Dashain Food Recipes: Taste of Nepal

Dashain Food Recipes is supposed as recipes taste of Nepal. There are many Dashain food cuisines cooked in the festival. Dashain Food cuisine is the major meat related to food. Dashain food is meat food in Nepal. But there is also Dal, Bhat, Tarkari, Chatani, Achar etc in Dashain Food cuisines, Let’s see some Dashain khana photos.

Dashain is a festival when we get holidays for almost a week. No work, no obligations. It is a fun time. And the best thing about Dashain is… FOOD. That’s right. All day long, we sit home, play some card games and most of our times are spent trying on new dishes, or the age-old Dashain food recipes that all of our families have now gotten so used to eating on Dashain.

This ten-day festival is the time when eating is one thing that is the highlight of the celebrations. Unlike any other festivals, it does not include fasting or anything. There is no need to go to any kind of fasting. That is why Dashain is really about eating different types of food and having fun.

Given below are a few of the food and its recipes that we eat during Dashain. Such foods are much popular in Nepali household during Dashain.

Given below are a few of the food and its recipes that we eat during Dashain. Such foods are much popular in Nepali household during Dashain.

Dashain Food Recipes: Taste of Nepal in Festive Mood

1. Mutton Curry

2. Mutton Sekuwa

Mutton Sekuwa is another Dashain food recipes that is popular during the time of Dashain. From the meat of a whole goat, the soft pieces of meat are separated, marinated and grilled to make mutton Sekuwa.

This is a smoked piece of meat which is very good for the taste. It is usually eaten with drinks while playing cards that is the game that we play in Dashain.

Given below is the recipe for Mutton Sekuwa:

 INGREDIENTS for Mutton Sekuwa

2 lbs. mutton, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp chili paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups onion slices
2 cups red bell pepper slices
Salt and Pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tbsp cooking oil

DIRECTIONS of Preparation for Mutton Sekuwa:

In a blender, mix garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, roasted cumin seeds, turmeric, chili paste, tomato paste, and salt into a smooth paste. 

In a large bowl, pour the spice mixture over mutton pieces.

After that add onion and then bell pepper slices, and oil; mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours.

Preheat your grill.

Place marinated mutton pieces with vegetables on the grill; cook, frequently turning until mutton slices are tender.

Take the cooked sekuwa off the grill. 

To serve, arrange the mutton sekuwa on the bed of rice pilaf, supplemented with khursani ko achar.

3. Mutton Khaja Set

Khaja Set is a lunch special which is popular among the Newars of Kathmandu Valley. It is a dish that contains two or three different types of curries, pickles and fried stuff which is eaten with beaten rice.

This dish is very popular among Kathmandu denizens. It can be eaten with veggies, chicken or mutton or buff. But, during Dashain, mutton khaja set is the most popular one. Given below is the recipe for mutton khaja set which includes dishes like:

Mutton Curry is the same as mentioned above. Please refer to the recipe for Mutton Curry.
Next item in Mutton Khaja Set is alu-bodi-tama. It is a gravy made with lentils, banboosoots, and potato.
Mutton Chhoila which is the pickled mutton meat which has been boiled previously
Potato gravy with lots of chilly
MulakoAchar
Chiura which is known as beaten rice that adds crunchiness to the whole dish.

4. Dal Bhat Masu

Dal Bhat Masu is the constant dish that we have during Dashain as Dashain food recipes. Every day is masu day especially mutton. Dal is the mix of lentils which is cooked in pressure cooker.

And bhat is rice which is also cooked in pressure cooker. And masu is meat which is made into a curry. The way to prepare curry has already been mentioned in the first point. Please refer to point 1.

5. Sel Roti

Sel roti is a special dish to be made during Dashain in Nepal. It is a deep fried sweet dish that is supposed to be a special dish that is traditional. It has been made in all of our houses during Dashain or any other festivals.

Sel Roti has been made during times immemorial. It is one of the most traditional dishes in Nepal. Given below is the recipe for this food:

Ingredients for sel roti

1kg of rice flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
10 tablespoons of sugar
500 ml of vegetable oil for deep frying the bread
Spices: fenugreek, cardamon, cinnamon, and clove
500 grams of wheat flour
water as required to make the dough liquid like

Direction for Preparation for sel roti:

• Mix the two flours with some water to make a dough. Knead it thoroughly and continue to add a little bit of water to make a liquidy dough, which is a little bit sticky
• Grind together cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, and fenugreek and add this to the dough.
• Add the sugar and baking powder to the dough.
• Knead the dough thoroughly to mix in all the spices, sugar and baking powder.
• Leave the dough at room temperature and cover it with a tea towel for around 3 hours.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and put one small round pot at the bottom to give a round shape.
• Take a handful of the dough in your hand and gently pour it in the pan to make a circular shape. This is hard and takes some practice.

