Ask a Thakali cook what makes their dal different and the answer is usually one word: jimbu.
What is jimbu?
Jimbu is the dried leaf of a wild Himalayan plant from the onion family. It grows at high altitude in places like Mustang and Dolpa and is harvested, dried and sold in small bundles. In its dry form it looks like thin, dark green grass.
On its own it smells faintly of dried chives. The magic happens when it meets hot fat.
How it is used
Jimbu is almost always used as part of a tempering, called jhaneko in Nepali. A little ghee or oil is heated in a small pan, a pinch of jimbu goes in for a few seconds until it crackles and turns fragrant, and the whole thing is poured over the dal.
That last-minute sizzle releases an aroma that is garlicky, oniony and slightly smoky. It is the smell many Nepalis associate with a proper Thakali meal.
What it tastes like
Think of a gentle mix of garlic, spring onion and toasted herbs. It does not overpower the lentils. It rounds them out and gives them depth.
Why it matters in Thakali cooking
Fresh garlic and onions were not always easy to get in high mountain villages. Jimbu dried well, kept for a long time and carried flavour into simple food. It became part of the Thakali kitchen and travelled with it to cities across Nepal.
Other places you will taste it
- Some cooks add jimbu to potato dishes and pickles.
- It is sometimes sprinkled into meat curries.
- Mountain families use it in soups during winter.
Taste it at Thulo Thakali
Our dal is tempered the traditional way. Order any Thakali set and take a spoonful of dal on its own first. That aroma is jimbu.
If you are curious about the other mountain ingredients on the table, read our pieces on gundruk and dhido.
