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Recently, Chef Bikram Vaidya launched his well-researched cookbook, ‘Mystic Kitchen of Nepal’, in Nepal. However, the event received little attention from mainstream media. The cookbook had its initial release in the United States on Oct 26.

Vaidya describes the book as the culmination of over 20 years of study, research, and practice. “Mystic Kitchen of Nepal is more than just a cookbook—it’s a celebration of the deep connection between food, culture, and community, from the soil to the soul,” he says.

The book has already been recognized by the prestigious James Beard Awards, often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the culinary world. These awards honor excellence in the food industry, including chefs, food writers, and other leaders in the broader food system.

Featuring over 140 original recipes, Mystic Kitchen of Nepal reflects Nepal’s rich landscapes and diverse cultures. Alongside the recipes, the book provides commentary on the historical and cultural significance of each dish.

Vaidya is a graduate of the Western Culinary Institute/Le Cordon Bleu and a founding member of the Oregon Culinary Institute in the United States. He has spent decades teaching and inspiring others in the culinary field. His journey has taken him from Kathmandu’s vibrant food scene to the classrooms of prestigious institutions, blending Western culinary techniques with Nepal’s ancient traditions.

Vaidya has always been a source of inspiration, a true mentor, and a warm, guiding presence in my life. With a heart as generous as his vast knowledge, he has shaped my understanding of Nepali cuisine and culture in ways that only a brother—or ‘Kija,’ as he fondly calls me—could. From our earliest conversations, I knew he was more than just a chef; he is a cultural ambassador, a preserver of heritage, and a visionary. It’s no surprise that his book, Mystic Kitchen of Nepal, a beautifully researched and heartfelt work, embodies these qualities, encapsulating his journey from the vibrant Tom and Jerry Bar in Kathmandu to the culinary classrooms of the Oregon Culinary Institute and Le Cordon Bleu.

Mystic Kitchen of Nepal is a living narrative of Nepal’s culinary and cultural heritage, a personal biography, and a history book rolled into one. As I read through the pages, it became clear that each recipe and story is woven with a depth that only someone with his lineage could bring to life. The author, a proud member of the Vaidya family, carries a legacy of Ayurvedic knowledge and spiritual insight. His ancestors, including a great-grandfather who traveled to the UK to teach Ayurveda, planted a seed that he has nurtured throughout his life’s work.

The book represents a full-circle moment for Vaidya, as he brings his love for Nepali food and culture to a global audience. His work is rooted in his family’s legacy of Ayurvedic knowledge and spiritual insight. His ancestors, including a great-grandfather who traveled to the UK to teach Ayurveda, have deeply influenced his understanding of food as both nourishment and medicine.

Mystic Kitchen of Nepal delves into Ayurvedic principles, Newari cuisine, and Nepal’s rich culinary traditions. Vaidya explores the philosophy of ‘Aila,’ the ritual Newari rice spirit, and highlights the intricate balance between food, health, and spirituality in Nepali cooking.

For many, Vaidya’s name is synonymous with Kathmandu’s iconic Tom and Jerry Bar, a venue that earned a mention in The New York Times as a must-visit spot. Tom and Jerry Bar served as a cultural hub where Vaidya introduced authentic Nepali flavors to locals and travelers. This early success paved the way for his culinary journey, culminating in the creation of Mystic Kitchen.

The cookbook showcases dishes from every corner of Nepal, from the Himalayan regions of Mustang and Manang to the Tarai plains and the mid-hills. The recipes combine traditional Nepali flavors with influences from Vaidya’s international experiences, creating a blend that is both authentic and innovative.

Reading Mystic Kitchen of Nepal is an immersive experience. Each ingredient and recipe is presented with respect to its cultural and historical origins. A student from the Oregon Culinary Institute shared a poignant memory of Vaidya explaining the spiritual significance of spices, recounting how wars were fought and lives lost over their trade. This depth of understanding permeates the book, elevating it beyond a simple collection of recipes.

The book also celebrates beloved Nepali staples, including momo—dumplings that hold a special place in Nepali cuisine. Vaidya preserves traditional recipes while adding his own creative touch. He captures the essence of momo, from the bustling street stalls of Kathmandu to the flavorful chutneys that accompany them.

In addition to food, Mystic Kitchen highlights Nepal’s drinking culture, particularly the Newari tradition of Aila. By including this, Vaidya introduces readers to an essential yet often overlooked aspect of Nepali dining, emphasizing the interplay between food and drink in traditional meals.

