Bring out your inner chef by making these delicious vegetarian momos
South Asians need no introduction to this mouthwatering dish! Native to Northeast India as well as Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal, momos are comparable to Chinese dumplings. These steamed momos can be filled with absolutely anything of your choice — meat, tofu/paneer or your favorite vegetables! Here’s how to recreate this popular delicacy at home!
Vegetarian momos (Yield: 20)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Water
- Oil
Filling
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 green chiles
- ¾ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 cup finely chopped cabbage
- 1 cup chopped capsicum
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
- Pepper
Directions
- Start making the dough by mixing together the flour, some salt and a few tablespoons of water. Continue kneading until you form a smooth and firm dough.
- Rub some oil on the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
- To create the stuffing, start by heating the oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and green chiles. After a minute, add the chopped onion and saute the ingredients in the pan.
- Stir in the remaining chopped vegetables and allow it to cook. After 5-7 minutes, or once the vegetables have softened, add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.
- Now comes the hard part — assembly. Roll your dough into a thin, large sheet (less than 1 millimeter thick) and cut out small uniform circles using a cookie cutter or the edges of a bowl.
- Place the filling at the center of the circle and start pleating the edges until you come full circle, forming a standard dumpling shape. You may also make half-moon shapes if you prefer that method!
- Place your dumplings in the steamer for 10 minutes, and voila!
Tomato chutney/momo sauce
Momos are incomplete without the quintessential spicy and tangy red chutney. This easy, effortless sauce takes less than 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 red chiles
- 2 cups water
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt
Directions
- Boil your tomatoes and red chiles in a pan with water for 5 minutes.
- Drain the water, throw all your ingredients into a blender and your chutney is good to go!
So there you have it! Make staying at home more interesting and engaging by creating these tasty momos for you and your family!
Contact Nandita Radhakrishnan at nradhakrishnan@dailycal.org.