Kwati (soup)

Kwati
A bowl of kwati
Alternative namesGedagudi, Kwanti
Coursemixed soup
Main ingredientsblack gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean

Kwātī (Nepal Bhasa: क्वाती (where क्वा (kwā) = 'hot' and ती (tī) = 'soup'); Nepali: क्वाँटी; Maithili: गेडागुडी) is a mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans. It is a traditional Newari dish consumed on the festival of Guni Punhi, the full moon day of Gunlā which is the tenth month in the Nepal Era lunar calendar. It is also known and widely consumed as Gedagudi in the Mithila Region of Nepal, historically aligned down to Kingdom of Nepali people.

Consumption

Kwāti is eaten as a delicacy and for its health benefits and ritual significance.[1][2] Kwati is considered to be a healthy food. Because the soup contains varieties of beans, this recipe is high in proteins. [3]

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.[4][5]

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. Ajwain seeds are tempered 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.[6][7]

  • Ingredients of Kwati
    Ingredients of Kwati
  • Nine types of beans and legumes used in kwati
    Nine types of beans and legumes used in kwati
  • Kwati sprouts
    Kwati sprouts
  • Kwati soup
    Kwati soup

See also

References

  1. ^ Vaidya, Tulasī Rāma; Mānandhara, Triratna; Joshi, Shankar Lal (1993). Social History of Nepal. Anmol Publications. p. 148. ISBN 9788170417996.
  2. ^ "Kwati". Foods of Social and Ritual Significance. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  3. ^ Kasajoo, Bhawana (2013-08-26). "Nepali Tummy!!: Kwati (Nepali Beans/Himalayan Soup)!!". Nepali Tummy!!. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  4. ^ "Janai Purnima festival today". The Rising Nepal. Kathmandu. 16 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Janai Purnima‚ festival of sacred thread‚ today". The Himalayan Times. Kathmandu. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. ^ Shrestha, Rukmini (2008). Nasā Twansā Wāsa Nan Kha [Food and Drinks Are Also Medicines] (in Newari). Kathmandu: Rukmini Shrestha. p. 34.
  7. ^ Anderson, Mary M. (1971). The Festivals of Nepal. Allen and Unwin. p. 98. ISBN 9780043940013.