Join Manju and Pooja in the kitchen to learn to prepare a traditional Nepali meal. Some of the traditional Nepali dishes you might learn to make are woh, lentil dumplings and choyla, a spiced meat dish, traditionally made with water buffalo but that can be made with meat of your choice or mushrooms. You will learn to cook two to three dishes and after cooking, enjoy them at the dining table along with other dishes that have been prepared in advance.
Snack on appetizers with Pooja, Manju and her husband Bijaya and then enjoy a traditional Nepali meal over conversation with Pooja and her family who will share stories of growing up in Nepal. Your meal might include dishes such as woh (pan fried lentil patties), momos (dumplings), badam bhatmas sadheko (marinated peanuts and soy beans), sautéed greens dish, traditional Nepali chicken curry or choyla (marinated red meat in a spiced onion and tomato gravy), dried pea masala or vegetable trakari (mixed vegetable curry) served with kalo or pahelo daal bhaat (black or yellow lentils with rice) and mixed achar (Nepali pickled and spiced vegetables). You will conclude your meal with a dessert such as gajar ka halwa, a sweet carrot-based dessert and homemade tea.
As maps can be confusing in Nepal it is best to have your driver call your host to ask for directions to their home.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
ChoylaMomosWohManju and Pooja are a mother-daughter team who love to share their culinary and cultural traditions with travelers. Pooja is a doctor and Manju is a homemaker who makes sure every ingredient she uses is handpicked and every masala is made at home.
You will be greeted by Manju and her daughter Pooja who live in a classic family home built by Pooja’s grandfather with gardens in the front and back of the home. Manju learned to cook family recipes which have been passed down from her grandmother, who cooked for the king of Nepal.
"Thankyou for a delicious Nepalese meal in your home! We enjoyed the dahl baat, chicken curry & sweets. It was interesting to learn about life and culture in Nepal."
"My girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience. The family was incredibly hospitable and conversing with them allowed us to learn a lot about the food, culture and history of Kathmandu, and their family itself. The food was absolutely delicious - definitely the best we have had in Kathmandu. Overall, it was a wonderful cultural experience."
"It was absolutely the best meal I ate in the entire time I was in Nepal, and the experience of getting to meet Rochani, her parents, and her sister (who was in town on a school vacation) was so enlightening and entertaining. We made a wonderful connection, and I think that anyone who finds themselves as a recipient of Rochani’s generous hospitality will be in for a real treat. Thank you, Traveling Spoon!"
"My girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience. The family was incredibly hospitable and conversing with them allowed us to learn a lot about the food, culture and history of Kathmandu, and their family itself. The food was absolutely delicious - definitely the best we have had in Kathmandu. Overall, it was a wonderful cultural experience."
