Quick answer

Choila—also written chhoyela—is a spiced meat dish associated with Newar cuisine and Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. There is no single universal method: official Nepali sources document both a boiled-and-dressed version and haku choila, a fire-roasted style. At The Great Kathmandu, Kathmandu Choila is a dry Nepalese starter made with chicken or lamb, herbs and spices.

Food tradition
Newar cuisine of the Kathmandu Valley
Spellings
Choila and chhoyela both appear in English-language sources
Traditional meat
Official accounts often feature buffalo; chicken versions are also documented
How it is served
Often as an appetiser; Lalitpur’s heritage report pairs it with baji, or beaten rice
Our version
A dry starter with chicken or lamb, Nepalese herbs and spices
Dine-in price
£17.95 at publication; check the current menu before visiting

What is choila?

Choila is a seasoned meat preparation rooted in Newar food culture. The dish is particularly associated with the Kathmandu Valley, where Newar cuisine has its own extensive repertoire within Nepal’s much wider regional food landscape.

You may also see it written as chhoyela. Romanising words from Nepal Bhasa into English produces different spellings: Nepal Tourism Board uses “Chhoyela”, while Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s heritage report uses “Choila”. They refer to the same broad food tradition, not two unrelated dishes.

It is more accurate to describe choila as a dish or meat preparation than as a curry. Versions can be dry, dressed with spices and oil, and served as an appetiser rather than in a sauce.

Choila is a tradition with more than one method—not one fixed recipe repeated in every kitchen.

Is choila always grilled or smoked?

No. Smoke and fire are important to some forms of choila, but they do not describe every documented preparation.

A Nepal Tourism Board heritage-cuisine book records one chhoyela recipe in which buffalo meat is boiled, cooled and cut before being dressed with aromatics, spices and mustard oil. A hot tempering is then added and the dish is served cold. That is one official reference preparation; it should not be treated as the only recipe.

By contrast, Lalitpur Metropolitan City documents haku choila as a style traditionally roasted over a straw fire. Reading the two accounts together shows why a good explanation of choila needs room for variation rather than a single rule.

What is haku choila?

Haku means “black” in Nepal Bhasa, according to Lalitpur’s cultural-heritage report. The name is connected to the dark, fire-roasted character of the meat. The report describes buffalo as traditional and notes that chicken can also be used.

It also places haku choila in the rhythm of a Newar meal: a popular appetiser eaten with baji, the beaten rice found across many Newar food traditions. That pairing gives context that the English phrase “spiced meat” alone cannot.

How does choila taste?

Choila is generally savoury, aromatic and assertively seasoned. In Nepal Tourism Board’s documented chhoyela recipe, the flavourings include ginger, garlic, cumin, chilli, timmur, mustard oil, fenugreek and turmeric. Those ingredients explain the warmth, fragrance and tangy, spiced character of that particular version.

Individual kitchens and families make choila differently. A fire-roasted haku choila may carry smokiness; a boiled-and-dressed version expresses its character through seasoning and tempering. The ingredient list above belongs to the cited reference recipe—it is not a claim about our restaurant’s recipe.

How does The Great Kathmandu serve choila?

Our current dine-in menu offers Kathmandu Choila Chicken or Lamb among the starters. The menu describes it as “a dry traditional Nepalese dish cooked with Nepalese herbs and spices.” It is priced at £17.95 at publication.

That is the verified description of our version. The menu does not label its heat level, cooking method or allergens, so we do not use this guide to promise that it follows either of the traditional methods described above. Ask the team when ordering if you have a heat preference, allergy or dietary requirement.

If you are exploring the Nepalese side of the menu, choila and Mo:Mo make an interesting contrast: one is a dry, spiced meat dish and the other is a filled dumpling served with tomato chutney. Our broader Nepalese food and culture guide places both within a more varied food story.

Common questions about choila

Are choila and chhoyela the same dish?

They are different English spellings used for the same broad Newar dish. Our menu and Lalitpur’s report use “choila”; Nepal Tourism Board’s recipe book uses “chhoyela”.

Is choila always made with buffalo?

No. Buffalo is traditional in the official accounts cited here, but Lalitpur’s report also documents chicken. The Great Kathmandu offers a choice of chicken or lamb.

Is choila very spicy?

Traditional versions can be spicy, but our current menu does not give Kathmandu Choila a heat rating. Ask the team for current guidance rather than relying on a universal answer.

Is your Kathmandu Choila gluten-free?

The current menu carries no gluten-free or other dietary marker for this dish. Please tell the team about any allergy or dietary requirement before ordering so they can give current kitchen guidance.

Source notes