Nepali

Samay Baji

A traditional Newar feast plate with chiura, smoky buffalo choila, maas ko bara, bhatmas sadeko, aloo achar, saag, and boiled egg. Each component is served side by side so the crunch, heat, sourness, and mustard oil aroma stay distinct.

Ingredients

• Chiura, thick beaten rice1 1/2 cups
• Buffalo meat, lean, cut into thick slices250g
• Split black gram lentils, maas dal, soaked 6 hrs and drained1/2 cup
• Dried soybeans, bhatmas1/3 cup
• Potatoes2 medium
• Eggs2
• Mustard greens or rayo saag, chopped2 cups
• Mustard oil5 tbsp, divided
• Garlic, minced8 cloves
• Ginger, minced2 tbsp
• Green chilies, finely chopped5
• Dried red chilies2
• Fenugreek seeds, methi1 1/2 tsp, divided
• Turmeric powder1 1/2 tsp, divided
• Red chili powder1 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder1 1/2 tsp, divided
• Coriander powder1 tsp
• Timur, Nepali Sichuan pepper, ground1/2 tsp
• Roasted sesame seed powder2 tbsp
• Red onion, finely chopped1/2 cup
• Fresh coriander, chopped1/2 cup
• Lemon juice2 tbsp
• Salt1 1/2 tsp, or to taste

Method

1. Boil the potatoes until tender, boil the eggs until hard-cooked, then peel the eggs and cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes.
2. Grind the soaked maas dal with 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, and just enough water to make a thick, fluffy batter.
3. Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil on a tawa or heavy pan, spoon the lentil batter into 2 small bara, and cook until golden and crisp on both sides.
4. Toast the dried soybeans in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking often, until they darken, crack, and smell nutty, then transfer them to a bowl.
5. Mix the toasted soybeans with half of the onion, 1 chopped green chili, a handful of coriander, 1 tsp lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
6. Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil until it shimmers, fry 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds until dark brown, add 1/4 tsp turmeric, and pour this hot tempering over the soybeans.
7. Mix the cubed potatoes with roasted sesame powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp timur, 1 tbsp lemon juice, a handful of coriander, and salt.
8. Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil, fry 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds until dark brown, stir in 1/4 tsp turmeric, and pour the tempering over the potatoes to make aloo achar.
9. Heat 1/2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan, fry 1 tsp minced garlic briefly, add the chopped mustard greens and a pinch of salt, and cook just until wilted.
10. Roast the buffalo meat over charcoal or a very hot open flame until charred outside and cooked through, then rest it for 5 minutes and cut it into small pieces.
11. Mix the buffalo pieces with the remaining garlic, remaining ginger, 2 chopped green chilies, coriander powder, remaining cumin powder, remaining red chili powder, remaining timur, 1/4 tsp turmeric, and salt.
12. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp mustard oil until smoking, fry the remaining fenugreek seeds and dried red chilies until dark, then pour the hot oil over the spiced meat and toss to make choila.
13. Lightly sift the chiura, sprinkle with a few drops of water only if it is very hard, and keep it separate so it stays pleasantly chewy and dry.
14. Arrange the chiura in the center of each plate, then place portions of choila, bara, bhatmas sadeko, aloo achar, saag, and boiled egg around it.
15. Finish each plate with the remaining chopped onion, green chili, and coriander, and serve at room temperature as a traditional samay baji set.

Common questions