Insights into the Background of Nepali Cuisines
The cuisines of Nepal are vibrant and diverse and span across the geographical diversity of Nepal. The cuisines are not only nutritious foods blended with culinary traditions and rich flavors, but it is the art of portraying the cultural mosaic of the country. Nepali cuisine developed its own roots through the influence of Indian and Tibetan culture, and now it is a symbol of the nation’s pride that depicts a distinctive lifestyle.
The diversity of this country encapsulates innumerable ethnic groups such as Tharus, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Newari, Brahmin, Chhetri, Limbu and many more. This diverse ethnicity lives under the same roof of nature in the lap of gigantic mountains and hills, and the beauty of this ethnicity stretches all the way to distinct cultures and multifarious cuisines. This diverse ethnicity emerged with its own cooking practices and culinary uses, and this ultimately contributed to the rich flavors of delectable Nepali Cuisines, which expanded its fame worldwide.
The cuisines of Nepal vary from one region to another as Nepal is geographically diverse. Being a landlocked country, the origin of the cuisines doesnot carry the seafood, but it has greatly uncountable dishes for you to try. The dishes can be categorized as Newari cuisines, Thakali cuisines, Sherpa cuisines, Tibetan cuisines, Himalayan cuisines, Terai cuisines, and many others. These all will serve you with unique tastes and flavors with distinctive roots of origin. Delving into such cuisines and trying different culturally rich, flavourful dishes is indeed a wonderful experience.
Popular Nepali Breakfast Menu while trekking in the Himalayas
Here are the Nepali breakfast ideas presented:
Selroti with Tea
Selroti is a typical Nepali breakfast that can be served with tea, yogurt, and lentils. It is a sweet ring-shaped doughnut made from the batter of rice flour, sugar, milk, and baking powder. It is the Nepali version of a doughnut that is fried until golden brown. It has a crunchy texture but is soft and mellow from the inside. The delicious selroti unites the family for breakfast and gives a sugary treat for a long day to go. Selroti blends perfectly with tea, and the combination is considered one of the healthy and delicious Nepali breakfast items.
Anda Chiura
Anda Chiura is another common breakfast of Nepal and it is widely accessible in any part of the country. It is a delicious breakfast that is made from beaten rice (Chiura), veggies, onions, eggs, and spices. The ingredients are fried to give a crispy texture of Chiura and jelly texture of the veggies. It is enjoyed by many people and is an excellent choice for the breakfast. It is served with chutney or vegetable curry alongside the milk tea.
Sukkha roti or chapati
Sukkha roti is made from the dough of wheat flour. The wheat flour is mixed with water and meaded until it becomes the dough. Then, the dough is given a round shape and heated in a pan. It is served with vegetable curry, Daal, chutney, or yogurt and is a healthy Nepali Breakfast option. This is a very popular dish in Nepal and can be available in any geographical part of Nepal. and can also be customized with the flavor of ghee or butter.
Aalu Chana
This serves as a balanced diet with adequate carbohydrates and protein. The boiled potatoes, cut into pieces, will be fried with the soaked grains along with some veggies, onion, and spices. It is the perfect blend of flavor and nutrients to consume and keeps you full for hours. It can also be customized and served with boiled eggs. You can have aalu chana with a cup of milk, lemon, or black tea.
Tsampa Porridge
Tsampa Porridge is prepared by grinding the roasted barley. It can be served with milk or water to make a soft jelly like paste and can be topped with nuts and fruits. This is a Tibetan dish that is mainly dominant in the Sherpa kitchen. It provides you with enough energy and warmth to deal with the coldness of the high Himalayan region.
Toast with butter and jam
Though it's not the traditional Nepali breakfast, it is widely accepted and consumed in many parts of the country. During your Himalayan trekking journey, you’ll be presented with these on the menu, and you can start your day with light toast with butter or jam. It can be served with milk tea or black tea or with a cup of milk.
