Steaming

Momos

Recipe To Warm Your Soul On A Rainy Day

Hot and comforting food is what is called for during monsoons, and momos are one of those dishes that are eaten hot off the steamer or pan, with condiments. The soft exterior made with wheat with filling ranging from minced vegetables to protein like chicken, pork and paneer, makes them a wholesome dish to consume on cooler days. The entire process of making momos takes time, so make sure you have a couple of hours you can dedicate to momo-making. 

The most traditional steaming momo recipe starts with a simple vegetable filling. A mix of cabbage, carrots, French beans, capsicum, and onions makes a reliable base for the stuffing, and adding white button mushrooms gives a meaty texture with a nice umami flavour. The momos are shaped by pleating the edges and twisting to seal, then steamed for about 10 minutes until the outer dough turns translucent and soft. Serve hot with a fiery red chilli chutney for the full street-style experience.

Momos are of Tibetan and Nepalese origin, which made their way into India as an Indo-Chinese fusion recipe, adopting the technique and principle of the Nepali momo but adding Indian flavours to the fillings. The chicken filling is typically made with minced chicken seasoned with garlic, ginger, onion, coriander, and spices, added raw to prevent it from drying out during steaming. Steamed chicken momos have the lowest fat among meat fillings, and are more widely available and popular than other varieties.

Another vegetarian favourite, for those who want a protein fix, is paneer momos. These are steamed dumplings made with a thin flour wrapper filled with a spiced paneer mixture. Paneer momos recipe uses grated fresh paneer with aromatics like onion, green chilli, coriander leaves, salt, and black pepper, with butter and pepper. The paneer goes well with the herbs and spices and makes for a smooth, creamy filling that stays moist and slightly creamy after cooking.

If you like your momos recipe with momos swimming in a bowl of soup like the Tibetan mokthuk, then you have to try jhol momos. These momos can be vegetarian or non vegetarians prepatons, which are in a rich, flavourful broth. The term literally means ‘momos in sauce’ in Nepali, and the broth is often tangy, spicy, and aromatic, making it the perfect complement to the soft, dumpling-like texture of the momo. The jhol is not usually made with a tomato base with red chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon juice.

Fried momos are referred to as kurkure momos, which are best eaten fresh off the pan, right after being deep-fried. Unlike momos that are directly fried after steaming, kurkure momos take things up a notch by adorning themselves in a coating of crushed cornflakes or breadcrumbs after being stuffed and shaped. Then they get deep-fried until they are golden brown. The coating remains ‘kurkure’ and the filling juicy and hot. It is usually served wth a spicy momo chutney, Schezwan sauce, or mayonnaise.

Take the classic paneer momos recipe or fried momos recipe, and turn it into this tandoori version by coating the steamed or fried momos in a marinade made with yoghurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and a complex mix of tandoori spices before being grilled, roasted, or pan-fried until charred. The marinade gives the momos a smoky, spicy flavour and a reddish-orange coating. They are served hot with mint chutney and are a favourite street food across North India.

The dipping sauce for momo is called achaar and is made by combining tomatoes, chilli, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and coriander. These are pureed into a thick and spicy sauce that is the inseparable companion to any plate of momos. Sweet chilli sauce or schezwan chutney also makes excellent dipping sauces, and drizzling a little chilli oil over the momos adds a punchy, aromatic finish. The sauce, chutney or achar choice can completely change the entire experience of eating momos.

Make momo-making a communal experience by gathering the family and friends in kneading, rolling, filling, and steaming momos. It can be a good bonding activity too, and each person can decide how they like theirs, whether vegetarian, vegan or non-vegetarian, that is turned into kurkure momos, eaten teamed or turned into jhol momos. You can even make a large batch that can be frozen for up to a month without going bad. So this monsoon, try some of these momo recipes.