Vaidya’s book has the potential to elevate Nepal’s culinary heritage to the global stage. Its meticulous research and focus on preservation align with efforts to have Newari cuisine recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. By documenting traditional recipes and rituals, Mystic Kitchen ensures that these cultural treasures are not lost to time.

The book also serves as a love letter to old Kathmandu, capturing the sensory richness of its streets, spice markets, and traditional bars. Vaidya recounts memories of places like Ason and Basantapur, painting a vivid picture of the city’s food culture. He introduces readers to hidden momo stalls and historic Bhattis, preserving a piece of Nepal’s history through his storytelling.

Beyond its focus on Nepal, Mystic Kitchen highlights the influence of neighboring cultures on the country’s cuisine. Vaidya’s 15 years of research reveal how regional and cross-border connections have enriched Nepali dishes, making his book a bridge between traditions.

Mystic Kitchen of Nepal is a cultural milestone. Through his work, he has captured the soul of Nepal and shared it in a way that will inspire generations. This book is a testament to the power of tradition, the depth of Nepali culture, and the enduring connection between food and identity.

The author is a UK-based R&D chef

Four persons died when a minibus heading to Surkhet from Dailekh district headquarters met with an accident near the border of Surkhet and Dailekh districts on Nov 8. Thirty others sustained minor injuries.

Police said the accident occurred due to overloading and high speed. The minibus, with a capacity of 15–18 people, was carrying more than 30 passengers.

Passenger buses plying rural roads often carry passengers beyond their capacity. They make some passengers disembark before police checkpoints and board them again once the bus crosses the checkpoint.

On Nov 10, a jeep traveling from Khina in Palanta Rural Municipality-5 met with an accident near the Radu area in Palanta-3. Seven people lost their lives in the accident, while 13 were injured.

The jeep, designed to carry only five people, was carrying 19 passengers. It veered off the road after the driver lost control and fell nearly 500 meters. Preliminary police investigations revealed narrow roads, high speed, and overloading as the primary causes of the accident.

“The jeep with 19 passengers was climbing uphill on the unpaved road built two years ago. When it couldn’t climb, it reversed and fell off the cliff,” said DSP Tek Bahadur Rawat of the District Police Office, Kalikot. “The jeep was completely destroyed.”

The Karnali region was connected to the national road network only recently. Before 2003, five districts of the region—Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, and Dolpa—did not have road access to other parts of the country. The other districts of present-day Karnali Province—Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Salyan, and Rukum West—were in Rapti and Bheri zones at that time.

The first vehicle reached Jumla from Surkhet on 30 March 2007. While locals were overjoyed at the arrival of motor vehicles and transportation services, this joy gradually turned to sorrow due to rising road accidents.

The Kittubhir accident

A passenger bus accident at Kittubhir on the Karnali Highway claimed 38 lives in March 2010. Kulraj Sanyal from Tudikhet in Pachal Jharana Rural Municipality-6 of Kalikot lost two sisters and a niece in the accident.

“We endured the hardship of walking 26 days from Tudikhet to Rajapur for the weekly market. When transportation services reached our district, we were thrilled,” Sanyal said. “But losing relatives in the Kittubhir accident turned our joy to sorrow.”

Sanyal added that the Karnali Highway, opened in 2007, has not been upgraded, and rural roads built since then are in even worse condition. “This neglect shows the indifference of the state toward the people of Karnali,” he said.

Hundreds of accidents every year

According to police, 357 road accidents were recorded in Karnali Province in the first four months of the current fiscal year, which began in mid-July. These accidents claimed 50 lives and injured 768 others.

In fiscal year 2023/24, 1,086 road accidents were recorded across the province’s 10 districts, resulting in 112 deaths and 2,077 injuries. Police data shows that Surkhet had the highest casualties, recording 673 accidents in one year, with 1,184 people injured.

In fiscal year 2022/23, there were 546 vehicle accidents in Karnali, resulting in 131 deaths and 1,093 injuries. Similarly, there were 236 accidents in 2019/20, 291 in 2020/21, and 402 in 2021/22, with deaths totaling 97, 98, and 197 respectively across these three fiscal years. Over 1,200 people were injured during this period.

Why are road accidents rising in Karnali?

