“So is it going to be the Trans Siberian to Vladivostok or should we try the reverse “hippie trail” then on to London and New York?” Dan asked.

Dan and I had been dating since the summer of 1970.  We had spent some time trekking around “his village” in Bhojpur in Eastern Nepal where he was stationed as a Peace Corps volunteer.  We had become more than good friends. 

In another few months his Peace Corps assignment would come to an end.  Like many volunteers, Dan chose to travel through other countries on his way home.

Meanwhile my mother was being inundated with proposals from eligible bachelors for my hand in marriage!  Unlike most Nepali parents mine were quite liberal and tolerated me continuing to work and stall instead of steering me into an arranged marriage.   But now I had reached the ripe old age of 26 and I had not made up my mind about graduate school or marriage.  I knew the next time I met my mother she would be more insistent.

My Dad came up with a solution.  He and my grand-dad would fund a trip for me to wherever I wanted to go for about six months.  They figured this would take care of my wanderlust.  Upon my return I was to make up my mind as to whether I would continue school or marry one of the eligible bachelors of good social standing.  I opted for a trip and promised to make up my mind and do the needful after.

They were not aware of Dan.

So here we were on a crisp, sunny December day in Kathmandu, sprawled over a world map on the floor trying to decide the route for his return home to Alaska and my sojourn to wherever for a few months.

At that time the Nepalese government was reluctant to issue passports to their citizens, especially to women, without authorization from parents or guardians.  My dad was busy tending to business in India.  We did not have much time to plan the trip.

 Dan came up with: “Well, then how about if we get married?  That should speed up the passport paperwork.”

“That sounds like a proposal.”  Said I.

Dan placed his watch on the floor between us and said:

“It is, and you have 5 minutes to say yes.”

Saying “no” meant I would probably do my mother’s bidding, marry well and lead a comfortable life probably close to home.

Saying “yes” to this self-confident to the point of arrogant, certainly far-from-wealthy, Alaskan would mean facing an unknown future.  The only “known’s” were experiencing the true Nepal - its villages, its mountain peoples, camping out in remote regions, sleeping in paddy fields, almost getting swept away by a flash flood, trekking by moonlight, long chats over camp fires with the Himalayas silhouetted against the darkening skies….

Dan picked up his watch, raised two fingers and said: “3 minutes is up, 2 to go.”

I knew if I analyzed my thoughts my answer would be “No.”

So it was: “OK, let’s do it.”

We had planned supper at the Lido, a favorite Chinese Restaurant among the Peace Corps volunteers. We changed our minds, stayed home and decided to cook up a hearty Nepali gaunlê (village) supper of daal, bhat, tarkari ( Nepali style rice, lentil and curry) and plan our trip.

Nepali village style food was a novelty in our home.  The recipes were inevitably doctored with a few exotic spices.  I learned to cook it the authentic way and appreciate it while on treks with Dan.  Prior to his Peace Corps days, Dan had never even heard of “daal/bhat.”

Tukan Tarkari (mustard greens)

Ingredients:

2 cups mustard greens. Washed and chopped.
½ teaspoon ajwain*
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the ajwain seeds until it gets dark
2. Add mustard greens and stir well.
3. Add salt and cumin
4. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Note: ajwain seeds can be found in Indian grocery stores.  You can substitute dried thyme and a pinch of pepper.

Palak Tarkari (Spinach curry)

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach greens. Washed and chopped.
1 Tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ inch fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Grind ginger and garlic and set aside*
2. Heat oil in a saucepan, add spinach and stir well.
2. Add the garlic/ginger paste along with the cumin.
3. Cover and steam for a few minutes.

Note: *I use mortar and pestle to grind the garlic and ginger. Sometimes I use garlic/ginger paste mix.  You can purchase this at any Indian grocery store.

Nepali Daal

Ingredients

½ cup of daal*
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon of mustard oil or ghee*
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups water
½ teaspoon jimbu**

Directions

1. Boil water and a quarter tablespoon ghee.
2. Put the daal and the salt in the water and...
3. Cook for an hour for black daal and half an hour for yellow daal.
4. Add ground ginger and set aside.
5. Heat the rest of the ghee in a small frying pan.
6. Fry the jimbu or minced onion until crisp and stir it in the daal.

Note:

*I use mung beans that have been skinned and split or Red lentils.  You can substitute split peas for mung beans and masoor or yellow lentils for red lentils. These hold their shapes better when cooked.
*I use ghee. available at any Indian grocery store. Ghee is clarified butter, somewhat similar to “drawn butter” served with lobster or crab. Ghee lacks hydrogenated oils and is lactose free.
*Jimbu Allium hypsistum has onion like flavor. You can substitute 1 or 2 Tablespoon of finely minced fried onion for the jimbu.

Daal-Bhat/Moo Bhuja (Lentils and Rice)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice. Rinsed
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 ½ cups hot water
½ cup lentil Rinsed.
½ inch fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 Tablespoon ghee
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Mix rice, lentil turmeric, ginger and salt.
2. Add hot water to the pan. The level of water should be approx 1 inch above the mixture.
3. Lower the heat slightly
4. Cover and simmer until done.
5. Check regularly to make sure rice does not burn at the bottom.
6. Rice and lentils are done when it is medium firm; not very soft or sticky.
7. Add cumin and ghee and mix well.
8. Simmer in low heat for approximately 10 minutes.

Chicken Bhutuwa (Stir-Fried Chicken)

Ingredients

1.5 lb. Chicken cut into bite size pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 in. ginger, minced
2 or 3 fresh red chilies, minced
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon mustard oil*
4 tablespoons mustard oil
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds*
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine chicken pieces with garlic and ginger paste, chili flakes, cumin powder, turmeric and 1 tablespoon of mustard oil.
2. Toss well to coat thoroughly.
3. In a non-stick pan heat 4 tablespoons of mustard oil.
4. Fry fenugreek till it turns dark.
5. Add chicken pieces to the pan.
6. Stir-fry chicken in medium heat until cooked through.
7. If it starts to burn, add a little water.
8. Add salt to taste.

Note: Fenugreek is available as seed or powder. You can find it in Indian and Middle Eastern markets. You can omit the ingredient if you wish.

*You can substitute any vegetable oil for mustard oil.  Mustard oil is used is most Nepali recipes.

Golbhera Achar (Tomato Chutney)

2 large tomatoes chopped.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 inch piece ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced.
1 or 2 green chili pepper, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon oil (mustard if possible.)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
a handful or mint greens or coriander leaves