The custom of preparing Chatamari is as old as the Newar civilisation in Kathmandu valley. Chatamari is a flavourful rice crepe that is topped with spiced meat, vegetables, and an egg in the centre and looks more similar to pizza. It is often served with vegetable curry, pickle or chutney.
Chatamari is also regarded as one of the festival foods of the Newar community that is prepared and eaten during the festivals of the latter.
Traditionally, festival foods are not prepared frequently in Newar houses like other foods that are commonly eaten throughout the year. Nevertheless, that custom has largely been affected with societal transformation.
Newars are the ancient inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley, who boast of a rich culinary tradition of their own. Prior to the advent of technology, exotic Newar foods were exclusive to the community.
They were prepared and shared only among the members of the community and hardly any outsider got the opportunity to taste these delicacies. Newars used to live and still do live in clusters in the Kathmandu valley. Hence, in the past, no outside community existed along with a cluster of Newar houses.
Festivals
Since these ancient people of the Kathmandu valley by nature are merry-loving people, they are never short of festivals. They celebrate a comparatively large number of festivals a year than other communities of the country. Traditional Newari foods and drinks and the festivals are intertwined.
Nowadays, this festive delicacy can be tasted by anyone who visits Nepal, especially the Kathmandu valley any day of the year. Chatamari is never omitted in the menus of Newar restaurants across the country.
Although Chatamari is the lookalike of pizza, this Newar pizza is regarded healthier than its Italian counterpart as all healthy ingredients are used in the preparation. Instead of refined flour, rice flour and black lentil flour is used for Chatamari which is healthy. Rice and black lentils are rich in vitamins and protein and aid digestion. Unlike refined flour, rice flour does not contribute to obesity.
How to make Chatamari
Ingredients required
- Rice flour 1 cup
- Black lentil flour little less than ½ a cup
- Tomato 1
- Onion 1
- Chopped bell pepper ½ a cup
- Green chili 1 or 2
- Eggs (1 egg for each crepe)
- Chopped cilantro 3 tablespoons
- Ghee 3 tablespoons
- Salt
Preparation
Combine rice flour, black lentil flour and salt in a bowl. Add about quarter a cup of water and mix well using a fork until you get a smooth and fluffy batter. This batter should be thin. Make sure not to add too much water in the batter. Cover and leave the batter aside for about half an hour.
Prepare the other ingredients required to make Chatamari. Finely chop onion, tomato, and green chili. In bowl, mix all the chopped ingredients and add a little salt.
After half an hour, check the batter. If the batter has thickened, add one or two tablespoons of water to make it thin.
Heat an iron griddle on medium heat. Brush the medium-heated griddle with ghee. Use a cup-shaped ladle to pour the batter. Take about one ladle-full of batter and pour on the griddle. Swirl the batter and spread it across the griddle. Sprinkle the vegetable mix evenly on the batter, except on the centre. Press the vegetables lightly using the ladle.
Break an egg on the centre of the batter. Close the lid of the griddle and cook for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Once the edges appear to be roasted, drizzle about a tablespoon of ghee around the bread try lift it with a flat spoon without breaking the edges of the bread. Let it cook for another 2 minutes covered. Then remove the bread from the griddle and serve hot along with chutney, vegetable curry, or pickle.
To prepare chicken Chatamari, first the chicken should be marinated along with salt, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste and other spices and sauté until the meat is cooked.
Then mix the cooked chicken with other vegetables. After the batter is poured, sprinkle the chicken and vegetable mix over the batter except in the centre. Cover the griddle with a lid for 10 minutes.
Then break an egg on the centre and cook for another 3 minutes with the lid on.