Nepal is a land of cultural diversity. Food in Nepal has always been one of the most beautiful ways to connect with the culture reflecting heritage and identity. We, the 7th semester students of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan were assigned with the “Traditional Cuisine with Cultural Message” themed activity. So, for this, I along with my four friends (Sadiksha Karkee, Sadikshya Koirala, Utsav Pageni and Unisha Aryal) teamed up and prepared a traditional dish from Pokhara known as “Pokhreli Jetho Budho”. We served it with cauliflower curry and homemade tomato pickle. During the process, we revived and shared the cultural values attached to Pokhreli Jetho Budho.
For every Nepalese (specifically for Pokhrelis), Jetho Budho is a special indigenous local rice variety for the preparation of traditional rice-based meal. This local rice variety is well known for its pleasant aroma, soft texture and unique taste and has been cultivated for generations in Pokhara valley. It represents authentic Pokhreli taste.
How we prepared the dish? First of all, rice preparation was done. For this, the Pokhreli Jetho Budho rice was washed with clean water. After that, it was soaked in clean water for about half an hour. After the soaking process was completed, the soaked rice was then cooked over low flame in a pressure cooker adding a spoon ghee. Cauliflower was fried with onions, tomatoes, garlic and local spices to make a flavorful curry to serve with the prepared rice. To add a burst of flavor, tomato pickle was also prepared. After everything was made ready, the dish was then finally served for tasting purpose.
Flowchart showing preparation process
Cooking and serving the dish was a memorable experience for us. At the almost end of the Bachelor life, we gathered, prepared the dish and enjoyed sharing insights about the cultural values of it. At the same moment, we realized that this will not be just our classroom assignment when we remember this day in our future. It will be the memories we built together during the process of assignment accomplishment that will stay with us forever.