6. Mewa ko Achar

Mewa is Papaya. Papaya that is not yet ripe is plucked from the tree and marinated with lemon juice and many other ingredients to make a pickle. This pickle is typical to be made during Dashain.

It is a very fresh dish which is to be made instantly while having sel roti or rice. It tastes very good and is much popular among Nepalese in Nepal as well as all over the world.

Ingredients for Mewa ko achar:

Raw Papaya (1 medium size)
Serrano Pepper (2, finely chopped)
Salt (according to taste)
Sesame powder (1 tablespoon, roast, and grind into fine powder)
Red Chili powder (1/2 tablespoon)
Fenugreek seeds (1/2 teaspoon)
Oil (2 tablespoons)
Lime Juice (2 tablespoons)
Turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon)
Mustard powder (1/2 tablespoon, grind fresh black mustard)

Directions of Preparation

• Peel, cut in large chunks of papaya. Take the seeds out and clean with fresh water.
• Shred Papaya with whatever consistency you would like
• On a large bowl, add papaya, salt, Serrano pepper, turmeric, sesame, red chili, and mustard powder.
• Heat oil and add fenugreek seeds. Cook until seeds become brownish black.
• Carefully pour the oil over ingredients in the bowl.
• Add lime juice and give everything a good mix.

7. Bhutan Chiura

Bhutan is a fried dish which is made from the interiors of a Goat. It contains, intestines, internal organs, and the likes. This is a special dish which is made on the day when the Goat is sacrificed. It can be Dashain food recipes.

On this day, the members of the family get together and fry the internal organs so that everyone who has been involved in preparing the meat and cutting it.  It is a group activity and is quite fun. That is why it also tastes very good. Given below is the direction for preparing it:

Ingredients for Bhutan Chiura

Goat Stomach pieces
Goat Livers pieces
Goat Intestine pieces
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 lemon juice
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. red chili powder
½ cup chopped onion
2 tbsp oil

Directions of Preparation

• Clean liver, intestine, and stomach thoroughly with water
• Boil water and add cinnamon stick or powder, and fennel seeds
• Put liver, intestine, and stomach in water and cook them in boiling water for 25 min
• Strain and clean again with water and set aside to cool
• Cut them into bite-size pieces
• Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric powder
• Sauté the cut pieces for 2-3 minutes and add salt, cumin powder, and red chili powder
• Cook for 25 min on medium heat until it gets dark in color
• Add chopped onion and stir fry for 2 minutes
• Serve hot

8. Mutton Biryani

Dashain is all about mutton. And when you have a lot of meat in your fridge that you need to eat fast, you will be looking for new dishes to make with the meat.

That is why, during Dashain, all the mutton dishes are much popular. Mutton biryani is an Indian inspired dish but nowadays it is much popular in Nepal as well. Especially during Dashain, mutton biryani is preferred for dinner or lunch alternative.

Ingredients for Mutton Biryani:

Half kg mutton
Yogurt
Salt
Peppermint
Garam masala
Turmeric
Red chili powder
Cumin and coriander powder
Cloves cinnamon and cardamom
Ginger and garlic paste
Chilies
Lemon
Biryani masala
Coriander
Small chopped onions
Bay leaf
Small chopped tomatoes
Basmati rice (700 gram –soak for 1 hour)
Sunflower oil.

Method of Preparation for Mutton Biryani:

• Heat the cooker at first. Add some oil in it. Then add cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, green chilies, bay leaves. Mix it well with the help of a spatula.
• Then add some chopped onions in it. Mix it well until it turns into golden brown color. Then add half kg mutton in it. Fry the mutton well with the golden brown onion until it turns into brown color.
• Then add some turmeric, cumin and coriander masala. Mix it well. Add some ginger and garlic paste. Mix it well.
• Then add some chopped tomatoes. Mix it well with the spatula. And cover it with the cooker’s cover for a few minutes. Then after a while, check whether a tomato is cooked well or not. Then add curd in it. Mix it well.
• Add 1 tbsp. of biryani masala, salt as required, red chili powder. Then mix it well. Add some coriander in it. Mix it for a while.
• And add some water until the ingredients get soaked in it. Then cook the mutton under 2-3 pressures to be cooked properly.
• Add some garam masala in it. And mix it well. Now add the 700 gram of soaked rice. Mix It well with the mutton. Then add some peppermint on it. Put some lemon juice in it. And again add water until the ingredients get drowned in it. Mix it well. Cook it as you cook rice under 1-2 pressures.
• Finally, yummy mutton biryani is cooked and ready to be served. You can also garnish it with coriander.

