Staples & Mains
Thakali Khana Set
थकाली खाना सेट
The refined set meal of the Thakali people of the Kali Gandaki valley in Mustang, and widely considered Nepal's finest sit-down plate. Rice sits at the centre ringed by jimbu-scented dal, two or three tarkari, sauteed greens, gundruk, radish and tomato achar, papad and a knob of ghee, with meat added if you want it. Timur gives the curries a citrusy tingle rather than raw heat, and the whole tray is built around balance.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 1 h 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
At the stove
Method
Start the dal: simmer the lentils with turmeric, salt and plenty of water for 40 minutes until completely soft, then whisk them loose.
Temper the dal by frying cumin seeds, dried chillies and jimbu in ghee until aromatic, then stirring the sizzling ghee into the pot and covering it immediately.
If serving meat, brown the goat or chicken in mustard oil with browned onion, ginger-garlic paste, tomato, turmeric, coriander, cumin and timur, then simmer covered until tender.
For the tareko aloo, fry the potato cubes in mustard oil with turmeric, chilli and a little cumin until the outsides are crisp and browned.
Wilt the greens quickly in hot oil with a clove of crushed garlic and a pinch of salt, keeping them bright rather than overcooked.
Make the radish achar by grating the daikon, salting it, squeezing out the water, and dressing it with mustard oil, chilli powder, timur and lemon juice.
Cook the rice separately until fluffy, and fry or flame-roast the papadum just before serving.
Assemble each tray with rice at the centre, dal in its own bowl, and the curries, greens, achar and papad ringed around it, adding a spoon of ghee over the rice at the table.
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