Newari Specialties
Momocha
मोमोचा
Momocha is the Kathmandu Valley's own take on the dumpling, brought back along the Lhasa trade route by Newar merchants and rebuilt around buffalo meat and valley spicing. The traditional plating is ten round dumplings sitting in jhol achar, a thin, tart sesame-and-tomato broth sharpened with timur. Steamed momo shops have been fixtures around Ason and Indra Chowk since the mid-twentieth century, and the jhol is judged as carefully as the filling.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Mix the flour and salt with enough water to make a firm, smooth dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Combine the mince with the onions, spring onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, timur, mustard oil and salt. Mix until it feels sticky and cohesive.
Roll the dough into a rope, cut walnut-sized pieces and roll each into a thin round with a thicker centre and a very thin rim.
Place a spoonful of filling in the middle and pleat the edge round into a closed purse, twisting the top shut. For the classic momocha look, keep them round rather than half-moon.
Oil the steamer trays well and arrange the momo with space between them so they do not fuse.
Steam over hard-boiling water for 12 to 14 minutes, until the wrappers turn glossy and translucent and no longer feel doughy.
For the jhol achar, char the tomatoes and dried chillies over a flame until blackened in patches, then blend with the roasted sesame, a little salt and enough water to make a pourable, soupy sauce.
Sharpen the jhol with lime juice and a pinch of ground timur, then ladle it into bowls, sit the hot momo in it and serve straight away.
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