Friends of Nepal Inc.

These are some of the recipes presented during one of our fundraising events - Ladies Day Out in 2011.

• 2 cups yellow lentil
  
• 3 tablespoon cooking oil
  
• 1 onion chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  
• Half teaspoon turmeric powder
  
• Half teaspoon chilli powder(optional)
  
• 1 medium tomatoes( finely chopped) or 1/2 tin tomatoes
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Pinch of sugar
  
• Fresh green coriander
  

Wash daal a couple of times in warm water. Add 3 cups of hot water. Let it soak fro 5-10 minutes. Keep it aside. (Cooking time is reduced this way)

Heat oil, add cumin seeds, onions, and fry till it is soft, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, and add soaked daal. Stir it fro sometime, add hot water, stir it, and add some more water. Cover it in medium heat. Stir it in between.

Add salt to taste and sugar.

Add boiling water to make it consistency of your choice.

Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve it with hot rice and green vegetables. 

• 4 fresh green chillies
  
• 1 large tomato or ½ can tomatoes
  
• 1 pod garlic
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Green coriander
  

Mix altogether in a blender till all the ingredients are finely chopped and blended. Garnish with finely chopped green coriander.

Serve it with anything momo, rice and curry or Indian savory ( Pakoras)

INGREDIENTS

• Dough for wrappers: 
  
• 5 cups all-purpose flour 
  
• 1 tablespoon oil 
  
• Water as required
  
• Pinch of salt

FILLING            

• 1 kg lean ground lamb/pork/chicken 
  
• 1 cup red onion, finely chopped 
  
• 1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped 
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced 
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 
  
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  
• Salt
  

DIRECTIONS

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour .

In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water. Mix well; knead until the dough becomes homogeneous in texture, about 10 minutes. Cover and let stand for at least 15 min. Knead well again before making wrappers.

Prepare 1-in. diameter dough balls. It is recommended to work with a dozen or so balls at a time to prevent from drying.  Take a dough ball, roll between your palms to spherical shape. Dust working board with dry flour. On the board gently flatten the ball with your palm. Then roll out into 3-in diameter wrapper. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Cover with bowl to prevent from drying.

For packing hold wrapper on one palm, put one tablespoon of filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the center, while making pleats. Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling.

Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well. This is critical because it will prevent dumplings from sticking. Arrange uncooked MOMOs in the steamer with some space left between the dumplings. Close the lid, and allow steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10-15 min. Take the dumplings off the steamer, and immediately serve. 

INGREDIENTS

• Dough for wrappers: 
  
• 5 cups all-purpose flour 
  
• 1 tablespoon oil 
  
• Water as required
  
• Pinch of salt  
  

FILLING 

• 3 cups assorted vegetables (potato, spinach, cauliflower, carrot, green peas,red pepper, mushroom, cabbage), finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
  
• 1/4 cup spring onion, finely chopped 
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 
  
• 1 tablespoon curry powder, vegetable masala or MOMO masala
  
• 3 fresh red chilies, minced ( optional)
  
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon water-flour mixture (thickening agent) 
  
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

For stuffing mixture, in non-stick pan heat clarified butter; splitter fenugreek until it turns dark. Add chopped onions and sauté until just slightly light brown. Add turmeric, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Fry for 30 sec. Put vegetables and stir-fry until slightly soft. Do not over stir-fry the vegetables. Salt and pepper the vegetable mixture. Add spring onions and  mix well. To solidify the vegetable mixture, add one tablespoon of flour-water mixture. Mix the mass over until thickened. Transfer the vegetable filling into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow cooling.

In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water. Mix well; knead until the dough becomes homogeneous in texture, about 10 minutes. Cover and let stand for at least 15 min. Knead well again before making wrappers. Prepare 1-in. diameter dough balls. It is recommended to work with a dozen or so balls at a time to prevent from drying.  Take a dough ball, roll between your palms to spherical shape. Dust working board with dry flour. On the board gently flatten the ball with your palm. Then roll out into 3-in diameter wrapper. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Cover with bowl to prevent from drying.

For packing hold wrapper on one palm, put one tablespoon of filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the center, while making pleats. Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling.

Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well. This is critical because it will prevent dumplings from sticking. Arrange uncooked MOMOs in the steamer with some space left between the dumplings. Close the lid, and allow steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10-15 min. Take the dumplings off the steamer, and immediately serve To serve, arrange the cooked MOMOs on a plate dressed with MOMO achar of your choice.

• 2 bunch of English spinach
  
• 1 bunch of green silver beet
  
• 1 onion
  
• 1 tomato finely diced / or half can of tin tomatoes
  
• 1 crushed garlic
  
• Half teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
  
• Half teaspoon turmeric powder
  
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  
• Salt to taste
  

Remove white stem off the silver beet and the roots from the spinach. Wash green vegetables thoroughly under running water. Chop it.

Heat oil, add onions, garlic, turmeric powder, chilli powder, fry it for sometime. Add greens, salt while stirring it. It does not take too long, Add diced tomatoes. Stir it for another 2-5 minutes. Serve it with hot rice and daal.

• Cut potatoes, and tomatoes into medium chunks, and cut cauliflower into flowerets.
  
• Put 2 tablespoon oil in a pan, in a medium heat stir onions for a minute,
  
• then add potatoes and stir fry till potatoes are slightly brown,
  
• then add cauliflower and stir for another minute or two.
  
• Add powdered or chopped ginger, garlic, and curry and turmeric powder.
  
• Pour down water till vegetables are covered.
  
• Add salt to taste.
  

Add tomatoes then cover the pan, cook in medium heat, add water if required to cook until vegetables are tender.

Serve it hot with Bhaat!

Use less water to make the Tarkari's gravy thicker.

When cooking dry Aloo Gobi, cut vegetable into small chunks so they cook faster. Dry Aloo Gobi is equally a killer with a bowl of Daal! Curry can be anything, just add curry powder, spice and cook as you like! Other popular curries you should try are Beans Curry, Lamb Curry, Chicken Curry, and Mutton Curry.

Did you know? Three florets of cauliflower a day will provide you with 67% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Cauliflower helps fight against cancer, helps keep your immune system strong. It has folate, which helps your blood work more efficiently and is often recommended for preventing anemia.

Saag Tarkari (Leafy Green Vegetables Curry) - One of the most popular Nepali side dishes is Saag, which is chopped green leaves of mustard or turnip cooked alone or with other vegetables such as potatoes. Chop greens and cut potatoes into small chunks. Add a little bit of olive or mustard oil into a pan, stir fry potatoes until half coocked, then add greens, salt and turmeric. Stir occasionaly, add water if required to cook. Dish is ready when the potatoes are tender and the greens are just cooked (over cooking releases vitamin contents) Dish is ready to serve with your Nepali Dal Bhat, try it today!