas into the potato mixture and give it a good stir for five-seven minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper; allow simmering for 40-60 minutes until the chickpeas are tender and a desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with roti (flat bread) or puri (deep-fried flat bread).
 
  
Spinach and lentil Suruwa
(Spinach and Lentil Soup)  

INGREDIENTS
1 lb spinach, washed and cut into small pieces
2 cups yellow lentils
2 cups onion, finely diced
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups broth or water or as required
2 cups whole milk
Salt and Pepper

For garnish:
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon jimbu (Himalayan herb)
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced  

DIRECTIONS
Rinse lentils thoroughly.  In a bowl, put lentils and two cup of warm water; let stand for overnight in the refrigerator.  Drain water; rinse off soaked lentils.  In a large sauce pan, pour broth or water and milk, and bring to a boil.  Add soaked lentils, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and allow simmering for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Reserve it in a bowl.

In a heavy non-stick pan, heat oil and splitter fenugreek until dark. Add onions and fry until brown. To the onion mixture, add chopped tomatoes, cumin, garlic and ginger; fry for a couple of minutes. Add cooked lentils and spinach and let cook on low heat for a few more minutes. Add more broth or water if a soupier consistency is desired.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Finally to garnish, on a non-stick sauté pan heat melted butter and fry jimbu till dark. Add garlic slices and fry till lightly browned. Pour the jimbu-fused fat over the soup. Serve with cooked rice, roti (flat bread) or puri (deep-fried flat bread).
 

Vegetarian Quantee
(Curried Soup with Mixed Sprouted Bean)  

INGREDIENTS
2 cups mixed beans (kidney beans, black-eyed beans, chickpeas, soya beans, mung beans, green beans, black beans, white beans)
1/2 teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
3 fresh red chilies, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups broth or water as required
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped for garnish  

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl with water soak beans overnight. Drain the water and wash the beans. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to allow sprouting. It takes about 2-3 days depending on the desired length of sprouts.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Fry jwanu, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds until light brown. Add three cups of sprouted beans and fry for two minutes over medium heat. Add chopped onions, chili, curry powder, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat the sprouted beans well, for about two minutes. Add tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper and broth to the beans' mixture. Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat until the sprouts are tender and the desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice.
 

Lamb Quantee
(Mixed Sprouted Beans with Lamb)  

INGREDIENTS
2 cups mixed beans (kidney beans, black-eyed beans, chickpeas, soya beans, mung beans, green beans, black beans, white beans, red beans)
1 lb. meat (lamb, chicken, or turkey), cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
3 fresh red chilies, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups tomato, chopped
4 cups broth or water as required
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl with water soak beans overnight. Drain the water and wash the beans. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to allow sprouting. It takes about 2-3 days depending on the desired length of sprouts.

In a saucepan, heat oil; fry jwanu, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds until light brown. Add meat pieces and brown well.  Add three cups of sprouted beans and fry for two minutes. Add chopped onion, chilies, curry powder, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and pepper.  Fry until onions have turned slightly brown.  Add tomatoes and brothto the beans' mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat until the meat and sprouts are tender and the desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice.
 

Nepali Dal
(Lentil Soup Prepared with Spices) 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups black lentils (yellow or red lentils can be used)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon asafetida
2 tablespoons cooking oil
6 cups broth or water as required
Salt and Pepper

For garnish:
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon jimbu
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 dried red chilies
2 tablespoons clarified butter

DIRECTIONS
Rinse lentils thoroughly.  In a bowl, put lentils and two cup of warm water; let stand for overnight in the refrigerator.  Drain water; rinse off soaked lentils.  In a large sauce pan, heat two tablespoons of oil. Fry turmeric, minced ginger, asafetida, salt and pepper for 30 sec. Add soaked lentils and stir for a few minutes. Add broth and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and allow simmering for 45-60 minutes or until the lentils are cooked tender and a desired consistency has been achieved. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Take off the heat.

In a non-stick saute pan, heat half cup of clarified butter. Fry turmeric, jimbu, dried red chilies, garlic and ginger for a minute or so. Never allow the garnishing ingredients to turn dark, or else it will impart a bitter flavor to the soup. Take off the heat and drizzle over the cooked lentils. Give it a gentle stir to incorporate the garnish into the soup body. Serve hot with rice or roti (flat bread).
 

Gundruk Suruwa
(Soup of Fermented Vegetables)  

For Gundruk:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb mustard greens, cut in 2-in. length
1/2 lb daikon, thinly sliced and cut in 2-in. length
1/2 lb napa cabbage, cut in 2-in. length
1/2 lb spinach, torn into 2-in. pieces

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, add all vegetables; rinse and drain.  Spread out the vegetables evenly on a large tray and allow sun drying for a day, turning frequently, to reduce the moisture. The vegetables will have wilted a bit. Collect and put in a large bowl. Pack the vegetables into a large, thick sterilized jar and compact as much as possible. Tighten the lid and let stand for two days in a warm place. After the two-day period has elapsed, open the lid and pour out the liquid ponding on top of the vegetable mixture of the jar. Press down the mixture again and close the lid. Allow fermenting for another 3-5 days. At the end of the fermentation process, the vegetable will have developed acidic flavors. Use gundruk fresh or in the sun-dried form for the soup preparation.
 
Soup Preparation:
1 cup gundruk
3 cups potatoes, diced
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
3 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3 cups broth or water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)  

DIRECTIONS
In a large sauce pan, heat oil and fry cumin seeds and dried chilies until dark. Add gundruk and brown well.  Add diced onions, green pepper, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin powder, salt and pepper and stir for five minutes. Add potatoes, chopped tomatoes and broth; stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and allow simmering for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and a desired soup consistency has been achieved.   Serve with steamed rice.