Vol. 57 — Momo Steam and the Daily Dal Bhat
Nepal
Kathmandu mornings and tables across the hills
Standfirst
Tea before the market opens. Dal bhat returning to the table each day. Momos folded in company and sel roti turning gold in the pan. Nepal is held together by food that is generous, practical and deeply particular.
Chapter One
Kathmandu before the lanes fill
The day starts close to the stove. Chiya simmers with milk and spice, sel roti turns in hot oil, and market baskets fill with greens, radish, chillies and lentils. Breakfast is warm and direct — food made to carry the morning rather than decorate it.
Nepal's food culture is not one high-altitude idea. It changes through the Kathmandu Valley, the Terai and the hill towns, yet everywhere the kitchen works through season, preservation and the expectation that another plate can always be made.
Dal bhat is not simply a dish repeated every day. It is the steady promise that the table will be complete.
— On the Nepali kitchen
Chapter Two
Folded, fermented and shared
Momos are rolled and pleated around a shared tray, steamed until the room clouds, then passed with sharp tomato and sesame achar. Newari tables bring their own precision: beaten rice, bara, choila, black soybeans and pickles composed as samay baji.
Alongside them are thukpa, aloo tama, gundruk and kwati — warming, sour and savoury dishes that show how much depth can come from storing the season carefully.
The Nepal poster — dal bhat, momo, thukpa, sel roti, chatamari, choila, achar and chiya drawn as one illustrated kitchen wall.
Chapter Three
The everyday table, kept close
Poster and apron pieces for people who remember momo steam, the spice of achar and tea poured while the next plate is still cooking.
Apron — Kathmandu
Poster — Patan
Poster — Bhaktapur
Vol. 57 — Momo Steam and the Daily Dal Bhat — the pieces
Shop the Nepal pieces
Everything photographed in this issue that is currently in the studio.
The Collection
The Nepal Collection
Dal bhat, momo, thukpa, sel roti, chatamari, choila, achar and chiya — the Nepali table in one illustrated composition.
Keep exploring
Read next
Related Guides
- Read the guide
Styling
Kitchen Wall Art Ideas
Kitchen wall art ideas that last: how to choose illustrated food posters, style them for minimalist, Mediterranean, colourful or neutral kitchens, and pick the right size.
- Read the guide
Styling
Living Room Wall Decor Ideas
Living room wall decor ideas from real interiors: art above a sideboard or sofa, gallery walls that grow, leaning frames, evening light and planning a layout before you hang.
- Read the guide
Styling
How to Style a Kitchen Gallery Wall
A practical guide to hanging art in a kitchen — heights, spacing, frames, steam, and how to mix countries without the wall turning into clutter.
- Read the guide
Styling
Bedroom Wall Decor Ideas
Bedroom wall decor ideas from real interiors: how high to hang art above a bed, pairs and single prints, lamp-lit colour, leaning frames and blankets that tie the wall to the bed.