In Nepal Today, on the occasion of Janai Purnima, people traditionally eat “Kwati,” a dish prepared by mixing eleven varieties of beans, soaking them, sprouting them, and then cooking them.

Kwati consists of a mixture of legumes such as black gram, soybeans, mung beans, green and white peas, small peas, black chickpeas, white chickpeas, broad beans, kidney beans, cowpeas, and horse gram.

Kwati is especially a Newari delicacy. In the Newari language, “Kwa” means hot, and “Ti” means soup. Since it is made from a variety of beans, the dish is highly nutritious.
During the monsoon season, farmers need more nutritious food, which is why Kwati holds special importance.

The beans — such as peas, chickpeas, mung beans, black gram, kidney beans, and soybeans — are soaked in water, sprouted, and then cooked to prepare Kwati.

It is believed, both religiously and in Ayurvedic tradition, that eating Kwati prevents illness, cleanses the stomach, removes the cold from the body, and generates internal warmth — which is especially beneficial during the rainy season when working in the fields.

Doctors also say that the soup made from a mix of various beans helps strengthen the body’s immune system.