Road construction in Karnali is extremely challenging due to its steep terrain and complex mountainous geography. Poor-quality road construction exacerbates the problem, leaving the province lagging behind others in terms of road development. Additionally, the prevalence of unpaved and poorly maintained roads, often without proper safety standards, leads to frequent accidents.

Senior Divisional Engineer Ramesh Subedi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development of Karnali Province, identified three main causes of road accidents. “I refer to them as three Es as the three Es. First is engineering; roads here are not properly aligned. They lack street lights, and don’t have sufficient traffic signs. Second is education. Low public awareness, limited knowledge of traffic rules and unsafe practices such as overloading contribute to accidents,” Suedi said. “Third is enforcement. Weak law enforcement means offenders face minimal penalties and laws are sometimes ignored due to external influences.”

Subedi also pointed out the absence of environmental impact assessments during road construction which the province government made mandatory only recently.

Police in Karnali attribute road accidents to several factors, including driver negligence, lack of awareness among drivers and staff, driving without licenses, drunk driving, overloading, speeding, poor road conditions, and the use of worn-out vehicles. The narrow, winding roads further heighten the risk of accidents.

Civil society leader Daman Raj Bam said people in Karnali have limited transport options. “Many passengers are unaware of vehicle capacities and safety standards. With only a few vehicles available, they have no choice but to overcrowd whatever transportation is accessible,” he said.

The failure of the authorities in addressing rising road accidents has resulted in negligence among drivers, vehicle operators and passengers. A recent example is the jeep accident in Palanta where a single five-seater vehicle was serving the entire rural municipality after another vehicle was involved in an earlier accident. With only one vehicle available, 19 people crowded into the five-seater jeep. As a result, the jeep couldn’t climb the uphill road and met with an accident.

More traffic police personnel and technology needed

Karnali’s traffic police are understaffed. According to Province Police Chief SP Apilraj Bohora, while there are 168 sanctioned positions, 259 personnel are currently working (with some on deputation). Even this is insufficient for managing 9,687 kilometers of roads.

Each traffic police officer must oversee 177 vehicles, 37 kilometers of roads, and 6,518 people, Bohora said. The province has 30,367 registered motor vehicles and multiple highways, including the Karnali Highway, Ratna Highway, and Madan Bhandari Highway.

“Technology must be integrated into traffic management,” Bohora said. “Without technological support, managing Karnali’s traffic effectively is a significant challenge.” 

He called for necessary budget allocations for public awareness campaigns, road repairs, building parking facilities, procurement of breathalyzer kits, and CCTV installation, among others.

Every home has its go-to meals. In Nepali households, it’s mostly ‘daal, bhaat, tarkari’, the occasional ‘roti, tarkari’, ‘khichdi’, and/or different forms of curries. We rarely deviate from this supposedly set menu, unless we have guests over or are eating out. I find home cooked meals comforting. I guess everyone does. But it can become mundane. We could all do with a little variety every now and then. This is where cookbooks come in handy. I have, over the past couple of years, amassed quite a collection of cookbooks. These, mostly hardcover, books are kept separately in a small shelf in the dining area. Looking at them makes me feel I’m able to prepare delicious, nourishing meals whenever I want to.

‘The Curry Guy Chicken’ by Dan Toombs and ‘Masala Memsahib’ by Karen Anand are two of my favorite cookbooks that I constantly reach for. These are mostly Asian/Indian recipes and as someone who likes a good curry and rice, I feel I don’t need anything else. But my family loves Nepali food. They find it easier to digest and more winter-friendly than oily, spices-heavy Indian food. I have come to realize that if you follow the recipes to the letter, it always comes out great. You are never disappointed. Earlier, I used to go with the flow, and what often happened was that I was never able to recreate a dish.

For Nepali cooking, I have for a while now turned to ‘Timmur’ by Prashanta Khanal. I first chanced upon the book at a dietician’s clinic. While waiting for my turn, I flipped through the pages and the full-page photos, taken by Nabin Baral and Gagan Thapa, caught my attention. The recipes are divided into sections, with a separate ‘Achaar’ segment as well. I left the clinic determined to buy my own copy the same day. I didn’t manage to, for various reasons. But the book was always at the back of my mind. Having tried my hands at making Indian curries and naans (through cookbooks, of course), I wanted to learn proper Nepali cooking too as much of what I knew was limited to what I had seen growing up.