9. Sweet Chini Roti

For Dashain or any other traditional festivities in Nepal, roti is a must have. There are many different varieties of roti and among them,sel roti is the most important one.

After sel roti, if there is any other that is much important, it is chini roti. It is sweet and tastes very good with home madeachar. It is popular among Brahmins, kshatriyas as well as newars in Nepal. Given below is the direction of preparing chini roti:

Ingredients for Sweet Chini Roti:

• 2 cups of rice(soaked minimum 6 hrs)
• 1 cup of sugar
• A half cup of regular sugar Oil or ghee

Directions of preparation for Sweet Chini Roti

• Blend the soaked rice for about 10 minutes until you get the smooth consistency. Add a little water but not too much. The final dough should be like a chapati dough but a little coarse to touch.
• Then make small balls and onto a banana leaf, make a round shape of roti by dabbing the dough with your hands applying a little bit of oil to prevent it from sticking to the hand or on the leaf.
• On the stove, in a pan, add oil for deep frying the roti. Since it will be deeply fried, add a lot of oil.
• One by one put the roti in the oil and let it cook each side for about 5 minutes
• Once it is golden brown, remove the roti from the oil and on to a paper towel to absorb extra oil.

10. Malpuwa 

Malpuwa is another sweet recipe which is made during festivals and special occasions in Nepal. So, obviously, it will be a good dish to serve during Dashain also.

This dish has been made much popular by the newars since they make it more popularly. Given below are directions regarding how to prepare Malpuwa:

Ingredients for Malpuwa:

• 2 cups Wheat flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• Water/milk- 2 cups
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• shredded coconut flakes (optional)
• few Black Pepper whole- 5 piece
  Oil- for deep frying

Directions of preparation for Malpuwa

• Mix flour, sugar, shredded coconut flakes, fennel seeds, and black pepper with 2 cups of water.
• The batter should be semi-liquid.
• Let it stand for a few hours.
• Heat the oil and scoop a small amount of batter into the hot oil.
• The size of malpuwa can be altered as necessary.
• Slow cook one side of the malpuwa until it turns red/brown color.
• Then flip the side and repeat the process.
• Take it out of the oil, drain, and malpuwa is ready to be served.

These are just a few of the dishes that we prepare and eat during the festival of Dashain. Some of the dishes are regular dishes which are more popular in Dashain for example mutton curry and khaja set and achars.

While some of these dishes are made especially for Dashain and are required. For example, sel roti and chini roti. Such dishes make Dashain much more fun and a good time to be with the family, eat good, have fun and play cards or just spend quality time with the family members.

Since Dashain is a festival that lasts for more than a week… that is about 10 days and 5 other days added to it. During holidays, the focus is on being together and eating well. For this time, we all get new clothes, good food and new recipes that we try with our family in our spare time. It is always fun to spend time, make new types of food and eat with the family members.

Food becomes a binding thing that keeps the family together, share each other’s preferences and enjoy the time. All the schools and colleges and offices are closed during this festival. So, it is one of the rare occasions among the Hindus where all the family is supposed to be together and enjoy the company while eating good food, playing cards, going to see new places and relaxing.

This ten-day festival is the time when eating is one thing that is the highlight of the celebrations. Unlike any other festivals, it does not include fasting or anything. There is no need to go to any kind of fasting. That is why Dashain is really about eating different types of food and having fun.

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All of the dishes mentioned above are essential in any household that celebrates Dashain. Without mutton or sel roti, no Dashain is complete.

Everyone needs to make these dishes in order to properly celebrate Dashain. However, these are not the only dishes. These are just a few of the representative dishes of this festival. Depending on the tradition, culture, caste and geographical location, dishes might differ.

There might be many different types of changes to the same dishes made by different people belonging to different places in Nepal. So, these are just the basic ones which are essential. Be sure to include a few of these recipes in your Dashain celebration this year! Happy Dashain!!!

Dashain Food Recipes: Taste of Nepal

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