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Turmeric - Besar, Besar ko Dhulo - (बेसार)

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Turmeric  - Besar, Besar ko Dhulo - (बेसार) Used in nearly all Nepali dishes to add color and flavor, ground turmeric ( besar ) and fresh turmeric ( haledo ) are the most important spices in Nepali cuisine.  The plant is native to southeastern Asia (probably India) and is cultivated throughout the warmer areas of the world.  The plant belongs to ginger family and has a rhizome, which looks similar to fresh ginger but has short, round, finger-like stems and orange color.  Ground Turmeric Freshly dug turmeric Kathmandu market - A street vendor is carrying a kharpan - two large wicker baskets that is tied to the ends of a long bamboo pole.  The left basket  is lined with metal bowl, where ground turmeric are placed for sale, and on the right, ground cumin and red pepper are placed in a sack. Notice the vendor's clothes are all stained with turmeric powder.  Another farmer in the back is carrying on the shoulder a kharpan full of green vegetable -...

Sesame Seeds - Til - (तिल)

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Sesame Seeds - Til - (तिल) Sesame seeds are flat, small, oval seds that come from the annual tropical sesame plant.  They can be white, black, or various shades of brown.  White sesame seeds are shiny, slippery, and easy to crush and remain white even after cooking.  They are used mainly in desserts and bread preparations.  The black varieties have a strong, bitter taste and not used much in Nepali cooking, but they are considered sacred and are used in various religious ceremonies and rituals.  Light brown sesame seeds are much preferred and usually toasted to bring out nutty flavor. Sesame seeds - dry-roasted ground and whole seeds Close-up look of light brown sesame seeds A typical multi-purpose grinding stone in Nepal.  The seeds are lightly toasted and ground in Silauto to get correct consistency before adding to a dish.  This method is effective when grinding small quantities.

Saffron - Kesar or Keshar - केसर, ज़ाफ़रान

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Saffron - Kesar or Keshar - केसर, ज़ाफ़रान The dried stigmas of the saffron crocus flower are known as saffron.  Each flower contains three bright red stigmas that are handpicked, an extremely labor-intensive process, making it one of the world's most expensive spices.  The stigmas are dried until they shrink into slender, delicate thread-like, strands with a bright orange-red color and delicate aroma. Pure Saffron - World's most expensive spice Close-up look - Saffron is used in small amounts to flavor Nepali dishes.  The threads are usually crushed and infused in warm liquids to extract their full aroma and flavor and to give even color to the dish. Saffron is available in strands and in ground form in an airtight container, dated and labeled with the source in Indian, Middle Eastern, and regular supermarkets. Good quality saffron has a strong pleasant flavor, and is light, glossy, and soft to touch.  Ground saffron loses its potency more quickly and can be easily a...

Radish Seeds - Mula ko Beu

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Radish Seeds - Mula ko Beu The dried edible seeds of the radish plant, radish seeds are reddish-brown in color with a pungent, sharp, and peppery taste, and a hint of radish flavor.  Close-up look of Radish seeds. Radish seeds are used in small quantities because of their overpowering taste and mainly as a pickling spice.  The seeds are used in the ground form and can easily crushed with a mortar pestle or spice grinder.

Poppy Seeds - Khus Khus, Aphim - (अफिम, खसखस)

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Poppy Seeds - Khus Khus, Aphim - ( अफिम , खसखस ) These small, dried, pale yellow, black or beige seeds comes from the capsules of the opium poppy.  They add crunchy texture and nutty flavor to any dish, and are especially popular as a topping for breads.   Picture of spice vendor in Kathmandu.  For the image of poppy seeds please check this site.

Peppercorns - Marich - (मरिच)

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Peppercorns - Marich - (मरिच ) One of the most widely used spices in the world, black pepper is also known as pipali in Sanskrit, which means "berry".  Black pepper has a very pungent, hot and biting taste.   Black peppercorns Crushed black pepper with the use of pepper mill (everyday kitchen gadget), whole black pepper and finely ground pepper Display of ground spice packets in Ason Tole, Kathmandu, Nepal. Dried long pepper from Nepal spice market.  Nepalese call it पिप्ला Pippla.  For more information for this long pepper check  Gernot Katzer spice page.  

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