The Nepal Cookbook

by Association of Nepalis in America

This treasury of recipes from the members of the Association of Nepalis in the Americas represents the best of authentic Nepali cuisine. From festival dishes to simple everyday favorites the recipes included here reflect the many facets of Nepal's colorful and diverse cultures. Nepali food, which is simple to prepare and subtle in flavor, is influenced by the cuisines of both India and Tibet. Here are recipes for all the elements of a full-course Nepali meal; appetizers, soups and lentils, vegetables, meats, pickles and chutneys, rice and breads, and desserts. The most commonly used flavorings include cumin, red and green chilies, garlic, ginger, Szechwan pepper, cilantro, and scallions. Special cooking methods and ingredients unfamiliar to a Western audience are fully explained.

Genres: Cookbooks

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Janine Ballard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I’m very fond of Nepali food, enough to own a few cookbooks that focus on recipes from the region. The Nepal Cookbook, while not as comprehensive as Jyoti Pathak’s Taste of Nepal or as wide-ranging as Peter Kuruvita’s Lands of the Curry Leaf: A vegetarian food journey from Sri Lanka to Nepal (which also has recipes from Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan), is a bit more approachable than either (especially the former). The recipes are streamlined and the ingredients can be more easily found in the US (though some you might still need to order some online). I’m vegan and I consider the selection of vegan and vegetarian recipes pretty good, though I wish there were more vegan recipes that don’t feature potatoes quite so heavily (I like potatoes but sometimes I just want something green and healthy).

The sections break down this way:

snacks and appetizers—7
soups and lentils—10
vegetables— 25
meat, chicken and seafood - 21
chutneys and pickles — 22
rice and breads — 9
desserts — 18

There are also sections on special ingredients (including spice blends), 6 pages, and a Nepali-English glossary (4 pages).

So far I have only made the mustard greens. It was a quick and simple recipe and came out pretty tasty (the flavor was very bold though, and I had cut down on the spices some). If I make more I will try to remember to post here.

This is a single-color cookbook for the most part, though it does have some color photographs in the middle.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it really keeps in mind what ingredients are available in America so that you can make the dishes without searching high and low. And since I am not Nepali but my SO is this is helping me learn to cook his cultural food :)