Himal Chuli is a nepalese gem near the capitol. We have enjoyed some really good lunches here after the farmers market on the square. This is closest that comes to indian homestyle cooking for us.
The restaurant is rustic style with a few tables inside area which can sometimes get cramped but also has outdoor seating in summer. An older Nepalese lady oversees the cheque counter and also the kitchen. The food is simplistic, fresh vegetables and greens are stir fried in pans with aromatic herbs and minimum of spices like turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds. Ginger and/or garlic makes appearances based on the dish and potatos seem to be in most dishes. At the heart of it is the quick and simple way of cooking with fresh vegetables found back home for us when moms in the kitchen. This is different from the indian restaurant style food with onion and tomato base sauces spinning off most of the entrees.
Almost most of them come with the dal or lentil soup which is garnished with herbs and served warm. Lentils are well cooked till the point of leaving a bit of a bite and seasoning is minimal. We actually also enjoy it by mixing some of their side of yogurt with rice alongwith this dal.
A great value is their daily tarkari special. Many times it is the cauliflower sabzi which is sauteed with turmeric and some ginger and also comes with the goodness of peas and carrots. Its mildly flavored and delicious.
The palungo saag has to be one of my most favorite dishes here. This is boldly flavored with the bitter heat of mustard seeds and pungent garlic flavors. The greens are loud and vibrant and make for a lovely entree. In my first few visits i was not enamored by their naan as i love my bread with my homestyle entrees. However over time i have started enjoying their whole grain naan which is more like a cross between pita and flatbread.
This is another place in madison that does their okra very well. The ram toria is delicious and okra cut along the length is sauteed with some acidity from chopped tomato pieces and a dash of lemon juice. I believe this is one very wonderful application of okra and it needs to be stir fried with some skill to not get it sticky like in a gumbo. I love the sweetish, caramelized flavors and colors resulting from this technique and the okra seeds are cooked enough that they pop in your mouth to add some acidic bursts every now and then. The seasme seeds are the nutty addition and the cilantro refreshes the dish. If you are vegeterian i highly recommend this dish as it gives you an opportunity to feast on one of the vegetables scarcely found to be the star of a dish on menus.
The bhutenko bhanta is asian eggplant cooked and mashed with some warming spices and paired with sweet bursts of peas and potatos. As i have said before in other posts its important to leave the dish mildly flavored in spices to really enjoy the subtle smokiness in this eggplant dish and Himal Chuli does an awesome job.
Another dish we love but is a bit pricey are the katahar kabob. Again one of the rare vegetables to be featured on the menus, green young jackfruit is the star of this dish. It has a hint of sweetness and a bit chewy texture almost like meat.
The restaurant serves water infused with fresh mint leaves or lemon and is a great accompaniment instead of sweetened drinks. Go prepared with cash because if i remember correctly they do not accept cards.
