SAMAY BAJEE
by Dr. Devendra M. Amatya
by Dr. Devendra M. Amatya
SAMAY BAJEE may comprise of a few items to a wide varieties of food items in a single meal depending upon when and where it is being served. It basically comprises of "BAJEE" (beaten flattened rice), "SYABAJEE" (puffed rice), "HAKU MUSYA" (black soyabeans), "BHUTI" (black eye beans), "KHEN" (egg), "SANNYA" (anchovy), "WO" (pancake of black lentil), "CHHUYALA" (meat), "LAVA" (garlic) and "PALU" (ginger). Other items like "ALU ACHAR" (potato salad), "TUKANCHA" (green mustard) may be additional ones. Homemade wine is normally served with SAMAY BAJEE. For those who do not drink alcohol, "KHAAY" (kind of a diluted yogurt with a little fried oil) is normally served as a substitute.
We, Newars or other Nepalese who love this traditional cuisine and are living here in the USA are fortunate that we do not have to miss it just because we are thousands of miles away from our home land. Almost all the ingredients needed for preparing the SAMAY BAJEE are available here in the Indian or Oriental stores. Some of them are also available in regular grocery stores. For example, "BAJEE", "SYABAJEE", "SANYA", "HAKU MUSYA", "WO" are sold in Indian or Oriental stores. Other ingredients and recipe like potatos, eggs, black eye beans, mustard green, ginger, garlic, hot pepper or chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder are readily available both in these stores or regular grocery stores.
Most of these dishes are not as time consuming to prepare depending upon the number of people served. It may be a man-hour or so for preparing this meal for a family of four. Most of these items (egg, potato, green vegetables, black eye beans, meat) are first boiled before they are marinated with other spicy ingredients to give the tender well blended taste. Sometimes meat is barbecued for different taste. While other items like dried black soyabeans, boiled egg, small dried fish (anchovy), cut pieces of ginger and garlic are fried in a little oil.
SAMAY BAJEE is served during religious festivals such as "Indra Jatra" during September, "Dasain" during September-October and "Tihar" during October-November. As one can remember a good part of the feast on "MAHAASTAMI" during "DASAIN" is "KUUCHHI BHOYE" comprising mostly SAMAY BAJEE. This is equally important when there are some religious poojas at their home or some other Hindu/Buddhist temples or monasteries. Part of its importance comes because the "Prasad" called blessings of god/goddess would mostly contain some SAMAY BAJEE besides some other sweets, fruits, and vegetables. One of the such activities is in the form of "SARASWATI POOJA" which is usually organized during the months of March-April (Falgun-Chaitra) when the weather is excellent for such outdoor activities. During that time SAMAY BAJEE may perhaps be served in an elaborative way including meat curry, vegetable curries, beans, fried meats, yogurt, and/or wine. Others just like to have SAMAY BAJEE in casual get together parties with friends or relatives.
Traditionally, SAMAY BAJEE is served in small (6-8 inches) disposable bowls made of special dry oak leaves stitched together. All items of SAMAY BAJEE will be served together in the bowl as a light snack. However, when it is served as a meal, either disposable plates made of similar leaves or other non-disposable plates are normally used.
SAMAY BAJEE has been increasingly finding its popularity not only among the Newars but also among other Nepalese people in their daily life. Many people take "BAJEE" and other items like "CHHUAYALA" and/or "ALU ACHAR" as their snack after work and before the supper. Many tea shops and restaurants in the Kathmandu valley serve "BAJEE", "WO", "ALU ACHAR", and "CHHUYALA" during the lunch time or in the evening supper because of increasing demands of the customers. I came to learn that a restaurant called "BHOYE CHHEN" (House of Feasts) where SAMAY BAJEE is served in their regular menu has been in operation for last few years in Kathmandu.
If one happens to be in the Kathmandu valley or somewhere else with a Newari family for extended period of time, especially during some of the festivities mentioned above, I doubt that he or she would not be treated to this traditional cuisine.
Thus far we saw that SAMAY BAJEE as a meal/food has not only traditional religious values but also social, cultural and as basic dietary values for Newars. It is because of this, perhaps, many Newari families here in the U.S. are continuing to value this traditional cuisine. This value is clearly evidenced by the continuous efforts of the managing committee of the NPPA (PASA PUCHA) in serving SAMAY BAJEE as light lunch to all participants and guests during celebration of "MHA POOJA". This is one of the ways NPPA has been showing the Newari hospitality in order to promote the traditional Newari cuisine along with art and cultural heritage. Similarly, NPPA successfully hosted the SAMAY BAJEE in the traditional Newa hospitality for the participants of the 12th Annual Convention of the Nepalese during the weekend of July 4, 1994 in Washington D.C. This was the one of the best attended event that weekend.
I am curious to know at this moment whether some of the Restaurants here in the U.S. run by our Newar friends offer SAMAY BAJEE or would be willing to serve on special order. The names of some of these restaurants are available from Mr. Rajendra Shrestha's NEPAL Home Page on the Computer INTERNET.
APA Productions (HK) Ltd. in its book "NEPAL" stated "Despite centuries of isolation and a variety of vegetables and fruits, Nepal has failed to develop a distinctitive style of cooking. An exception is Newari cooking, which can be very elaborative and spicy; but this is found only in private homes". However, the facts presented above tend to show that this type of Newari cooking, especially SAMAY BAJEE, is now no more limited in private homes; it is slowly spreading over other parts of the world.
While it is true that the current generation of Newari people living in the U.S. have been able to value and keep up this traditional Newari cuisine, we as parents here in the U.S. and abroad as well must do every effort to promote our language, art, culture and heritage from Kathmandu valley and Nepal as a whole. I believe it is solely on our hands to teach and train the generation to value our precious culture, tradition and heritage. We need to proudly show them what our traditional food/cuisine is, how and when they are served, and why they are important to us. One way of doing this is to continue to cook and serve our traditional food at home. We must also try to let our children actively participate in the events such as the annual NEPA PASA PUCHA and other Nepali organizations have been doing every year to promote our culture and heritage. Like several other ethnic groups here in this country, we, Newars, must also not only take pride in our language, art, culture, and heritage before it vanishes in the thin air.
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