How to prepare Choila?
Choila is a popular dish in Nepal, especially among Newari community which represent the traditional way to prepare spicy smoked meat.
It is served as an appetizer with baji (beaten rice) or alcohol. Although traditionally made with Buff meat, Choila is also prepared using other types of meat. There are two types of choila, namely: ‘haku choila’ and ‘mana choila’. Mana means boiled and Haku means black, which is referred to the meat cooked over fire. As of traditional way, meat is cooked over fire which is made by using straw from rice or wheat. However, nowadays it can be made at home using charcoal grill or over a heated pan at home.
Buff Choila:
Ingredients required:
1.Buffalo meat, suppose 500 grams
2.Two tablespoon mustard oil
3.Two large red tomatoes
4.One tablespoon garlic paste
5.One tablespoon ginger paste
6.Two red chilies
7.One teaspoon cumin powder
8.One teaspoon Szechuan pepper powder/ Timur
9.Half teaspoon Turmeric
10.Half teaspoon Methi seeds
Haku Choila
Procedure:
1.Cut the meat in the long stripes of 2″ inches, and put pieces of meat on a frying pan/tawa. Let is cook by flipping it sides over sides After the color of the meat has change, cover it with a lid and let it cool.
2.Make a paste of tomatoes and chilies using mortar and pestle.
3.Further cut the meat in a bite sizes cube and put it in a bowl.
4.Mix the paste made in the step 2 with the meat prepared in step 3, add salt and mix the mixture well.
5.Heat the mustard oil in another pan. Add Methi seeds. Do not turn off the heat until the seeds become dark. Remove the pan from heat, add turmeric.
6.Pour the oil into the large bowl over the meat before turmeric burns off.
7.Serve with Alcohol or beaten rice.
Mana Choila
Procedures:
1.Put the meat into a pressure cooker, add very less amount of water and put on the heat. After 5-6 whistles, turn off the heat.
2.Then repeat the steps from no. 2 to no. 7 from the above procedure (Haku Choila).
Chicken Choila:
Ingredients required:
Suppose 1 kg chicken, cut into small bite size pieces (better use boneless chicken)
1 tbsp chili powder
1tbsp chili flakes
1 tbsp red chili paste
1 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
½ tbsp timur
1 tbsp black salt
2-3 stalks of green garlic leaves (or onion leaves)
5-6 green chilies sliced
6-7 pods thin julienne garlic
1inch fresh thin julienne ginger
2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Salt to taste
For tempering:
2 – 3 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
Procedures:
1.Clean the chicken and cut it into medium bite size pieces.
2.Heat a pan and add all the chicken pieces cooking it over high heat for about ten minutes on both sides (for better flavor, use charcoal grill).
3.When the chicken pieces are cooked nicely, remove it from the heat and add it to a big mixing bowl.
4.Add all the herbs and spices except for those that are required for tempering and mix everything thoroughly.
5.Meat mustard oil in a pan and add fenugreek seeds. When it turns dark, switch off the heat and add turmeric to it.
6.Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces and mix it well. Leave it aside for about ten to fifteen minutes and then serve your Chicken Choila with beaten rice or alcohol.
