Staples & Mains
Momo (Steamed Dumplings)
मःमः
Pleated dumplings steamed in bamboo baskets and served with a fiery tomato-sesame achar, momo arrived with Tibetan and Newar trade routes and became Nepal's most beloved everyday food. Every neighbourhood has its own momo shop, and the ritual of tearing one open to drink the hot juice before dipping it is half the pleasure. They are eaten as lunch, as a snack, and as the default order whenever friends meet.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Work the water into the flour a little at a time until you have a firm, smooth dough, then cover it and let it rest for half an hour.
Combine the minced chicken with the onion, spring onion, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, timur, oil, coriander leaves and salt, mixing with your hand until the filling feels sticky and cohesive.
Roll the dough into a rope, pinch off walnut-sized pieces, and roll each into a thin round about 8 cm across with a rim slightly thinner than the centre.
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of filling into each wrapper and pleat the edge closed, either into a crescent or gathered into a round purse with a twist at the top.
Oil the tiers of a steamer well so the dumplings release cleanly, arrange them without touching, and steam over rolling water for 12 to 14 minutes until the wrappers look glossy and translucent.
For the achar, char the tomatoes and dried chillies in a dry pan until the skins blister and blacken in patches.
Blend the charred tomatoes and chillies with the toasted sesame seeds and salt into a coarse, pourable sauce, loosening with a splash of water if needed.
Serve the momo straight from the steamer with a bowl of achar for dipping.
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