Rai Recipes & Cuisine
Traditional recipes from the Rai community — authentic Kirat Rai dishes passed down through generations. From Gundruk and Dhido to Chyang and Sinki, explore the flavors of eastern Nepal.
Featured Answer
What is Rai Cuisine?
Rai cuisine is shaped by the eastern Himalayan hills — fermented foods like Gundruk and Sinki, grain-based staples like Dhido (millet porridge), and traditional drinks like Chyang (rice beer). Rai cooking relies on local ingredients: millet, buckwheat, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and seasonal vegetables. Many dishes are preserved through fermentation, a technique developed for the mountain climate.
main Dishes
5 traditional main recipes
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Ingredients
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Tama Curry (Bamboo Shoot)
Tangy, spicy curry made from fermented bamboo shoots — a hearty vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- •1 cup bamboo shoots
- •1 cup black-eyed peas
- •2 potatoes, cubed
- •2 tbsp mustard oil
- •1 tsp cumin
- •1 onion
- •2 tomatoes
- •2 cups water
Instructions
- 1.Fry cumin in oil.
- 2.Add onion, fry golden.
- 3.Add tomatoes, spices.
- 4.Add bamboo shoots, peas, potatoes.
- 5.Add water, cook 45 min.
Sukuti (Dried Meat)
A traditional dried meat delicacy — smoked, dried, then fried into a spicy snack.
Ingredients
- •500g buffalo meat
- •2 tbsp mustard oil
- •1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- •1 tsp turmeric
- •1 tsp red chili powder
- •1/2 tsp timur
- •Salt
Instructions
- 1.Slice meat thin.
- 2.Marinate 1 hour.
- 3.Hang to dry 2-3 days.
- 4.Fry dried pieces crispy.
- 5.Add onions, garlic, spices.
- 6.Serve with chyang.
Gundruk ko Jhol
A warming, tangy soup made from fermented mustard greens — a staple dish in Rai households.
Ingredients
- •2 cups dried gundruk
- •2 tbsp mustard oil
- •1 tsp cumin seeds
- •1 tsp turmeric powder
- •2 green chilies
- •1 onion
- •2 cloves garlic
- •1 inch ginger
- •4 cups water
- •Salt
Instructions
- 1.Soak gundruk 10 min.
- 2.Heat oil, splutter cumin.
- 3.Add onion, fry golden.
- 4.Add garlic, ginger, turmeric.
- 5.Add gundruk and water.
- 6.Simmer 15 min.
- 7.Garnish with cilantro.
Dhido (Millet Porridge)
The quintessential Rai staple food — thick, hearty porridge made from millet or buckwheat flour.
Ingredients
- •2 cups millet flour
- •4 cups water
- •1/2 tsp salt
- •1 tbsp ghee
Instructions
- 1.Boil water with salt.
- 2.Add flour in steady stream.
- 3.Stir continuously to prevent lumps.
- 4.Cook until thick and pulling away from sides.
- 5.Add ghee, knead until smooth.
- 6.Serve with gundruk soup.
fermented Dishes
2 traditional fermented recipes
Sinki ko Achar
A spicy, tangy pickle made from fermented radish — a treasured preserved food for festivals.
Ingredients
- •2 cups sinki
- •2 tbsp mustard oil
- •1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- •1/2 tsp turmeric
- •2 dried red chilies
- •2 tbsp tomatoes
- •1 tbsp sesame seeds
- •Salt
Instructions
- 1.Soak sinki 15 min, chop.
- 2.Fry fenugreek in oil.
- 3.Add chilies, turmeric.
- 4.Add sinki, fry 3 min.
- 5.Add tomatoes, cook 5 min.
- 6.Add sesame, timur, salt.
Kinema (Fermented Soybeans)
A pungent, protein-rich food made from fermented soybeans — valued for nutrition and umami.
Ingredients
- •2 cups soybeans
- •1 tsp mustard oil
- •1 onion
- •2 cloves garlic
- •1 tomato
- •Salt
Instructions
- 1.Soak soybeans overnight.
- 2.Boil until soft (2-3 hours).
- 3.Place in bamboo basket with fern leaves.
- 4.Cover and ferment 2-3 days.
- 5.Fry with onions and tomatoes.
side Dishes
2 traditional side recipes
Mula ko Achar
Quick fresh pickle made from radish — adds crunch and tang to meals.
Ingredients
- •4 radishes, sliced
- •1 tbsp mustard oil
- •1/2 tsp turmeric
- •1 tsp mustard seeds
- •2 green chilies
- •Lemon juice
- •Salt
Instructions
- 1.Slice radishes thin.
- 2.Heat oil with mustard seeds.
- 3.Add turmeric, pour over radishes.
- 4.Add chilies, lemon, salt.
- 5.Rest 10 minutes.
Kodo ko Roti (Finger Millet Flatbread)
A nutritious flatbread made from finger millet flour — a gluten-free alternative to wheat bread. This traditional bread is unleavened and cooked on a flat griddle. It's especially common in higher elevation areas where wheat is harder to grow.
Ingredients
- •2 cups finger millet flour (kodo ko pitho)
- •1 cup warm water
- •1/2 teaspoon salt
- •1 tablespoon ghee or oil
Instructions
- 1.Mix finger millet flour and salt in a bowl.
- 2.Gradually add warm water and knead until you have a smooth, pliable dough.
- 3.Divide the dough into small balls.
- 4.Flatten each ball between your palms or on a flat surface using a rolling pin (traditionally done by hand).
- 5.Heat a flat griddle (tawa) over medium heat.
- 6.Cook each flatbread on the griddle for 2-3 minutes per side.
- 7.Press gently with a cloth to help it puff slightly.
- 8.Brush with ghee or oil and serve warm with curries or yogurt.
drink Dishes
1 traditional drink recipe