Though Nepal is a country of diverse peoples (which means many different types of foods!), one might think of daal bhat as a very ubiquitous Nepali dish. Daal bhat translates literally into ‘lentils’ and ‘rice,’ but it’s often much more than that. Like in many South Asian countries, daal bhaat in Nepal includes other sides to complement the lentil soup and rice, including a seasonal vegetable (takaari) mix, pickles (achaar), and a leafy green side, or saag.
Which brings me to saag. Saag generally means leafy green vegetable, but actually there so many different types that it’s hard to keep them straight. Chinese leafy greens, mustard greens, spinach…. The list goes on.
At my homestay, I’ve found my favorite are ‘pumpkin greens.’ First things first – Moona, the wife/mother in my homestay family, is an amazing cook, so anything she cooks is to die for. (One of the first things I learned how to say without even having to think about it was mito cha! – it’s delicious!) However, I’ve found that despite all being greens, there are definitely differences in the texture and eating experience of the different saags. In my opinion, pumpkin greens just can’t be beat. Mixed with the achaar, bhat, daal, and curry dish, they add the perfect texture and taste to the whole experience, and I just can’t get enough of them. I haven’t yet eaten with my hands this trip, which is the way my family and many Nepali people eat (and which some claim to actually change the way the dish tastes), but I plan to try that soon.
To prepare pumpkin greens, you must first tear off the fibrous outer layer of the stem as you break it into smaller pieces. The first time I saw Omkar, the husband/dad in my homestay family, doing this, I asked to help. For every one of the sections I did, Omkar had done three, but it was still nice to be able to help and learn how to prepare my favorite greens.
I am going to miss daal bhat (and especially Moona’s cooking) so much when I am back in the states, but luckily I recently bought a cookbook to bring back with me. Hopefully it won’t be long before I’ll be replicating some flavors of Nepal in South Bend, IN.