Kwati (soup) facts for kids
A bowl of kwati
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| Alternative names | Gedagudi, Kwanti |
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| Course | mixed soup |
| Main ingredients | black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean |
Kwāti (Nepal Bhasa: क्वाती (where क्वा (kwa) = hot and ती (ti) = soup); Nepali: क्वाँटी; Maithili: गेडागुडी) is a mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans. It is a traditional Newari dish consumed on the festival of Guni Punhi, the full moon day of Gunlā which is the tenth month in the Nepal Era lunar calendar. It is also known and widely consumed as Gedagudi in the Mithila Region of Nepal, historically aligned down to Kingdom of Nepali people.
Consumption
Kwāti is eaten as a delicacy and for its health benefits and ritual significance. Kwati is known to be a healthy food. It is said to cure colds and coughs, and be particularly good for pregnant women. Since it contains varieties of beans, this recipe is loaded with proteins and thus helps weak/sick people to regain their energy.
The feast day coincides with Shravan Poornima of the month of Shravan in the Hindu lunisolar calendar which is celebrated as Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan), the festival of the sacred thread. The festival occurs in August.
Production
Nine varieties of beans are used to make kwāti. The most commonly used ingredients are black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean.
The beans are soaked in water for three to four days until they have sprouted. They are boiled with various spices to make a thick soup. Ajwain seeds are tempered in oil and added to it as the special seasoning. Flatbread cut into one-and-a-half-inch squares can be boiled with the kwāti for variety.
Gallery
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Ingredients of Kwati
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Nine types of beans and legumes used in kwati
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Kwati sprouts
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Kwati soup
