Often called the Newari pizza, chatamari is a thin rice-flour crepe cooked with its toppings pressed right into the batter.
About Chatamari
Often dubbed the 'Newari Pizza'; this thin; 'shatter-crisp' rice flour crepe is topped with minced meat; egg; and chopped cilantro; originating from the ancestral kitchens of the Kathmandu Valley; it is a high-precision balance of a crunchy base and savory; umami-rich toppings.
A Crepe From the Valley
Chatamari is a thin, soft crepe made from a rice-flour batter, cooked on one side in a shallow pan. Unlike a folded crepe, it is served flat and open, with the toppings set onto the batter as it cooks. The base is mild and slightly chewy, a canvas for what goes on top.
“Chatamari is a thin, soft crepe made from a rice-flour batter, cooked on one side in a shallow pan.”
The Newari Pizza
The nickname comes from the way toppings are added before the crepe is finished, so they cook into the surface. Common toppings include minced buffalo, a cracked egg, chopped onion, green chilli and coriander, though a plain or lightly spiced version exists too. The comparison to pizza is loose but it captures the open, topped form.
Snack and Ceremony
Chatamari is eaten as a light meal or snack and also appears on Newar festive tables, where it has long been part of the community's repertoire. It is cooked to order at Newari restaurants and stalls in the Kathmandu Valley. The dish predates the pizza nickname by generations, rooted in the valley's rice-based cooking.
How It Is Served
A finished chatamari is slid onto a plate and eaten by hand, folded or torn. The plain version pairs with other Newar dishes, while the meat-and-egg version stands alone as a quick meal. Its appeal lies in the contrast of the soft rice base against the savoury, spiced topping.
“A finished chatamari is slid onto a plate and eaten by hand, folded or torn.”
