Janai Purnima falls on the full moon of the Nepali month of Shrawan, usually in August. It is the day when many Hindu men change the sacred thread they wear, and when people tie a protective thread around their wrist. For the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley, the same day is known as Gunhu Punhi, and it has its own special dish: kwati.
What is kwati?
Kwati is a thick soup made from a mix of sprouted beans. The traditional number is nine kinds, although families vary. A typical mix might include:
- Black gram and green gram
- Chickpeas and field peas
- Soybeans and kidney beans
- Cowpeas and other local beans
The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days before cooking.
Why it is eaten in monsoon
Monsoon is the season of hard farm work, wet weather and colds. Sprouted beans are filling and nourishing, and a hot, spiced soup is welcome after a day in the rain. Many families see kwati as a way to recover strength in the middle of the planting season.
How it is cooked
The sprouted beans are fried with spices such as cumin, ajwain and turmeric, often with garlic, ginger and a little jimbu. Water is added and the soup simmers until the beans are soft and the broth thickens. It is usually eaten with beaten rice or plain rice.
The taste
Earthy, warming and lightly spiced. Each spoonful has a slightly different texture depending on which bean you catch.
Kwati and Thakali food
Kwati is a Newar festival dish, not a Thakali one, but the two kitchens share a love of legumes and slow, warming food. Dal is the heart of every Thakali set, and the jimbu used in many kwati recipes is the same herb that flavours Thakali dal. You can read about it in our piece on jimbu.
If you are in Kathmandu during Janai Purnima, look out for kwati at local eateries and in homes. And if you want a warm, lentil-based meal any other day of the year, our dal is waiting.
