Momos are steamed Tibetan dumplings bursting with flavor. This particular recipe is vegetarian but Momos can be vegetarian or non veg with fillings that range from chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu or simply vegetables. Momos taste as good as they look. They are served with a spicy sauce to compliment the savory bites. They are a very popular street food in Tibet, India and Nepal and serve as a great appetizer. Momos are similar to dim sum although dim sums can be made from rice or potato starch. Dim Sum (meaning ‘touch the heart’) originated in China while Momo is part of Tibetan cuisine. There are almost 2000 different versions of Dim Sums.
There are a few steps to this recipe. First is making the dough. Next is the filling and third is the steaming of the momos. Although it takes a little while to make this dish, it is so worth it @sarchakra
PREP TIME: 30 mins
COOK TIME: 30 mins
YIELDS: Serves 3-4
The dough
Ingredients
- AP flour 1 cup
- Salt 1 tsp
- Oil 1 tsp
- Warm water as needed (microwaved ⅓ cup of water for 30 secs)
Method
- Mix the AP flour with salt
- Add the oil.
- Knead the mixture into a soft pliable and smooth dough with warm water.
- Do not add too much water. Cover the dough and keep aside.
The Filling
Ingredients
- Green cabbage 1 cup, finely chopped
- Green peas ⅓ cup
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Onion 1, small, chopped
- Garlic 2 cloves, grated
- Ginger 1 tbsp grated
- Sugar 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper 1 tbsp
- Soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Green and red chilies fresh, 2-3 chopped
- Jalapeño ¼, chopped
- Spring onions ⅓ cup
- Coriander leaf 2 tbsp
- Cabbage leaves to line the bottom
Method
- Heat oil. Add in chopped garlic. Let it turn slightly golden before adding in chopped onion.
- Cook till translucent. Add in chopped fresh red chilies and jalapeños. Let it cook for a few seconds.
- Add chopped cabbage. Let it sweat and cook properly for about 7-8 mins.
- Add in ginger, peas and spring onions.
- Now it is time to add the seasoning. Add in salt, sugar, crushed black pepper and soy sauce. Let everything cook and come together.
- Add in chopped coriander. Turn the heat off. Let the mixture cool.
Shaping the momos
- Take the dough and pinch out a little lime sized ball. Roll out into a circle using a rolling pin.
- Put 1 tbsp of the vegetable mixture into the dough in the middle. Lift and pinch the sides, pleating and gathering up the dough while you turn the rolling board to work your way around. Gather the pleats together and pinch them together to form a circle to seal the top.
- Repeat for the rest of the momos. Do one at a time so the dough does not dry up.
- Keep the dough covered while you are making the momos.
Steaming
- Wash the bamboo steamer under cold water. Put the cabbage leaves in the microwave for 30 seconds. Line the bottom of the steamer with the softened cabbage leaves.
- Brush some oil on the cabbage leaves to prevent the momos sticking to the cabbage while cooking.
- Take a large pan and fill it with covering about ⅓ of the pan. Bring the water to a boil.
- Place about 6 momos in each of the steamer trays. Make sure they have adequate space in between them and are not touching each other.
- Place the tiered steamer basket above the simmering water in the pan. Steam for 10 mins on a medium flame. Remove when done. Repeat with the rest.
For Serving
- Szechuan sauce ¼ cup
- Jalapeño cut into rounds
- Sesame seeds 2 tsp
In a bowl pour in some Szechuan sauce. Sprinkle some sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and garnish with some chopped jalapeños. Put momos on the plate. Serve immediately.
Notes
I used frozen green peas which I added towards the end of the cooking. You can experiment with other vegetables.
Be careful with the amount of salt. Remember soy sauce has a lot of salt in it.
I served this with House of Tsang Szechuan Sauce. You can serve with any sauce of your liking.
I used my Joyce Chen Bamboo Steamer that I bought years ago for this recipe. This is such a handy item I’m not sure why I haven’t used this all these years.
I used cabbage leaves to line the steamer baskets. You could use lettuce too. It is better to steam the cabbage leaves or put it in the microwave for 30 secs and then lay the momos to ensure a shorter cooking time for the momos. I learnt this the hard way! If using lettuce leaves you will not have this problem.
Don’t throw the steamed cabbage leaves away. You can use them to make delicious cabbage rolls. Stuff them with a vegetable or meat filling and top with them with some sauce and bake. That in itself makes for a good meal.
The length of time it will take to steam depends on the size go the momos and how thick the dough is. Generally when they are cooked they should not feel sticky to the touch.
sarchakra 