Quick answer

Chatamari is a Newar rice-flour crepe or pancake cooked on a hot pan, traditionally covered while it sets. Nepal Tourism Board’s heritage-cuisine book documents a plain rice-batter form served with accompaniments and variations topped with egg, cheese, meat or vegetables. The popular “Nepali pizza” nickname is only a visual comparison.

Food tradition
Newar cuisine of Kathmandu Valley
Base
Rice flour and water
Cooking method
Spread on a hot pan and covered
Variations
Plain or topped
Pizza?
No; the nickname is an analogy
On our menu?
No, chatamari is not currently listed

What makes chatamari distinctive?

A smooth rice-flour batter is spread into a thin round on a heated pan. Covering traps heat so the surface cooks without the piece being flipped like many wheat pancakes. Nepal Tourism Board’s documented version uses rice flour, warm water and oil for greasing, then serves the cooked rounds with curry-based meat or vegetables and a condiment.

Topped versions cook additions on the exposed surface. Egg can set into the rice base; minced meat or vegetables create a more substantial snack or meal. The technique, not a comparison with another country’s food, gives chatamari its identity.

Why is chatamari called “Nepali pizza”?

The nickname helps visitors picture a round base with toppings, but it can mislead. Chatamari predates the marketing comparison and uses rice batter rather than yeasted wheat dough, with its own griddle method and Newar context. It should not be presented as an imitation pizza.

“Rice-flour crepe” is also an approximation, useful for shape and thinness. Keeping the word chatamari matters because it carries cultural specificity. Our Newar cuisine guide explains why names such as chatamari, bara, choila and yomari should not be flattened into familiar Western categories.

Where does chatamari belong culturally?

Official heritage-cuisine material states that the name comes from the Newari language and that the food became popular among other communities. “Newar” is the community name increasingly preferred in English; “Newari” remains widely used for the language, cuisine and adjectival forms. Usage varies, so respectful writing can recognise both.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s account of traditional-food training describes a thin rice preparation topped with minced meat, garlic, onion, egg and spices. That is one documented topped form, not an exhaustive recipe. Kathmandu Valley’s Newar food culture includes everyday dishes, feast foods and ritual forms, and not every household or occasion uses the same toppings. Read our samay baji guide for a separate feast tradition rather than merging all Valley foods into one platter.

How did older cooking methods affect it?

Nepal Tourism Board’s recipe book notes that chatamari was formerly cooked in earthen pots with a similar lid, producing an earthy aroma. That historical note describes a method remembered by the source; it does not mean pan-cooked versions are inauthentic. Cooking technology changes while names and skills continue.

The batter still asks for judgement. Too thick and it loses delicacy; too thin and it may tear. Heat must set the underside while the covered top cooks through. Toppings add moisture and require their own timing, which is why an experienced maker’s touch matters more than a rigid minute count.

How is chatamari different from yomari or sel roti?

All three can begin with rice, yet their forms diverge. Chatamari is spread thin and pan-cooked. Yomari is shaped around a filling and steamed. Sel roti is poured as a ring and fried. Ingredient overlap never makes techniques interchangeable.

Chatamari may be savoury and topped, while traditional yomari fillings such as chaku or khuwa are sweet. Sel roti has sweetness of its own but no topping structure. These comparisons orient a new diner without replacing the foods’ proper names.

Common questions

Is chatamari gluten-free?

A plain rice-flour base contains no wheat in the official example, but toppings, preparation and cross-contact must be checked with the maker.

Is chatamari always topped?

No. Plain and topped versions are documented.

Is chatamari a pizza?

No. “Nepali pizza” is a modern visual nickname, not its identity or origin.

Can I order chatamari here?

No. It is not on our current dine-in menu.

Source notes

Reviewed 19 September 2026. Where this guide mentions our restaurant, details are checked against the current dine-in menu. Wider cultural, historical and ingredient claims are checked against the cited sources below. How we research and correct our guides.