I finally got a copy and it’s been a good investment. I’ve tried making many dishes and they have come out really well, so much so that my mother, who is an expert cook, complimented my cooking. As someone who grew up eating Nepali food, I was familiar with many of the recipes in the book but every time I made, say ‘kwati’ or Bamboo Shoot curry, it would taste different—I could never master the recipe. Timmur has made that possible for me. It has recipes for many of my childhood dishes, like ‘gundruk’, ‘aalu cauli tarkari’, and ‘khasiko bhutuwa’ among others, as well as many that I always wished I could make, like ‘yomari’ and ‘mula ko achaar’.

The thing about cookbooks is that they are easy to follow, unlike YouTube tutorials where you might lose track every few minutes and have to pause or rewind. Cookbooks also make for great coffee table books and can double as décor. I love having the one I’m using displayed on the kitchen counter or the dining table. Cookbooks, I believe, have made me a better cook, taught me some great hacks that have significantly lessened my time in the kitchen, as well as made me understand and appreciate different cuisines.

The Nepal Women’s U19 National Team has qualified for the World Cup, marking a historic achievement. Much of the credit goes to Captain Puja Mahato, who played a pivotal role in the World Cup qualifiers, leading the team on this remarkable journey. 

Mahato grew up in Delhi, India, where her father worked. She received her cricket training there while pursuing her early education. “I was more interested in cricket than any other sport,” she shared. Her father, a former cricketer, had to abandon his cricketing dreams due to family responsibilities. However, with his unwavering support, Mahato pursued her passion for cricket, eventually becoming a successful cricketer and leading the Nepali side to this historic milestone. 

ApEx spoke with Mahato about this achievement. Excerpts:

Under your captaincy, the U19 Women’s Team reached the World Cup for the first time. How are you feeling?

I am very happy. This victory belongs to all Nepalis. The whole country is celebrating. We achieved this success with the love, affection, and support of everyone in Nepal. It has only been a year since I joined the team, and I have worked very hard so we could represent Nepal on the world stage in such a short time. My family and cricket supporters have played a significant role in this success. Everyone’s positive contributions have been crucial. 

How did you manage to lead the team to victory?  

We prepared with the single objective of taking Nepal to the World Cup, no matter what. The entire team contributed positively. Once I was given the captaincy, I focused on ensuring we played our best and won the qualifier matches. I had many discussions with my teammates and colleagues, and their positive support was instrumental. Every member of the team worked hard, and as a result, we succeeded in winning this series. 

How much has the cricket team changed since you joined?  

Earlier, there wasn’t an organized playing field, and players had no facilities. They had to manage everything on their own, which was truly unfortunate. At that time, there was little to no involvement or interest from the concerned authorities. Players felt stuck, their morale was low, and they lacked the motivation to showcase their talent. Now, things have gradually improved. Both the central and provincial governments have started including athlete-focused programs in their budgets. This is a positive development for Nepali sports, and I’m happy to see this progress.

What role have the concerned authorities played in the women’s cricket team so far?

For the development of Nepali sports, gradual improvements are being made at the government level. Compared to the past, the progress is evident, especially in the initial phases. However, all three levels of government need to play a more active role in boosting players’ morale. In the absence of necessary support, the senior team couldn’t reach the World Cup. Recently, with improved facilities for players and games, we’ve managed to lead the junior team to this milestone. Let’s hope the situation continues to improve.  

To foster cricket’s development, players’ morale must remain strong, and adequate facilities should be provided across all sports. The government must work to bring every sport in Nepal to the forefront and offer services and facilities aligned with global standards. For international recognition, the government must play as strong a role as the players themselves.  

Nepali players are capable of showcasing their talent when given opportunities. However, they need the government’s support to achieve their full potential. The government must also ensure the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has the resources it needs. At the district level, including Mahottari, there are no cricket grounds, and players lack essential facilities. This requires immediate attention.  

We, as women players, are not weaker than anyone. Our recent achievements in competing globally are a testament to this. Women need encouragement. When given opportunities, every daughter is ready to face challenges head-on. There are many inspiring examples of women achieving greatness when supported. 

What would you like to say to young women aspiring to join this field?

I am a daughter of the Madhesi community and come from a poor family. If I had listened to societal criticism, I would have stayed where I was. However, my father and family ignored the negativity and pushed me forward. I urge the young girls and parents in this region to embrace struggles without fear. Parents must play a strong role in supporting their children’s dreams. Likewise, daughters and sisters should commit to fulfilling their families’ aspirations by staying dedicated to their goals. With determination and family support, every challenge can be overcome.