Puri tarkari
Puri Tarkari is one of the delicious Nepali breakfast items that is blended with rich flavors and culinary products. Puri is the roti but fried in the oil instead of heated in the pan. The process is the same and it is fried brown red and served with tarkari. Tarkari is a curry of mixed vegetables like onions, potatoes, garlic, grains, lentils, tomatoes, and peas.
Bara
Bara is a newari dish and is rich in flavor and taste. It is made from the paste of lentils, garlic, ginger, and salt and is served with chutney or tarkari. It can be eaten with eggs and chicken as toppings. Generally, it is eaten in compatible with chyang and Aila but you can try the taste of Bara during your trekking journey.
Daal Bhat
Daal Bhaat is a healthy and nutritious food served with multiple items on a single plate. It comprises Daal (lentil soup), Bhat (rice), veggies, achar (pickle), ghee, salad, and curd. It can also be eaten with chicken gravy, paneer, mushroom, or any non-veg items you like. Dal Bhat is a classic Nepali dish and is highly nutritious. This will keep you full and supply you with enough energy during your trekking journey in Nepal. Make sure to try Daal Bhat, customizing it as you like.
Bhuteko Bhat
Bhuteko Bhat is simply known as fried rice. The leftover rice from the night will be stir-fried with mixed vegetables like potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, grains, garlic, and spices. It can also be eaten with eggs and chicken. It is a nutritious food that will keep you full of energy. It is a popular choice for breakfast in Nepal and can be served with chutney.
Samosa tarkari
Samosa is a widely famous street food that serves as an ideal breakfast. It is a triangular pastry filled with potatoes, masala, peas, grains, and sometimes peanuts. Then, it is deep-fried in oil and served with tarkari. Tarkari is a curry made from vegetables like peas, lentils, onions, potatoes, and spices. The flavor of Samosa and Tarkari intertwines and forms an ideal dish fro breakfast. It can also be served with chutneys and tea.
Pancakes
A pancake is a type of flat, frequently round, and thin cake that is made using a starch-based batter and fried on a frying pan. The batter contains eggs, flour, milk, butter, and baking powder. Additives for the batter may include chocolate chips, cheddar, apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and buttermilk. You can also use spices like nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is not a traditional Nepali breakfast, but it can be enjoyed greatly. It is served with toppings of fruits, nuts, and cherries. Oatmeal can be made from dehusked, steamed, and flattened oats or from hulled oat grains that have been ground, rolled, or steel-cut into coarse flour. It is highly beneficial and is good for weight control and heart-healthy effects. Oatmeal will keep you full and supply you with adequate energy.
Hash brown, boiled, or mashed potatoes
Hashbrown is not a traditional Nepali meal, but it can be served during your trekking journey. Hasbrown contains potatoes and onions fried until brown. It is served with chutney or ketchup. Hash brown is a delicious item to consider for breakfast. Along with that, you can also ask for boiled or mashed potatoes as an alternative to hash browns.
Varieties of eggs
Eggs are the perfect items to eat for breakfast. You can ask for boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, or omelet, according to you. Eggs are rich in protein and healthy fat that will keep you filled for hours. It provides you with enough fuel during your trekking journey. Eggs can also be served with bread and roti.
Khaja set
Khaja set is a combination of a bunch of dishes on a single plate. It consists of beaten rice (Chiura), veggies, chana, potatoes, pickles, papad, bhatmas, eggs, beans, and local bread. You’ll also be served with tarkari to enjoy the diverse flavor of Nepali cuisine in a single meal.
Aalu Paratha
Aalu Paratha is another ideal option for breakfast. It is stuffed with veggies keema inside roti and heated in the pan with ghee or butter. Veggie keema consists of mashed potatoes, onions, garlic, coriander, and spices. Upon ready, it is served with chutney or tarkari. It is nutritious and keeps you full of energy.
Suji haluwa
Suji haluwa is a sweet dish made from suji, milk and ghee. It is stir fried and made creamy with adding milk. It is then garnished with cardamom, nuts, and fruits. It is an ideal option to consider for breakfast. Suji haluwa serves as a grand celebration in Nepali households and is considered as healthy Nepali Breakfast.
