Among the different varieties of Nepali food available, momo is one of the most popular items. In fact, momos are so popular in Nepal that almost every restaurant offers it on their menu. There are three steps to making momo : you will first need to prepare fillings, then the wrappers, and finally you can cook them. In this article, I'm going to teach you the authentic way to make delicious momo at home, all by yourself.
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1 kg |
| Minced meat | 500 gm |
| Chopped fresh cilantro | 1 cup |
| chopped onions | 1 cup |
| Minced garlic | 2 tbsp |
| Minced peeled ginger | 2 tbsp |
| Ground cumin | 1/2 tbsp |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/2 tsp |
| Salt, black pepper, turmeric powder | As required |
To make delicious momos, start by adding one grated onion to the minced meat. Then, add half a tablespoon of turmeric powder to give the meat a bit of color. Next, add two tablespoons of salt to enhance the flavor of the filling. If you want your momos to be spicy, you can add a bit more of the two tablespoons of grated chili.
Additionally, add two tablespoons of ginger and garlic paste each to give the filling a tasty flavor. For a sour taste, add half a tablespoon of coriander powder to the mixture. After adding the spices, mix them well with the meat. To prevent the filling from getting too dry, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and mix it again. Nepalese people love their momos with juicy fillings. Lastly, add some finely chopped coriander to the mixture and mix it well. With these steps, your momo filling will be delicious and flavorful.
Making wrappers is easier than making the fillings or even the cooking part and it's fun too! Start by putting the flour into a bowl. To make the momo wrappers, start by putting flour into a bowl. Gradually add water to the flour, a little at a time, to make dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes to make it pliable and easier to use. Once the dough is ready, pinch off a bit of it depending on how big you want the wrapping to be. Then, take a rolling pin and roll the dough as thinly as possible, into circular shapes that are the size of a glass. Be sure not to make them too thin or too thick.
Now comes the most difficult part: packing and cooking the momos! Take a piece of the momo wrapping and put around one tablespoon of filling into the center of it. Then, pinch one edge of the wrapping to the other edge and twist it. Keep doing this until the filling is fully covered and make sure that the wrapping completely covers the filling. Otherwise, the momos may break when steamed.
After wrapping the momos, oil the bottom of the steamer. This prevents the momos from sticking to the steamer. Next, put the momos in the steamer in a systematic order so that they don't touch each other. Finally, steam the momos for 20-30 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. Once cooked, serve the momos hot with some spicy sauce or chutney. With these simple steps, you can make delicious and perfectly steamed momos at home.
It's time to indulge in the deliciousness of momos. So, grab your chopsticks or simply use your hands, and savor the perfect combination of juicy filling and soft dough in every bite. And don't forget to dip them in the spicy achaar for that extra kick of flavor.