The Rise of Jogi Bhat

Let me ask a serious question about Nepalese food. Most of us have grown up in households where left over rice has either been used to be served with hot milk or Bhuteko bhat with onions and local butter with a touch of turmeric.

My take on Jogi Bhat is simple. I have replaced our bhuteko bhat with fried rice, biryani and many mores. If you were born in a typical Nepali household like me, you will be well aware of the term “Bhate”, an excessive rice eater. I wonder if my genes got smashed due to heavy indulgence in rice. In my family, Jogi Bhat was a popular dish specially made by my Grandfather which was passed on to him by his father.

The reason why I have a close relation to Jogi Bhat is simply to bring back those nostalgic memories. I recall when my grandfather added saag (leafy greens), peas and fresh produce mixed them with rice, turmeric, a few spices and of course some pure ghee. It was something we all savored being by the wooden fireplace within the house. There, he shared stories of mythical creatures and scare us out of our wits. My version of Jogi Bhat was to replicate what my father did to his fine dining restaurant in Hong Kong in 1994 and which has still been the best version of it so far in decades.