AI-generated photo.
Nepali · Iconic, Kathmandu · Nepal
Himalayan choila
Also called choila
Himalayan choila (choila), a Kathmandu plate from Nepal.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Himalayan choila is cooked in Kathmandu as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Grill the chicken through, chop it, and toss it with chili, sesame, and lemon. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 58%
- Carbs 5%
- Fat 37%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 28 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 426 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Chicken thigh169 kcal
- Toasted sesame oil18 kcal
- Garlic4 kcal
- Chili flakes3 kcal
- Fresh ginger2 kcal
- Scallion2 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 0.9. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 198 kcal. Two portions would be about 396 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Sesame
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 149 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 198 kcal | 10% |
| Protein | 28 g | 56% |
| Carbohydrate | 2.5 g | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.5 g | 2% |
| Total sugars | 0.4 g | 1% |
| Fat | 7.9 g | 10% |
| Saturated fat | 1.8 g | 9% |
| Cholesterol | 132 mg | 44% |
| Sodium | 426 mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 389 mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 20 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1.3 mg | 7% |
| Magnesium | 36 mg | 9% |
| Zinc | 2.3 mg | 21% |
| Vitamin A | 31 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 4.8 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.4 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 22 mcg | 18% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 12% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 22% |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.9 mg | 49% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.7 mg | 39% |
| Folate | 12 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.9 mcg | 35% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Grill pan or grill
- Tongs
- Scale
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
- Chicken thigh4 thighs560 g
Chili flakes1 tsp4 g
Garlic3 cloves10 g
Fresh ginger2 slices8 g
Lemon juice1 tbsp20 ml
Toasted sesame oil2 tsp8.7 ml
Cilantro0.25 cup10 g
Scallion2 stalks20 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Himalayan choila. Heat to a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh chicken thigh, chili flakes, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon juice, toasted sesame oil, cilantro, scallion, kosher salt. Himalayan choila is cooked in Kathmandu as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Grill the chicken through, chop it, and toss it with chili, sesame, and lemon. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Himalayan choila is cooked in nepal. Also called choila. Grilled food keeps cooking after it leaves the grate. Pull it just before your cue.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Himalayan choila, until the edges take a little color. Pat the surface dry before it hits the pan, or it will steam instead of brown.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Himalayan choila at a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C. Start checking at 15 minutes. Himalayan choila is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
Grill 15 min
- 🇳🇵 NepalSouth Asiaicon-nepal-himalayan-choila-step-4
Himalayan choila, step 5
Step 5 · Himalayan choila
5Check the center of Himalayan choila, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇳🇵 NepalSouth Asiaicon-nepal-himalayan-choila-step-5
Himalayan choila, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Himalayan choila for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in nepal, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Himalayan choila in this shot order and no other: batter or dough smoothed to the corners; a spoon making a path through the sauce; wide on the cold pan before the heat; a knife sliding into the potato or vegetable. Slate words for the editor: umber, griddle, skillet, honeyed, whisked, kilnfire, windowlight, jasper, violet, hearth.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Himalayan choila is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
If it goes wrong
- Himalayan choila looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Himalayan choila turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Himalayan choila, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Himalayan choila is one of the plates people ask for by name from Kathmandu.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Grill the chicken through, chop it, and toss it with chili, sesame, and lemon.
Allergens in the required list: Sesame.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.