Momo is a and Nepali and Tibetan delicacy. It is type of dumpling filled with vegetables, cheese or meat, is one of the main menu items in all Tibetan and Nepali restaurants. Though traditionally filled with yak meat, in different areas of North east India, chicken, pork, goat and buffalo meat is used and eaten with a variety of sauces. It is similar to popularly known dish pot stickers in Western countries.
Tibet is situated in north of the Himalayas. Extensive mountain ranges to the east of the Tibetan Plateau mark the border with China, and the towering Himalayas of Nepal and India form a barrier between Tibet and India.
Traditionally momo was the symbol of either a party in progress or someone having food in a restaurant. Momos were made at homes occasionally and during special occasions. Momo, the Tibetan delicacy. This dumpling, filled with vegetables, cheese or meat, is (along with the Thukpa or noodle soup) one of the main menu items in all Tibetan restaurants. In reality, this food is shared with cultural cousins in the Indian Himalayas, Bhutan and Nepal. But Tibetans continued to be seen as the owner of the momo brand.
Now things are changing (at least in Delhi and many northern cities) with the Indianization of momos. Many Tibetan’s are opening a roadside shack selling momos. Today there are several road side stalls in Delhi, Dehradun, selling momos. In north-west Delhi new stalls emerged with a wide variation of momos. The common feature is that these stalls are all owned and operated by Indians.
- For momo dough
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- ⅛th tsp - salt
- ¼th - ⅓rd cup - water
- For filling
- 1 cup boiled, seeds removed and shredded young, green jack fruit (Kathal/Panasa kaya/Phanas/Pala Pazham)
- ½ cup - green onions finely chopped
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp minced cloves garlic
- ¼th cup - minced beetroot (optional)
- 2 tbsp - shredded fresh coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper or green chillies
- ¼th cup - beet leaves. - Optional
- Dipping sauce
- 10 red chillies - soaked in water for 1 hour
- 2 garlic pods
- 1 tomato
- 1 tsp - oil
- ½ tsp - soy sauce
- ¼th tsp - brown sugar
- Salt
- Combine dough ingredients in a mixing bowl. Slowly add water and knead well while dusting flour as needed. Cover and rest for 15 mins.
- Blend all dipping sauce ingredients, transfer to a bowl.
- In a mixing bowl, combine filling the ingredients. Cover and let it rest for atlas 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into ¾ inch balls. On a lightly floured surface, and working with one ball of dough at a time, roll dough into a 3-inch circles. If you are not confident, make 3 inch balls, roll dough. Use a 3-inch round cutter, cut into circles. Transfer circles to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place parchment in between each layer of wrappers.
- Working with one wrapper at a time, put a tablespoon of filling onto a wrapper, fold wrapper in half, and seal it with water, or follow instructions for forming momo's into the traditional pleated crescent shape. Transfer momo to reserved baking sheet and cover.
- To cook the dumplings, place a parchment paper on the bottom of bamboo or steel dumpling steamer. Optionally grease a steamer tray with oil or cooking spray. You can also line the steamer tray with cabbage or banana leaves. Fill the base of the steamer with 3 to 4 inches of water and bring to a boil.
- Steam momos for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with a variety of dipping sauces.
good recipe
Thank you rukmini