What is Thakali cuisine? The Himalayan food tradition arriving in India

In Nepal, khanubhayo? (have you eaten?) is an unfettered reverential greeting diagnostic of the warmth and hospitality of the Nepalese people. The country’s culinary scenery — often synonymous with momos and daal-bhaat — has besides been shaped by section ingredients and flavours, particularly Thakali cuisine. Considered the richest ethnolinguistic radical of Nepal, Thakalis hail from Thak-sat-se oregon the Thak Khola portion successful the Kali Gandaki River vale of the Mustang District successful north-central Nepal. Their population, arsenic per the census and assorted surveys, is estimated astatine astir 15,000 globally.

Introducing India to Thakali cuisine is Kathmandu-based Thakali Vivek Man Sherchan, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who operates Jimbu Thakali, a concatenation of restaurants successful Nepal. All acceptable to unfastened the chain’s archetypal outlet successful India soon, astatine M3M IFC, Sector 66, Gurugram, helium says, “Delhi-NCR mightiness person galore places serving Nepali food, but we wanted to bring authentic Thakali flavours which spell beyond the stereotypes.”

Charting history

In his book, The Thakali: A Himalayan Ethnography, published successful 1998, Danish student Michael Vinding reflects connected however 1855-56 Nepal-Tibet War proved to beryllium the harbinger of prosperity and governmental proximity for Thakalis who marque up 1% of Nepal’s population. Their co-operation and enactment arsenic soldiers and translators for the Nepali forces nether past Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana was rewarded with aggregate concern opportunities successful brackish trade, mining, import-export of animals, nutrient items, spices, and arsenic customs collectors.

Michael points retired that successful 1927 the authorities abolished the aged customs collecting system, including the monopoly connected the commercialized of salt. As a result, the accepted merchant assemblage not lone took to migration from Mustang to confederate regions for amended prospects, it besides took up agriculture, carnal husbandry, and established hotels and restaurants.

The culinary exchanges implicit these commercialized routes were instrumental successful processing Thakali cuisine, blending Himalayan ingredients with salt-route spices and Tibetan influences. These influences are reflected successful section staples similar buckwheat, millets, jimbu (a herb belonging to the onion/garlic family), timur (Sichuan oregon Nepali pepper), sukuti (dried meat), gundruk (fermented leafy greens) and sinki (fermented radish roots). Through the aged commercialized routes, Thakalis were introduced to Indian spices similar turmeric, cumin, ginger, and fenugreek.

From mom’s kitchen

At the Tangal subdivision of Jimbu Thakali, Vivek guides the guests done the sweet, sour, spicy, frugal, and affluent componentsof a Thakali meal. It usually starts with kanchemba (buckwheat fries), and jimbu-tempered potatoes. “The purpose was to bring authentic Thakali — home-cooked, traditional, comfortableness nutrient — to guests. Hence, my parent (Prabha Sherchan) played an important portion successful finalising each the recipes and the menus. Everyone says that her ladle is exceptional,” says Vivek, who started the concatenation successful 2016, which has present expanded to 4 outlets — 3 successful Kathmandu and 1 successful Patan.

His program to bring the nutrient to the Indian superior successful 2021 was undone by the pandemic, but helium ever wanted a Durbar Square-like setting, showcasing the acclaimed Newari woodwork, astatine the chain’s Indian outlet.

This indigenous architecture, developed by the Newars, the superior residents of the Kathmandu Valley, blends Hindu and Buddhist motifs. The ornate Newari windows and doors are the defining characteristics of the Patan and Kathmandu Durbar squares, among galore different palaces, temples, and houses. 

Vivek is definite that Thakali flavours would beryllium well-received successful Delhi-NCR. “It volition not beryllium a wholly unfamiliar palate for them arsenic determination are a batch of similarities betwixt Indian and Nepali nutrient erstwhile it comes to utilizing spices and produce,” helium says. “But the dilatory cooking methods, particularly our daal, and ingredients similar jimbu, timur, and phapar (buckwheat) not lone specify Thakali food, they besides acceptable it apart.”

In a accepted Thakali meal, daalbhat (lentils and rice), tarkari (vegetables), achaar (pickles), gundruk, sekuwa (grilled meat), masu (meat curry), marque for the cardinal dishes. Dhido, a heavy buckwheat oregon millet porridge, and ghoken (buckwheat pancakes), mixed with homemade aromatic ghee are an integral portion of it. Most of the dishes are slow-cooked, lightly tempered, and layered with flavours. In spices, timur and jimbu stand out. Apart from these, Jimbu Thakali successful Gurugram volition besides service lesser-known Nepali delicacies from different communities. Their choila wings are made with accepted Newari spices and mustard oil. Mutton Sukuti is simply a accepted Nepali delicacy made from dried, smoked goat meat.

What began arsenic a seasonal nutrient concern for the Thakalis yet helped them diversify into trade, hospitality and entrepreneurship. Today, that aforesaid instinct for adaptation and accidental continues to signifier the community’s success.

Through Jimbu Thakali, Vivek hopes not lone to present diners to a distinctive culinary tradition, but besides to connection a glimpse into the history, civilization and resilience of a assemblage whose communicative is profoundly intertwined with Nepal’s commercialized routes and upland landscapes.