Authentic Haas / Duck Choila Recipe

Choila is a typical Newari appetizer that is incredibly hot, spicy and full of mouthwatering flavours. It is a non-vegetarian (can be prepared using any type of meat like duck, buff, chicken, etc) dish seasoned with authentic Newari spices.

In the Newar community, Choila has its own value as Newari people are fond of meat and most of their dishes are of meat. Even in festivals or pooja, they serve Choila as Prasad. Festivals are not satisfied and celebrated without the tender of making this as a main dish.

Mainly Choila is of two types:

Haku Choila ( Haku means black) – Roasted meat

Haku Choila is prepared by roasting the meat in the hay fire; this is the traditional way of making choila. It is traditionally popular with buff meat (Buff choila Recipie) but today we are using duck meat and the method fills the meat with tangy smoky flavours. This is the original way of making Newari Choila.

Mana  Choila – Boiled meat

While Mana Choila is prepared by boiling the meat in water; this is the optional way of making choila where it’s not possible to manage fire and also the easiest method. But if you want to taste the authentic Newari style choila then you cannot rely on this.

Choila and its authenticity

Being a Newar, I personally have witnessed how people from other communities drool over Choila. Everyone is dying to taste the delectable choila when they visit Newari home or restaurant. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love this dish. Choila is filled with meaty goodness and the aromatic spice hits your taste buds to another level. It is soft, juicy, and chewy filled with Nepali flavours making the dish a spicy, hot and zesty appetizer.

Choila is mixed with varieties of spices while the aromatic spices and herbs make it an appetizing dish. It is served as a side dish or with Samay Baji. Samay Baji is a combined dish that mainly covers dishes like beaten rice, black-eyed beans, Choila, fish, bara (patty made of lentils) and spicy Mula ko achar(radish pickle). It also served as a side dish with alcohol. Mostly the Samay baji set is served with buff choila while it doesn’t always have to be buff meat so we are using duck meat. Anyone can try it with other meaty goodness like chicken, lamb, goat or buff.

Ingredients for Duck Choila

1. 500 g duck meat
2. Chopped green garlic shoots
3. Salt to taste
4. Half cup mustard oil
5. One tablespoon of cumin powder
6. Half tablespoon turmeric
7. Dry red chilli paste
8. Finely chopped ginger-garlic
9. Ginger-garlic paste
10. Methi (Fenugreek seeds)

Let’s make it

1: Firstly roast the meat in the heated pan or directly into the fire using a barbecue stick if you are making haku choila. OR else go for mana choila

2: For mana choila, take a pressure cooker put the meat and just a little water half a cup and let it cook for 2 whistles. And the further recipe is the same for both

3: Cut the meat into cubes in bite sizes but not too big and take it out in a wider bowl

4: Then make a red chilli paste, for this take a wider pan, add some mustard oil and fry the chillies until it gets light brown and then grind it. It should be a thick paste

5: Add cumin powder, and ginger-garlic paste and then mix it properly

6: Then take a pan and heat 4-5 tbsp of mustard oil and add 1 tbsp of methi or fenugreek seeds 

7: Remove it after the seeds get black and add some turmeric powder, then immediately pour it in choila

8: Add some chopped green garlic shoots and chopped ginger-garlic along with 5 tbsp of mustard oil and then mix it properly with your hands. There is a famous saying that the real taste is in the hands.

9: And it’s ready to serve 🙂