Tingmo
This is a new Nepali breakfast food approach and is inspired by Tibetan culture. Tingmo is also called Tibetan fluffy bread, and this is one of the popular breakfast meals in the teahouses of the high Himalayan region. It consists of wheat flour, yeast, and steamed The dish is prepared in the sherpa household in the same way the momo is prepared. By steaming it for minutes, Tingmo is prepared, and it can be served with salad, veggies, tarkari, and chutney. This is a nutritional item to take for breakfast and supply you with enough energy.
Buckwheat bread
Buckwheat bread is a highly nutritious Nepali breakfast that is served with stir-fried boiled potatoes. It is also known as Fapar ko roti and has its own unique taste and texture. Buckwheat is one of the healthiest substitutes for other flour as it is higher in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. This can be eaten as breakfast by heating it in a pan with some butter or ghee. This matches perfectly with the vegetable curries and can also be eaten with chutney and tea.
Gain Insights On:
Popular Nepali Breakfast Menu at Hotel in major cities
Here are the lists of Nepali breakfast ideas for you to try at hotels in major cities:
| S.N | Name of Dishes | Variations | Description | Influence |
| 1 | Sausages | Chicken sausages, Buff sausages, sausage rolls, sausage pizza, sausage burritos, hot dogs, etc | highly nutritious and served with boiled, stir-fried, and deeply fried | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 2 | Waffle | Fruit waffles, Nutella waffles, Classic waffles, Ice Cream waffles, etc | Made from batter cooked between two patterned plates | Multiple culinary traditions, influenced from Belgium |
| 3 | Eggs | Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, omelettes, etc | Served with bread and roti. Highly rich in protein and healthy fat | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 4 | Sandwich | Chicken sandwich, buff sandwich, veg sandwich, etc | Delicious patty covered with a loaf of bread Enriched with sauce and spices | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to American cuisine |
| 5 | Burgers | Classic burger, chicken crispy burger, veg burger, cheeseburger, bbq burger, etc | Delicious patty covered with a bun on two sides Enriched with sauce and spices | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to American cuisine |
| 6 | Bacon | Smoked bacon, turkey bacon, etc | salt-cured pork made from various cuts Highly delicious and nutrious | Considered to be American cuisine |
| 7 | Momo | Chicken momo, buff momo, veg momo, pork momo, etc | Delicious keema covered with delicate dough and steamed Served with chutney and soup | Nepali cuisine |
| 8 | Pancakes | Banana pancake, apple pancake, blueberry pancake, choco-berry pancake etc | Type of batter bread Served with honey | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 9 | Tea and biscuits | Milk tea, lemon tea, black tea, herbal tea, cookies, biscuits | Flavored | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 10 | Bread and jam | Local bread, fresh roti, butter, varieties of flavored jam | Local bread spread with peanut butter and flavored jam | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 11 | Cheese wrap | Bacon cheese wrap, classic cheese wrap, double cheese wrap, veggie cheese wrap, etc | Melted cheese wrapped with a thin/medium layer of roti | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to Mexico |
| 12 | Muffins | Vanilla muffins, chocolate muffins, blueberry muffins, nut muffins, etc | Baked product | European cuisine |
| 13 | Toast | French toast, avocado toast, bruschetta, etc | Bread browned by heat | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 14 | Corn flakes | With toppings, nuts, fruits, chocolate syrup, etc | Made by toasting flakes of corn Served with milk and toppings | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 15 | Museli | Customizable with nuts and fruits | Mixture of oats, nuts, seeds Served with toppings | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 16 | Fruits | Apple, banana, strawberry, Mango, Pineapple, Watermelon, etc | Nature’s sweet and juicy treats | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 17 | Salad | Raw greens, vegetables, legumes etc | Chopped veggies Rich in fibre | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 18 | Oats | With preferred toppings of fruits and dry fruits | Nutritious, rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 19 | croissants | Chocolate croissant, ham croissant, vanilla croissant, etc | Puff pastry in a crescent shape Layered with cream and chocolate batter | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 20 | Tacos | Chicken tacos, buff tacos, pork tacos, veg tacos, fish tacos, etc | Tortilla filled with seasoned chicken, buff, paneer or potatoes keema | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to France |
