Kwati (soup)
 A bowl of kwati | |
| Alternative names | (Nepali: क्वाँटी) |
|---|---|
| Course | mixed soup |
| Main ingredients | black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean |
Kwāti (Nepal Bhasa: क्वाँती; Nepali: क्वाँटी) is a mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans. It is a traditional Nepalese dish consumed on the festival of Gun Punhi, the full moon day of Gunlā which is the tenth month in the Nepal Era lunar calendar. Kwāti is eaten as a delicacy and for its health benefits and ritual significance.[1][2]
The feast day coincides with Shravan Poornima of the month of Shravan in the Hindu lunisolar calendar which is celebrated as Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan), the festival of the sacred thread. The festival occurs in August.[3][4]
Production
Nine varieties of beans are used to make kwāti. The most commonly used ingredients are black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean.
The beans are soaked in water for three to four days until they have sprouted. They are boiled with various spices to make a thick soup. Lovage seeds are bloomed in oil and added to it as the special seasoning. Flatbread cut into one-and-a-half-inch squares can be boiled with the kwāti for variety.[5][6]
See also
References
- ^ Vaidya, Tulasī Rāma; Mānandhara, Triratna; Joshi, Shankar Lal (1993). Social History of Nepal. Anmol Publications. p. 148. ISBN 9788170417996.
- ^ "Kwati". Foods of Social and Ritual Significance. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Janai Purnima festival today". The Rising Nepal. Kathmandu. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "Janai Purnima‚ festival of sacred thread‚ today". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Shrestha, Rukmini (2008). Nasā Twansā Wāsa Nan Kha (in Newari). Kathmandu: Rukmini Shrestha. p. 34.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ Anderson, Mary M. (1971). The Festivals of Nepal. Allen and Unwin. p. 98. ISBN 9780043940013.