This Global Kitchen | Day 11: Nepal
I'm Taylor! I moved to Nepal about two years ago with my husband. Shortly after arriving I learned that the kitchen can be a space to foster community, to be creative and to find rest.
I lugged quite a few things over to Nepal with me from America. Things that made me feel at home. Most of those were kitchen things: a cast iron skillet that was a wedding gift, an old milk glass bowl that belonged to my husband's great grandmother, coffee mugs we've collected from all over the globe, and this tea pot. My husband got me this kettle. My husband surprised me with it when I deemed it too expensive after walking through an antique store. We walked out together and he pulled it out from behind his back. Little reminders like that are great to have around the kitchen, especially when all that's familiar can feel so far away.
We actually just moved to this kitchen, so I'm still getting used to it. It is an upgrade from my last but I don't quite feel like it's "home", yet. I'm not always good at decorating all at once. I feel it takes years of cooking in, dancing in, conversating in, to feel like it's a place that I know. So while it's an upgrade from our last place, this kitchen and I are still getting to know each other!
I didn't know how to cook before we came to Nepal. But upon finding eggs and water to boil them in those first few days, I was hooked on the challenge of cooking in an unfamiliar country. Going to the grocery store became a place to conquer my fears: getting out of the house, meeting people, learning the language, embracing the madness. Cooking became a source of rest and rhythm. Baking bread and stirring pasta sauce while new friends sauntered in and out of the kitchen became a normal that I loved and craved. The kitchen became my safe place.
Nepali kitchen cupboards have always been my nemesis. They're home to creepy critters. So we had a lot of shelving made so that I just wouldn't have to deal with it.
When we first got here we were overly ambitious and attempted laundry by hand. 2 years in and we realized it wasn't getting easier and we weren't getting better at it. I guess growing up with a washer and dryer all your life makes such chores difficult to relearn. We were blessed this year to be able to get a washing machine! Most washing machines/washing stations are close to the kitchen in Nepal. Ours is on it's own little patio right outside of our kitchen!
We have a guy come by once every few months to give us a replacement propane tank. These babies heat up our shower water and ignite our stove.
I tried to cook Nepali food once, and realized it's an art that takes thousands of years of tradition to master. It's not complicated or precise, but that is what makes it so difficult for a foreigner to make. Nepali's innately know how much spice to add and how long to cook. So, if we want Nepali food, we go to a friend's house or out to a restaurant. At home, we cook things we'd cook in the States. It's what we know! Some ingredients are a little tricky and we end up making a lot of our things, which has been fun to learn. We've learned to make things you'd usually buy ready made like sour cream (vinegar and cream, voila!) and mayonnaise (egg and oil).
My Must Haves for My Expat Kitchen:
My husband and I both worked in coffee so we are particular about what we drink. Our friends in the U.S. who own a coffee shop gave us a bunch of coffee to bring over. I also convinced my husband to bring a Chemex with us. And it didn’t break!
Also, my kitchen wouldn’t be complete without my cast iron pan.
My Favorite Expat friendly Recipe:
Chana Masala
by Taylor | TakingRoute.net
This is a curry-like chickpea recipe. It is so so tasty and Nicole Gulotta, who wrote the recipe, also wrote one of my favorite cookbooks, Eat This Poem! This is an Indian recipe but Indian food and Nepali food are pretty interchangeable! Originally taken from lifeandthyme.com.
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small jalapeno, minced
- Salt
- 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas
- ⅔ cup water
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Chopped cilantro
- Yogurt, for serving
Mix all the dried spices together in a small bowl. Melt ghee in a large skillet and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Season with a pinch of salt and cook on medium heat until the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and the reserved spice mix; stir to combine.
Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and have released their juices. Add the chickpeas and water. Simmer for 10 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened slightly, then stir in ½ teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and a small handful of cilantro.
Serve with white rice, more cilantro, and yogurt.
Other Posts for Your Reading Pleasure:
This Global Life | Day 27: Nepal (Day in the Life)
