A Newari specialty from the Kathmandu Valley: water-buffalo meat grilled or seared over flame, then sliced and tossed while hot with raw mustard oil, fenugreek tempering, chili, and timur; 'haku' (black) choila keeps the char-smoked style. It functions as a deconstructed kebab, eaten with beaten rice (chiura) at Newari feasts and bhattis.
Also known as: choila, chhoila, chhwela, chhoyla, buff choila, haku choila, mana choila, chicken choila
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 600 g water-buffalo steak or beef/chicken thigh, whole pieces
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, plus 2 tbsp julienned ginger
- 2 tsp timur, crushed
- 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp chili powder
- 3 spring onions, sliced, plus a handful of coriander
- 1.5 tsp salt
- chiura (beaten rice), to serve
How to make it
- 1
Grill the meat in whole pieces over open flame or fierce coals until charred outside and medium within, about 4-5 minutes a side; the smoke is half the dish.
- 2
Slice against the grain into thin strips and pile into a wide bowl with salt, turmeric, chili, timur, ginger and spring onion.
- 3
Heat the mustard oil in a small pan to smoking, drop in the fenugreek seeds until they darken, then the garlic for 10 seconds.
- 4
Pour this crackling oil directly over the seasoned meat — the sizzle is the Newari tempering that binds everything.
- 5
Toss, rest 10 minutes so the strips drink the oil, and serve at room temperature with coriander and chiura.
Pro tip: Choila is a dressed salad, not a hot stir-fry — let it sit before serving; the flavor peaks as the meat cools into the spiced oil.
