As the name itself suggests, Thakali food is the food that originated from the Thakali culture of Nepal. Nepal is a country full of beautiful culture and adventure, and the diverse culture gave birth to such delicacies. Since Nepal is between two big countries, India and Nepal, the culture and food habits are influenced, and they can find the combination of both cultures in the foods.
The foods around here being a more cultural thing than just something that tastes good or something to fulfill your hunger has their essence and history behind their emergence. Among such foods from the outcome of ethnic groups, Thakali food is one, and it has been gaining a lot of popularity. Thakali food originated from the mountainous region of Nepal from the people of the Thakali ethnicity.
These people and this food are only found in the mid-elevations mountains. However, since many people have gotten the taste of the food and demand it, restaurants and hotels everywhere around Nepal have offered Thakali food. Some restaurants and hotels are dedicated specifically to offering only Thakali food. There are a lot of Thakali restaurants with famous tourist destinations in Nepal, like Kathmandu and Pokhara. If you are visiting Nepal or have not yet tried Thakali food, it is a must-try. It is one of the most popular foods, so you would not want to miss it.
What Thakali food composed of?
When people hear Thakali food, they only think about dal, rice, curry, and pickle, but it is more than that. A complete Thakali meal comprises many food items that form a complete Thakali plate. It comprises locally grown buckwheat, millet, rice, maize, and dal. A unique dal, also made from ground and dried buckwheat leaves. Other foods like pickles, gundruk, and ghee are also included with fried and gravy curry of vegetables and non-veg food that complements everything else. There are sausages, Thukpa, momo, chapatis, curry, and buckwheat finger chips that will also serve you according to your choice.
Thakali food considers the best khana set that can be eaten either for lunch or dinner. The taste and aroma of the Thakali cuisine are excellent, which will make you crave it again, and you are more likely to return to try it. While roaming around the trekking sites in Nepal, you might find some places where authentic Thakali food is served. However, you would be fortunate to find Thakali food out in the wild. It is a special meal that might not have been found everywhere, but it is prevalent in the urban cities and can be found in many places, like Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Best Thakali restaurants in the city of temples; Kathmandu
Since Thakali foods became widespread, many Thakali restaurants mushroomed in the city. If you get confused about where to go to get the best experience, here are some of the best restaurants where you can find good Thakali food. There are Thakali restaurants everywhere in Kathmandu, but you would be surprised to know that the best three ones are all in Tangal.
LeteThakali Kitchen, Tangal
(Rating 9/10)
Tangal is widely known as a growing food famous for its great Thakali restaurants. LeteThakali Kitchen is the first to serve authentic Thakali cuisines in the Tangal area. The name of the restaurant is kept after a small Thakali village in Mustang. The favorites in this place are their potato and vegetable curry cooked in Jimbu and Gundruk ko achar in the Thakalaikhana set. A minced radish pickle known as Mulathepeachaar is also served as a side relish. The food and customer service are great there.
JimbuThakali Capital Grill and Panya, Tangal
(Rating 9/10)
Located just in front of another popular Thakalai restaurant, NilgiriThakali Delights is JimbuThakali Capital Grill and Panya. It gives careful attention to each item served, which sets this place apart. Besides Thakalikhana, there are other delicacies like Kanchemba, which you might fall in love with.
Nilgiri Thakali Delights, Thamel
(Rating 9.5/10)
We consider this the best Thakali restaurant in Kathmandu, if not the best, one of the top ones. One of the renowned chefs, Shambhu Basnet, operated until December 2017 and had over 15 years of experience in Thakali cuisine. He passed away suddenly in December 2017, but still, the restaurant is operating in the old times. It has the best Daal, perfectly balanced, creamy, thick, and flavorful. We dedicate this whole hotel to Thakali foods, and you might find new Thakali foods that you might not have ever heard of before. It is comparatively more expensive than other Thakali restaurants, but the extra money you pay will be worth it.
Conclusion
Is Thakali food worth it? Definitely! Is visiting these pace worth the effort? It would be safe to say that if you do not visit the places we have mentioned here, you would lose a big chunk of experiencing the authentic Nepali cuisine. Besides Thakali cuisines, there are also tons of other local cuisines as well. Have you tried the must try Nepali Dishes? If you haven’t, do give them a try after filling your stomach up with the thakali dishes.