Newar cooking is the food of the Kathmandu Valley's original townspeople, and it is quite different from the dal bhat served in trekking lodges. Its centre is a khaja set, a snack meal built around beaten rice called chiura, with small portions of many dishes arranged around it. In Kirtipur we take guests to Newa Lahana, a kitchen run by women of the local community, who cook, serve and manage it together, often dressed in the black-and-red haku patasi sari.
A typical plate holds chiura, buffalo choila grilled and spiced with mustard oil, bara pancakes of ground black lentils, aloo tama with bamboo shoots, roasted black soybeans, boiled egg, and a sharp tomato or radish pickle. Vegetarians are well served: ask for a veg set with paneer or mushroom choila and extra bara. In winter, look for yomari, the steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with molasses and sesame that are eaten around Yomari Punhi in December. Locally brewed rice drinks are on the menu for those who want them.
A khaja set costs roughly NPR 500 to 900 per person, and portions are generous enough to replace lunch; check current status before you travel, as prices rise each year. The kitchen gets crowded at weekend lunchtimes with Kathmandu families, so we book weekdays or arrive by 12 noon. We usually schedule the meal at the end of the old town walk, when you have walked down the hill and earned it.
Good for
- Couples
- Families
- Solo
- Groups
- First-timers
Questions travellers ask
What is a Newari khaja set?
A khaja set is the classic Newar snack meal: a mound of beaten rice surrounded by small servings of spiced meat or vegetables, lentil patties, potato and bamboo-shoot curry, soybeans, egg and pickles. It is eaten with the hand or a spoon and is filling enough to replace lunch. Each dish is mildly to strongly spiced.
Is vegetarian Newari food available in Kirtipur?
Yes. Community kitchens in Kirtipur serve vegetarian khaja sets with beaten rice, bara lentil patties, potato curry, soybeans and pickles, often adding paneer or mushroom in place of buffalo choila. Tell us about Jain or no-onion-garlic needs in advance so we can ask the kitchen; those are possible but not standard.
Is the food at Newa Lahana safe for visitors?
In our experience, yes. The food is cooked fresh and served hot, which is the main safeguard. Stick to bottled or filtered water, go easy on raw salads and very spicy pickles on your first days in Nepal, and choose the cooked dishes. Guests with sensitive stomachs usually do well with the vegetarian set.
