Commonly used Equipment in the Nepali Kitchen

The Nepali bhancha kotha (kitchen) is beautiful in its simplicity. Preparing food does not require any fancy gadgets and most basic utensils found in the average Western kitchen will suffice. Most food is cooked on the stovetop and villagers in rural parts of Nepal still use homemade clay stoves (chulo) and cook on wood or charcoal fires. Gas, kerosene, and electric stoves, however, have replaced these clay stoves in Kathmandu and many other parts of Nepal. Traditionally, kitchens occupied the top floor of the house and wood was the main source of cooking, so pots and pans were designed to fit wood-burning stoves. Some traditional cooking utensils made of iron, brass, copper, and bronze, with elaborate engraving, are still used in Nepali households, but they have slowly been replaced by modern and more functional utensils. To prepare the recipes in this book, you do not need to purchase special kitchen equipment. However, listed below are some of the more commonly used items that can be useful in making authentic Nepali dishes. Most of these are available through online retailers or at Indian or Asian supermarkets.