Momos are made with a simple flour-and-water dough—white flour is generally preferred—and sometimes a little yeast or baking soda is added to give a more 'doughy' texture to the finished product. The filling may be one of several mixtures like meat, vegetable, cheese etc. The dough is fashioned into small circular flat pieces. The filling is then enclosed either in a round pocket or in a half moon shape or crescent. The dumplings are then cooked by steaming over a soup (either a stock based on bones or tomato-based), which is served with the dumplings, as well as chili sauce. The dumplings may also be pan-fried or deep-fried after being steamed. They are often accompanied by an Indian pickle achar.
Ingrediants:
Wrapper
3 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
(Alternatively, buy egg roll wrapper )
Filling
1 lb ground or minced chicken/turkey/lamb/pork
1 cup onion (finely chopped)
½ cup shallots (finely chopped)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
3 fresh chillies (paste)
4 tablespoon ghee or butter
Salt to taste
Method
| Filling: | |
| 1 | Combine all filling ingredients. Mix well, adjust seasoning according to taste. |
| Wrapper: (Disregard step 2-6 if you buy the readymade wrappers) | |
| 2 | In a bowl combine flour, salt and water. Mix well, knead until the dough becomes similar to pizza dough. |
| 3 | Optional step: Cover and let stand for about one hour. Knead well again before making the wrappers. |
| 4 | Prepare 1 inch dough balls and roll between your palms to spherical shape. |
| 5 | Dust working board with dry flour. On the board gently flatten the ball with rolling pin to about 2 inch diameter circle. |
| 6 | Repeat steps 3-4 again for more wrappers. |
| Packing Dumpling: | |
| 7 | Hold wrapper on one palm. Put about 1 spoon of filling in middle of wrapper. |
| 8 | With the other hand bring all edges together to center, making the pleats. Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the dumpling. Closing the meat inside wrapper is the secret of tasty and juicy dumplings. |
| Steaming Dumplings: | |
| 9 | Heat up water in steamer. |
| 10 | Oil the steamer rack well or put cabbage leaves on bottom to prevent dumplings from sticking to rack. Put dumping in steamer. |
| 11 | When water boils, close the lid on rack. |
| 12 | Steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. |
