Staples & Mains
Choila (Buff)
छोयला
A Newar classic of buffalo meat grilled over flame, then tossed while still warm with mustard oil, ground chilli, timur and a shower of raw ginger and garlic. Haku choila is charred traditionally over a straw fire, while mana choila uses boiled meat instead. Eaten with chiura and beer or aila, it is essential at Newar festivals and forms part of the ceremonial samay baji platter.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Season the meat slabs with salt and turmeric and grill them over charcoal or a very hot flame until the outside is blackened in patches and the inside is just cooked.
Rest the meat for 10 minutes, then slice it into thin bite-sized strips across the grain.
Put the warm meat in a large mixing bowl with the chilli powders, timur, cumin, ginger, garlic and salt.
Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then add the fenugreek seeds and jimbu and let them darken for a few seconds.
Pour the hot spiced oil straight over the meat and spices; it should hiss on contact, which is what blooms the chilli and releases the aroma.
Toss everything thoroughly with a spoon or your hands so each strip is coated in the red oil.
Fold through the lemon juice, coriander and spring onion, then taste and adjust for heat, salt and sourness.
Leave it to sit for 10 minutes so the flavours settle, and serve at room temperature with chiura.
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