It is a pleasant, 3-hour drive from Kathmandu on the Prithivi Highway, which overlooks the Trishuli river. On the journey, you pass through many rural villages, and can obtain a snapshot of the authentic gaau-ghar lifestyle while surrounded by breathtaking vistas of the river and the mountains. Malekhu is famous for its just-caught fresh fish served deep-fried, smoked, and curried with Nepali spic
es by a number of road-side restaurants, all served with zero pretense. Local buses usually stop at Malekhu for lunch breaks for the travelers, and they enjoy shopping for a variety of fried fish, smoked river fish in wooden skewers, and locally grown fruits, vegetables and beans, lentils and peas. If you have never heard or tried Malekhu ko Maachaa, you are missing out a special treat of Nepal. Stopover at Malekhu Bazaar on our way to Manakaamana temple from Kathmandu -number of roadside restaurants in Malekhu where an abundant supply of freshly-caught fish is served. Options include deep-fried or smoked fish, small whole fish in a wooden skewer, fried crawfish, sun-dried fish on a wooden sticks, curried fish, and other accompaniments. Intoxicating flavor of freshly fried fish..... it is eaten whole with head, tail and bones, with the bones providing a somewhat unexpected pleasant soft crunch. Some bigger fish has larger bones which are not chewable, and best removed. Street vendors selling maachaa ko sukuti (dried fish fillet), preserved without salt. Small fish are woven in bamboo skewers, and then are placed in an upright position next to the wood-burning stove to make maachaa ko sukuti (dried fish).
