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Prashanti Limbu shares culinary heritage, cooking advice

As part of the college experience, many students realize that they have to learn how to cook for themselves. 

College students find ways to make a home-cooked meal. One student in particular uses her family recipes when she cooks.

“Whenever I cook it reminds me of home — it brings [the] comfort and love that I miss the most right now,” said Prashanti Limbu, an international student from Nepal and environmental studies major.

Prashanti Limbu, a senior environmental studies major from Nepal, dishes bhat (rice) on Aug. 31. This Nepali dish is called dal (lentil soup) bhat (rice) tarkari (dish) and it is served with mushrooms and vegetables. Photo courtesy of Madison Covington.

Limbu uses her family recipes to make Nepali dishes because she has a love for cooking. She would often cook in Hogle Hall during her first year.

“Prashanti is very resourceful, and I thought she was really good at making good food even though she didn’t have a way to drive to the store,” said Olivia Midgley, an alum who majored in economics and was neighbors with Limbu in Hogle Hall. “When she did not have a ride, she would walk to the grocery store or buy grocery items at [the Shaw Student Center.]” 

“I can confidently claim that Prashanti’s dishes – that are rich in flavour and love – gives me a sense of peace and nostalgia,” said Limbu’s friend, Swornim Chhetri, a senior computer science major, mathematics major.

Prashanti Limbu, a senior environmental studies major from Nepal takes a picture of her dinner she cooked. This Nepali dish is called Roti (tortilla) and it is paired with mushrooms and vegetables.Photo courtesy of Prashanti Limbu.

“Prashanti talks a lot about Nepal and that’s no different when it comes to food. She’s always teaching me things about traditional dishes among other things,” said Bailey Wymes, a senior history major. Wymes was Limbu’s first-year roommate.  

Upper-level students discussed their cooking experiences and shared advice for students who are starting to cook for themselves.

Q: Who taught you how to cook?

A: 

Prashanti Limbu: I grew up around a lot of family members, my cousins, my mom was always there to help me cook. My dad would also help me cook so it was a mixture of a lot of people that helped me cook and they gave me their recipes. They taught me tips and tricks and how to cook something better, so I learned it little by little from everybody.

Prashanti Limbu, a senior environmental studies major from Nepal, prepares dal (lentil soup) bhat (rice) tarkari (dish) Aug. 31. Dal bhat tarkari is served with mushrooms and vegetables.Photo courtesy of Madison Covington.

Q: What is your favorite meal to make?

A:

Prashanti Limbu: Thukpa, noodles with soup.

Q: Do you have any memorable cooking stories?

A:

Prashanti Limbu: Whenever there are people coming over we usually have a dumpling party we call Momo. It’s such a huge task that a single person can never do it, so the tasks are always divided […]. We make dumplings back home and even here sometimes with friends […] and I just want it to be around for a very long time.

Q: What advice do you have for people who are just learning how to cook for themselves?

A:

Prashanti Limbu: I would say, ‘You’ve got this, don’t worry.’ We [all] start somewhere. If you want you can always watch YouTube videos because they are always helpful and we have internet everywhere, kind of, so you can just look at those videos and your great resource would be your mom or any family member that could teach you […] Just talk to people and if you like someone’s food, go talk to them. I hope they will share the recipe with you.

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Madison Covington is a senior studying communication at Westminster College. She loves vacationing with her family in Las Vegas and watching true crime documentaries. Madison can always be seen rocking a pair of Birkenstocks on campus.

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