Food & restaurant
What is dal bhat?
Dal bhat is Nepal's staple meal — lentils (dal) and rice (bhat) served with a vegetable side, sometimes a pickle, sometimes meat. At trekking lodges, refills are free until you wave it off. Often eaten with the right hand only.
The Nepali
दालभात
dal bhat/d̪əl bʱət̪/
Related questions
How do you say delicious in Nepali?
"Mitho chha" (मीठो छ) — "it's delicious." Said at the table, eye contact with whoever cooked. The single warmest compliment a Nepali host receives from a foreigner.
How do you say I'm full in Nepali?
"Pugyo" (पुग्यो) — literally "enough." Wave gently as you say it; the didi serving dal bhat is about to add a third helping otherwise. Always paired with "dhanyabad" right after.
How do you say I'm vegetarian in Nepali?
"Ma shakaahari hu" (म शाकाहारी हुँ) — "I am vegetarian." Nepali kitchens — especially Hindu ones — understand vegetarianism deeply. Dal bhat is vegetarian by default; only specify when ordering off-menu.
How do you say water in Nepali?
"Paani" (पानी) is water. "Tato paani" is hot water, "chiso paani" is cold. On the trail above 3,000m, ask "tato paani chha?" — "is there hot water?" — and pay the 300-600 NPR for a hot shower.