ara (grain liquor)
A clear, traditionally home-distilled spirit from fermented grain, usually rice, made in Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan; mildly sweet and grainy.
Aila is the rice spirit of the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley, and ara is its relative in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan, distilled from rice, millet, barley or maize depending on the region. Both are made by distilling fermented grain and are water-clear. The taste is cleaner and rounder than Western grain spirits, with a faintly sweet note reminiscent of cooked rice, and sometimes a smoky edge from being distilled over an open fire. Strength varies widely, from about 20 to over 40 percent alcohol. It is rarely traded outside the region; with luck you will find it in Nepalese grocery shops or by mail order.
Substitute:
Rice shochu from Japan comes closest, being similarly mild and grainy; soju also works but is weaker and slightly sweeter. Vodka matches the clarity and alcohol but not the sweetish rice note. Chinese baijiu is usually too pungent and would dominate the dish.