Steamed nepalese momos recipe

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Steamed nepalese momos recipe

I first ate a momo when a Nepalese lady was helping me at home with my first baby six years ago.

She did lots of chopping, then 10 minutes later had made her little momos. I am dumpling-obsessed, so have dreamt of homemade momos ever since. They were brought to India by Tibetan and Nepalese people and, every time I go to Kolkata, I am tempted by the momo street vendors and the many restaurants catering solely to dumpling lovers.

Making them is not as hard as it might seem, although your first momo will probably look quite different to your last! (See the previous page for step-by-step photos of the process.) The chutney served with this is really spicy; below is my version, but feel free to experiment.

Makes 15–16 dumplings.

Ingredients

For the chutney
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 18 g root ginger, peeled weight, roughly chopped
  • 2 –3 green chillies, roughly chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 0.6 oz root ginger, peeled weight, roughly chopped
  • 2 –3 green chillies, roughly chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 0.6 oz root ginger, peeled weight, roughly chopped
  • 2 –3 green chillies, roughly chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
For the dumplings
  • 50 g plain flour, plus more to dust
  • 1 dash vegetable oil
  • 1.8 oz plain flour, plus more to dust
  • 1 dash vegetable oil
  • 1.8 oz plain flour, plus more to dust
  • 1 dash vegetable oil
For the filling
  • 0.5 onion, finely chopped
  • 90 g cabbage, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 0.5 small carrot, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 1 small handful of frozen peas, defrosted
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
  • 3 fine green beans, finely sliced
  • 9 g root ginger, peeled weight, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 1.5 tsp soft unsalted butter
  • 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1 good grinding of black pepper
  • 0.5 onion, finely chopped
  • 3.2 oz cabbage, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 0.5 small carrot, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 1 small handful of frozen peas, defrosted
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
  • 3 fine green beans, finely sliced
  • 0.3 oz root ginger, peeled weight, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 1.5 tsp soft unsalted butter
  • 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1 good grinding of black pepper
  • 0.5 onion, finely chopped
  • 3.2 oz cabbage, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 0.5 small carrot, finely grated, excess water squeezed out
  • 1 small handful of frozen peas, defrosted
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
  • 3 fine green beans, finely sliced
  • 0.3 oz root ginger, peeled weight, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 1.5 tsp soft unsalted butter
  • 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1 good grinding of black pepper

Details

  • Cuisine: Indian
  • Recipe Type: Starter
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 15 mins
  • Cooking Time: 15 mins
  • Serves: 6

Step-by-step

  1. For the chutney (makes enough to go with the momos): heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic cloves, root ginger, and green chillies, and sauté until the garlic begins to colour.
  2. Add the large tomatoes and salt, cover and cook down until the moisture has evaporated and the tomatoes are darkening. Add some boiled water and blend together (it doesn’t have to be too fine).
  3. Add the finely chopped ginger and chopped coriander leaves. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add more finely diced green chilli, if you like. It should be loose but not watery, quite hot and gingery and slightly salty, as the dumplings are quite simple.
  4. For the dumplings: mix the flour with 2 tbsp of water and make a dough. Give it a good knead so it is smooth and soft, adding 1 tsp more water if needed. Halve the dough and roll each half into a long rope. Pinch off equal tiny portions, aiming to get seven or eight from each rope. Roll each into a smooth ball and cover with a damp tea towel.
  5. Mix all the ingredients for the filling, taste and adjust the seasoning.
  6. Place a steamer filled with water on the heat and oil the steamer basket. Taking one ball of dough at a time, use a little flour to roll out into a thin 6–7.5cm round.
  7. Place a generous teaspoonful of filling in the centre. Take the momo in your left hand (if right handed) and use your thumb and forefinger to enclose the filling by gathering the edges of the dough and pleating them together (or you can pleat them to look like rosebuds, see previous page).
  8. Either way, make sure the filling stays well away from the edges. Place on the oiled rack, seam side up.
  9. Once they are all done, place in the steamer, close the lid and steam for 12–14 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky, then serve.

Recipe taken from Anjum's Indian Vegetarian Feast by Anjum Anand, published by Quadrille (£19.99)

Photos © Emma Lee

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