Cooking & Markets

1. दाल भात कसरी बनाउने?

   Daal bhaat kasari banaaune?

   How do you make dal bhat?

   Usage

   Used to ask a local how to prepare dal bhat, Nepal's national dish of lentil soup and rice

   Grammar Note

   "Kasari + verb" asks "how to do." Dal bhat is eaten twice daily by most Nepalis: lentil soup (dal) with rice (bhat), vegetable curry (tarkari), and pickled vegetables (achar).

2. मसला पिस्न जाँतो चाहिन्छ

   Masalaa pisna jaanto chaahinchha

   A grinding stone is needed to grind spices

   Usage

   Used to explain the traditional Nepali grinding stone (jaanto) needed for making fresh spice pastes

   Grammar Note

   "Chaahinchha" means "is needed." The jaanto (hand-operated stone grinder) is still used in traditional Nepali kitchens to grind fresh spice pastes for curry bases.

3. मोमो बनाउन आउँछ?

   Momo banaauna aaunchha?

   Can you make momo (dumplings)?

   Usage

   Used to ask if someone knows how to make momo, Nepal's most beloved dumpling dish

   Grammar Note

   "Aunchha" (lit. "comes") idiomatically means "know how to / can do." Momo originated with Newar traders via Tibet and is now Nepal's most popular snack/meal.

4. तरकारी काट्न सकिन्छ?

   Tarkaari kaatna sakinchha?

   Can I chop the vegetables?

   Usage

   Used when offering to help with cooking by chopping vegetables

   Grammar Note

   "Sakinchha?" is the impersonal potential. "Tarkari" refers broadly to vegetable dishes in Nepali cooking — potatoes, cauliflower, and spinach are common staples.

5. घिउ राख्ने कि तेल?

   Ghiu raakhne ki tel?

   Should we use ghee or oil?

   Usage

   Used to decide between ghee (clarified butter) and oil when cooking Nepali dishes

   Grammar Note

   "Ki" is the disjunctive conjunction "or." Ghee is essential in ceremonial/festival cooking in Nepal. Mustard oil ("raayo ko tel") is the most common everyday cooking oil.

6. अचार बनाउने विधि सिकाउनुस् न

   Achaar banaaune vidhi sikaaunus na

   Please teach me how to make achar (pickle)

   Usage

   Used to request to learn how to make achar, Nepal's tangy condiment served with every meal

   Grammar Note

   "Sikaaunu" means "to teach." Achar is indispensable in Nepali meals. Common varieties include tomato achar, radish achar, and sesame (til) achar — each adding tanginess and heat.

7. कति खुर्सानी राख्ने?

   Kati khursaani raakhne?

   How much chili should we add?

   Usage

   Used to confirm how much chili to add when cooking, especially for dishes with varying heat levels

   Grammar Note

   "Kati + verb" asks about quantity. Spice levels vary by region in Nepal — Newari cuisine is notably spicy. Nepali cooks use both red chili (raato khursaani) and green chili (hariyo khursaani).

8. भात पाक्यो कि पाकेन?

   Bhaat paakyo ki paaken?

   Has the rice cooked yet?

   Usage

   Colloquial expression used to check if the rice is done cooking

   Grammar Note

   "~yo ki ~ena?" is a binary confirmation question meaning "did it or didn't it?" "Bhat" specifically means cooked rice — raw rice is "chamal." Rice doneness-checking is a common kitchen exchange.

9. यो नेवारी परिकार के हो?

   Yo Newaari parikaar ke ho?

   What is this Newari dish?

   Usage

   Used to ask about an unfamiliar Newari traditional dish in Kathmandu restaurants or homes

   Grammar Note

   "Ke ho?" = "What is it?" Famous Newari dishes: bara (black lentil fritter), chatamari (rice flour crepe), and sanko puti (red bean soup). Newari cuisine has over 200 distinct dishes.

10. चिया बनाउँदा अदुवा हाल्ने

    Chiyaa banaaundaa aduwa haalne

    When making tea, add ginger

    Usage

    Used when explaining how to make Nepali spiced tea (chiya), emphasizing the ginger addition

    Grammar Note

    "Banaaunda" is the simultaneous/conditional gerund meaning "when making." Nepali chiya is strong spiced milk tea brewed with ginger, cardamom, and sometimes cinnamon. Tea is grown in Ilam district.

11. लसुन

    Lasun

    Garlic

    Usage

    Ingredient, for buying it or asking for it to be left out. At altitude, garlic soup is a teahouse staple believed to help against altitude sickness

12. प्याज

    Pyaj

    Onion

    Usage

    Ingredient; some Nepalis avoid onion for religious reasons, so asking for it to be left out is easily understood

13. खुर्सानी

    Khursani

    Chili

    Usage

    Ingredient. In Nepali khursani is chili and marich is black pepper — the opposite mapping from Hindi, so do not assume

14. धनियाँ

    Dhaniyan

    Coriander leaf

    Usage

    Ingredient, for asking to have it left out. The fresh leaf is hariyo dhaniyan and the ground seed is dhaniyan dhulo

15. अदुवा

    Aduwa

    Ginger

    Usage

    Ingredient, essential in Nepali chiya and in aduwa pani (ginger water), which is also drunk for a sore throat

16. दही

    Dahi

    Yogurt

    Usage

    Ingredient. The Newari juju dhau (king curd) is a Bhaktapur speciality

17. मखन

    Makhan

    Butter

    Usage

    Ingredient. The clarified butter used throughout Nepali cooking is ghiu, a separate word; at altitude you also meet yak butter tea

18. चिज

    Chij

    Cheese

    Usage

    Ingredient; yak cheese is a highland speciality. Fresh milk cheese is a separate word, panir

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