A traditional Newari ceremonial platter featuring beaten rice, grilled meat, black soybeans, ginger, garlic, boiled egg, and various pickles. It is the quintessential Newari feast starter served at every celebration.
Ingredients
2 cups chiura (beaten rice)
200g grilled chicken or buffalo choila
1 cup black soybeans, boiled and seasoned
2 boiled eggs, halved
1 inch ginger, julienned
4 cloves garlic, fried crispy
Achar (mixed pickle)
Green leafy saag (spinach)
1 tablespoon mustard oil
Salt and spices to taste
Instructions
1Prepare chiura by lightly moistening beaten rice and spreading on the serving platter as the base.
2Prepare choila by grilling meat and tossing with mustard oil, timur, and spices as per the choila recipe.
3Season boiled black soybeans with salt, turmeric, and a touch of mustard oil.
4Arrange all components on a large platter around the central chiura: choila, black soybeans, boiled egg halves, julienned ginger, fried garlic, saag, and pickle.
5Serve immediately as the first course of the feast. Each person takes from the communal platter.
Did You Know?
The arrangement of items on a samay baji platter follows a specific ritual order, and the number of items served indicates the importance of the occasion, with the most elaborate feasts featuring over twenty components.