What comes to your mind when you heard ‘vegetables’? You might give a long list of vegetable names that you are consuming on a daily basis. But when you think about traditional Nepali food and vegetables based products, it might take you quite long to make a list, right? It is because they are not easily available in the market. Here are the most typical vegetables having their own history to try at least once.
Gundruk
We all Nepalese are familiar with the taste of it. Gundruk is the fermented product of green leafy vegetables. Leafy vegetables such as mustard leaf and Rayo are the main vegetables used for lactic acid fermentation. Leaf of cauliflower is also used in some parts of Nepal. Mostly, it is prepared during winters when these leafy vegetables are available. And we can preserve it for long without affecting its taste. It is very popular among us. Mostly we consume it as soup and by making pickles.
Sinki
Some people say gundruk and Sinki are the same things. But actually, it’s not. Sinki is the fermented product of radish and carrot leaf. It can be stored for a long and we can consume it throughout the year. The name Sinki is not as popular as gundruk because some call it gundruk.
Bamboo shoot (Tama)
Tama is popular in the bamboo growing region of Nepal. It is the lactic acid fermented product of bamboo shoot. Tama is popular for curry and pickles. In the Newari community, Aalu-Tama-Bodi is one of the popular items made from Tama. And, also consumed in other communities.
Masyaura
Masyaura is the typical Nepali food. It contains carbohydrates and protein in a good combination. It is the legume-based product made from black lentil and vegetables. Mainly shoot of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is used to make Masyaura.
Khalpi
Khalpi is one of the popular traditional fermented pickles made from cucumber. It is commonly known as ‘KAKRA KO ACHAR’.
