Dhal Bhat -- "Steamed Rice and Lentils"
Nepali families may eat dhal bhat two to three times a day. The dhal (lentils) are typically served in a seperate bowl and may look a bit like soup. You can then pour it over your bhat (rice). Often, there will be a kind of masu, meat -- like chicken or buffalo. Usually, there is also aloo and some tarakari, like squash.
Chiura - Beaten Rice
On one of my first days in Nepal my friend gradauted from his music school and there was a large celebration in the town square. Lots of people sat on the ground around the square and were served vegetables, meat and of course, chiura. This dried flattened rice is very commonly eaten during festival times. During daily meals people may add a handful or two of the dried rice to their plate. It is very popular here!
I was very excited to try new foods when I came to Nepal! My family is Indian-American, so I eat similar foods to Nepali food often at home. I can still appreciate how the food changes across countries even though India and Nepal are so close to each other.
Cooking is very central to Nepali culture. Lots of time is spent gathering ingredients in the market, preparing everything and finally eating. When I am in the US, I like to meal-prep, making a large amount of food on Sunday so I have something ready for dinner after work for the next couple of days. Here, most people make food fresh every day; going to the market in the morning and cooking right after.
