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What Is Samay Baji? (The Simple Explanation)
Samay baji is a traditional platter from the Newari community of the Kathmandu Valley, made up of not one but six or seven different small dishes arranged together on one plate. That might sound like a lot of work, but each part can actually be made separately, and several of them can be prepared ahead of time. Let's go through the platter piece by piece.
What Goes on a Samay Baji Platter?
- Chiura (beaten rice): the base of the platter, everything else is arranged around or on top of it
- Bhatmas (roasted soybeans): soybeans fried with salt and spice
- Achar (potato or gundruk): the tangy, spicy side dish
- Choyla (fried meat): meat pieces tossed in spices
- Egg (boiled): usually served halved
- Ginger-garlic pickle: small flavour-boosting bites
A Step-by-Step Plan
Step 1: Prepare the Chiura
Sprinkle the store-bought chiura with a little water and let it sit covered for 5 minutes — this softens it without making it mushy. This is the easiest part of the whole platter.
Step 2: Fry the Bhatmas
Boil soaked soybeans in salted water until soft, then fry them in oil with chili powder and salt for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Choyla
Toss small pieces of cooked (fried or boiled) meat in a spice mix of chili, ginger-garlic, and oil. Our full choyla method has more detail on this if you want a deeper dive.
Step 4: Prepare the Achar
Use the radish or gundruk achar method from our achar guide — this can be made the day before and kept ready.
Step 5: Boil the Eggs
Boil eggs for 10-12 minutes, cool them in cold water, peel, and cut in half.
Step 6: Arrange the Platter
Place the chiura in the center of a large round plate and arrange small portions of bhatmas, choyla, achar, and egg around it. Keeping each item visually separate makes the whole platter look appetizing.
Tips If You're Making This for the First Time
- Rather than cooking everything at once, prepare time-consuming parts like the achar and choyla the day before
- Start with just 3-4 dishes and add more over time — you don't need the full platter to enjoy the flavours
- Keeping each dish in its own container makes it much easier to reassemble the platter next time
When Is Samay Baji Served?
Samay baji is served at Newari festivals, religious ceremonies, weddings, and other special occasions. It's less a single recipe and more a shared social experience, eaten together with family and friends.
Chiura, soybeans, and meat are all available from sellers on FoodSansar — order your ingredients today and build your own samay baji platter at home.
