Food & traditions

Nepali food & traditions

A browsable guide to dishes in UnitedSewa’s festival calendar. Open an entry to see the traditions already connected to it.

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30 entries

Food directory

Dishes in the festival guide

30 published entries, alphabetically arranged.

Achar अचार Pickled radish, mooli, or mixed-vegetable achar — the Nepali pickle that brightens any meal. Sold ready-made at most Nepali grocers or made at home. Open entry

Beaten rice (cheura) चिउरा Flat-pressed rice — the base of samay baji and a versatile staple in Newar cuisine. Eaten with curries, yogurt, or as cheura achaar. Open entry

Buckwheat flatbread (kuttu ko roti) कुट्टु को रोटी Used during religious fasts when wheat is avoided. Indian grocers stock buckwheat flour. Pairs with sabudana and fruit for the Shivaratri fast. Open entry

Connected to Maha Shivaratri

Dahi vada दही वडा Lentil dumplings in spiced yogurt — a refreshing savory in the otherwise sweet-heavy festive menu. Open entry

Goat curry (khasi ko masu) खसीको मासु The centerpiece of the Dashain meal. Goat is widely available at South Asian and Middle Eastern grocers in most US metros. Open entry

Connected to Dashain — Vijaya Dashami Thanksgiving

Kasar (rice-flour sweet) कसार A traditional Nepali sweet made from rice flour, jaggery, and ghee — round, dense, and rich. Especially associated with Tihar and Bhai Tika offerings. Open entry

Connected to Tihar — Laxmi Puja

Khaja set (Nepali picnic plate) खाजा The Nepali picnic standard — beaten rice, roasted soybeans, spiced potatoes, achar, and meat or paneer curry. Travel-friendly and community-friendly. Open entry

Kwati (nine-bean soup) क्वाटी Nine-bean sprouted soup — the signature dish of Janai Purnima. Pre-mixed bean packets are sold at most Nepali grocers; the beans need 2–3 days of soaking and sprouting before cooking. Open entry

Connected to Janai Purnima

Lentil pancake (bara) बारा Newar street-food staple — lentil-batter pancake, often served with egg or meat. Available at Newar restaurants in larger US metros. Open entry

Mithai (sweets assortment) मिठाई Assorted sweets - laddu, peda, barfi, jalebi - shared during Dashain visits, Tihar observances and Bhai Tika plates. Open entry

Connected to Dashain — Vijaya Dashami Tihar — Laxmi Puja

Molasses-sesame sweet (chaku) चाकु A molasses-based hard sweet, sometimes mixed with sesame or peanut. Specifically associated with Maghe Sankranti in Nepalese households. Open entry

Momo म:म: Steamed Nepali dumplings — buff, chicken, or vegetable. The most popular Nepali street food and the universal crowd favorite at any community gathering. Open entry

Newar ritual platter (samay baji) समय बजी The canonical Newar festive platter — beaten rice, soybeans, spiced grilled meat, pickled radish, boiled egg, and ginger. Present across most Newar festivals. Open entry

Pakoda पकौडा Vegetable or paneer fritters — the universal Indian/Nepali festive savory. Served hot at most Holi and Tihar events. Open entry

Rice and lentil porridge (khichdi) खिचडी Simple rice-and-lentil porridge, often spiced with ghee and turmeric. Saraswati Puja offering and broadly comforting across festivals. Open entry

Rice pudding (kheer) खीर Rice cooked with milk, sugar, and cardamom. The canonical Hindu festive sweet — offered as prasad after puja, shared as dessert at every major festival. Open entry

Connected to Haritalika Teej Janai Purnima

Rice-flour crepe (chatamari) चटामरी A thin rice-flour crepe topped with meat, egg, or vegetable — sometimes called "Newari pizza." Increasingly available in US Newar restaurants. Open entry

Sacred offering mixture (panchamrit) पञ्चामृत A mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar — offered at the altar and distributed as prasad. Central to Krishna Janmashtami and other major pujas. Open entry

Sel roti सेल रोटी Ring-shaped Nepali rice-flour doughnut. Sweet, slightly crisp outside, soft inside. The festive default across Tihar, Dashain, and most community gatherings. Open entry

Connected to Tihar — Laxmi Puja Dashain — Vijaya Dashami

Sesame sweet patty (anarsa) अनर्सा Sesame-coated sweet rice patty — a Tihar specialty, especially in Newar households. Open entry

Connected to Tihar — Laxmi Puja

Sesame-jaggery sweet balls (til ko laddu) तिलको लड्डू The canonical Maghe Sankranti sweet — sesame seeds bound with jaggery and rolled into balls. Pre-made at most South Asian grocers in early January. Open entry

Spiced grilled meat (choila) छोयला Newar grilled meat — buff or chicken — marinated with mustard oil, ginger, garlic, and Timur (Sichuan pepper). A staple across most Nepali festive meals. Open entry

Spiced milk drink (thandai) ठंडाइ Chilled spiced milk with almonds, fennel, cardamom, rose petals. The traditional Holi drink. Bhang-free is the US norm. Open entry

Steamed sweet dumpling (yomari) यःमरि Newar steamed sweet dumpling filled with chaku or molasses-sesame paste. Central to many Newar observances, especially Yomari Punhi and Mha Puja. Available at Newar restaurants in NYC/NJ, DC area, and the Bay Area. Open entry

Connected to Tihar — Laxmi Puja

Sweet pancake (malpua) मालपुवा Pancake fried in ghee, soaked in sugar syrup. Common at Terai-tradition Holi gatherings and other festive occasions. Open entry

Sweet potato Roasted or boiled — the simplest and most universal Maghe Sankranti food. Also bridges Thanksgiving as casserole/roasted side, making it a true crossover staple. Open entry

Connected to Thanksgiving

Sweet semi-circle dumpling (gujiya) गुझिया Half-moon pastry filled with khoya, coconut, and dry fruits — the canonical Holi sweet. Indian grocers stock these in the days before Holi. Open entry

Tapioca pearl porridge (sabudana) साबुदाना Tapioca-pearl porridge with potatoes and peanuts — a canonical fasting dish. Widely adopted in Nepali fasting menus for Shivaratri and other vrats. Open entry

Connected to Maha Shivaratri

Wheat-jaggery biscuit (thekuwa) ठेकुवा Wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee shaped into small biscuits, deep-fried. The canonical Chhath offering — prepared by the fasting person in ritual purity. Open entry

Yogurt drink (lassi) Sweet or salted yogurt drink — refreshing in warm weather. Mango lassi common when in season. The traditional cooling drink for spicy festive meals. Open entry

Nepali food & traditions

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