| 21 | Thukpa | Veg thukpa, chicken thukpa, buff thukpa, pork thukpa, etc | Delicious soup of noodles, tofu, chicken and veggies | Nepali cuisine |
| 22 | Pasta | Chicken pasta, veg pasta, buff pasta, pork pasta, paneer pasta etc | Made from wheat flour, mixed with delectable veggies and meat Served with sauce | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to Italy |
| 23 | Roti and curry | Sukkha roti, naan, paratha, chicken curry, fish curry, mushroom curry, paneer curry, etc | Made from dough of wheat flour served with the gravy of chicken, fish or mushroom | Nepali cuisine |
| 24 | Pakoda | Chicken pakoda, veg pakoda, mushroom pakoda, paneer pakoda etc | Chopped veggies mixed in batter and fried Served with sauce and chutneys | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to India |
| 25 | Dosa | Cheese dosa, onion dosa, masala dosa, etc | Made from batter of rice and wheat and stuffed with veggies Served with chutneys | Multiple culinary traditions while credited to South India |
| 26 | Donuts | Chocolate donuts, vanilla donuts, plain donuts, etc | Type of pastry | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 27 | Pastries | Veg pastry, chicken pastry, cheese pastry, etc | Baked product with flour | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 28 | Yogurt | Curd, yogurt, juju dhau, etc | Dairy product Delicious | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 29 | Cereals | Wheat, rice, maize, barley, etc | Nutritious Excellent source of carbs and protein | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 30 | Coffee and Tea | According to your preferences | Beverage brewed from roasted coffee beans Beverage brewed from tea leaves | Multiple culinary traditions |
| 31 | Dhido | Grains, flours, etc | Made from buckwheat or millet | Nepali Cuisine |
FAQs
How nutritious will the Nepali Breakfast be?
Nepali cuisines are known as nutritious and healthy among many other South Asian dishes. Nepali dishes comprise local vegetables, lentils, and homemade masala and rely on a less fat diet. The nutrition comprises healthy fat, sufficient carbohydrates, lean protein, various vitamins and minerals. The typical Nepali breakfast options encompass these elements of nutrition and are high in calories. This will keep you full and provide you with sufficient energy for your trekking.
What are some renowned traditional Nepali breakfasts to enjoy during trekking in Nepal?
There are many famous Nepali breakfasts to enjoy during trekking in Nepal but out of them, the must-try is Sel Roti. This dish is mostly made in Nepal during the time of celebrations or festivals and is shared as a token of love. The ring-shaped doughnut of rice flour gives you an authentic taste with a crunchy texture from the outside while enjoying the mellowness of the inside. In the same way, other dishes like Bara, Chatamari, Puri tarkari, Roti, Aalu Paratha, Suji Haluwa, Momo, and many others can serve you with excellent taste.
How will the food quality of Nepal Breakfast be while trekking in Nepal?
The food quality of Nepali Breakfast will be fresh and warm and will be served with warmhospitality. The food will be prepared right after your order, and you’ll not be served with any leftovers. Most veggies are comprised of local homegrown products while some will be transported from urban cities. Curd, milk, salad, and vegetable dishes can be enjoyed greatly as you’ll be treated to fresh food. Also, it can be beneficial to avoid meat items during trekking as the meat will be transported by the porter in donkey, and that can take days to reach the high Himalayan region.
Is it ideal to have Daal Bhaat for Breakfast?
While Daal Bhaat is usually eaten for lunch and dinner, there is no hard and fast rule that it cannot be eaten for breakfast. It can completely be enjoyed for breakfast and can be a perfect option during trekking in Nepal. A trekking journey demands burning calories, and that requires the consumption of healthy and nutritious food. Daal Bhat will provide you with enough energy to accomplish your trekking journey with ease. On top of that, though Daal Bhat is a common food all over Nepal, its taste varies with geographical location, with distinct items, spices, masala, and way of preparation. You can definitely try Daal Bhat for Breakfast and even for snacks.
