Samay baji

Samay baji (Nepal Bhasa: समय् बजि) is an authentic traditional dish of Newar community in Nepal. In recent years this food has become one of the main attractions of Nepal. It is considered as a typical dish of the Newar community in Nepalese people. This dish has been passed down from many generations and is still much appreciated by the people. There are no specific seasons for this dish to be served but it is mostly served during auspicious occasions, in family get-togethers and Newari festivals. Samay baji is eaten as a starter in every festival, every religious activities and pujas. This is served in Sharada (death anniversary rituals) as well. It is eaten throughout the year because of its simplicity; it is easy to make and can be stored for a long time. The samay baji is also served during the major festivals of Nepal like Indra Jatra, Dashain, Tihar (Laxmi Puja, Bhai Tika). This dish is served in almost all the activities of Newari people.

Recipe

Image of a Newa cuisine "Samaybaji"

Samay Baji consists of many items on a single plate. The main components are flattened rice (chiura), fried black soybeans (bhatmas), lentil pancakes (wa:/bara), rice pancakes (chatamari), buffalo meat (chhwela), finely cut ginger (palu), fried boiled egg (khen), fried fish (sanyaa), pickled boiled beans (bodi ko achar), spicy potato salad (Aalu-Wala), greens (saag), and Newar wine (Ayla). Samay baji has achar which is a tangy and spicy medley of different vegetables: mostly radish, carrot, onion, potatoes, and peas, amalgamated with a unique Nepalese berry called lapsi. Recipes vary in each and every household and can include asafoetida, Sichuan pepper, black salt, Himalayan pink salt, mustard, mustard oil, and a satay of fenugreek seeds with turmeric powder.

Origin

Among the Newar people there were merchants, priests, goldsmiths, blacksmiths. etc. however, a big section were farmers in the old times. They followed the four seasons of the year which also affected their habits and living style. Back then, there was no electricity or gas like there is now. Hence, the source of burning fire were logs of wood. Burning wood is a tedious and time-consuming work. Due to this, cooking was done two times a day, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Therefore, all the family members would have their meal in the morning before heading out to work in their farm, right after sunrise. The concept of Breakfast did not yet exist in Nepal. Since Newari people used to stay in a close society, their houses or huts were built next to each other. But, unlike their houses, their farms were quite far. One had to walk an hour on a daily routine just to reach the farm. There were nothing, except for some small shelters, on the way to give them shade in the sun or cover from the rain. Since, they ate their meals early in the morning, they took some snacks as their food to eat during the mid-day. These snacks were made such that, they did not have to be re-heated or re-cooked. That's why foods like chiura, chhwela, bhatmas, palu, saag, and so on were made. These snacks were not only made because of their taste, but for their nutritional advantages as well. For example, palu is good for acidity and gas problems, bhatmas reduces the risk of heart diseases, mustard oil, used in making Chhwela, helps in killing germs and saag is a good source of vitamins.

See also

• Newa cuisine
• Nepalese cuisine
• Baji (food)
• Flattened rice
• Newa Festival