Delightful Momos with Hot 'Sepen'

Momo is a type of dumpling that has its origin from regions in and around Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and other Himalayan states. The dumpling itself is made from simple flour dough while the fillings may vary. I got a taste of these dumplings, for the very first time, when we were in Nepal. Was quite put off by the bland vegetable filling while my hubby was busy gobbling up all the chicken momos! Ever since I have never tried giving it another shot as that taste still lingers in my mind. (An interesting article about momos published by the New York Times recently.)

My hubby absolutely loves momos! So one day I decided to surprise him by making them at home. It was definitely a nerve wrecking experiment for me. Since I knew he would be pretty excited  and coming home with a lot of expectation I did not bother telling him in advance. Thought I will try making them first and in case it failed, would think of a plan B :D Now that I have actually made them, I can say  it is super easy to make these dumplings! The taste lies in the fillings and you can try combining different flavours / ingredients to suit your palette. Although I do think it is best if the fillings are kept simple coz' that is how momos are meant to be. I made chicken momos for my hubby and was ecstatic that he loved them. (Bumped into this  lovely video while browsing; gives a live tutorial on how to make momos.)

Below is the recipe for my vegetarian version - the filling is made from broccoli and cottage cheese. You can try and experiment by adding any other ingredient of your choice. Also made the Tibetan hot sauce - Sepen, which  goes incredibly well with these momos. So go ahead and give it a try. Healthy and delicious,  I am sure you would enjoy these dumplings as much as we did  :)

Broccoli and Cottage Cheese Momos: Recipe

 

Ingredients (makes about 12 to 14 momos):

For the momos:

• All purpose flour - 2 cups
• Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Water - as required (about 3/4 cup)

For the filling:

• Fresh broccoli - 4 to 5 florets, steamed and finely chopped
• Cottage cheese - 200 gm, crumbled
• Onion - 1 small finely chopped
• Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves finely chopped
• Ginger - 1/2" piece finely chopped
• Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
• Cilantro - few sprigs finely chopped
• Light soya sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp (adjust as per your taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Prepare the dough: Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Then gradually add water and knead to make a soft workable dough. Smear little oil on the surface of the dough and keep it covered. Allow it to rest while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling: Heat oil and add saute the finely chopped onions, garlic, green chilli and ginger for few minutes. To this add the chopped cilantro, cottage cheese and broccoli. Season with soya sauce, salt and pepper and mix well.

Make the momos: Take a big ball of the dough (roughly the size of your fist) and roll it out evenly into a large thin circle. Using a tumbler or any other container (approx 2 to 3" in diameter) cut out smaller individual circles from this large circle. Take a small circle in the middle of your palm, add about a tablespoon of the filling at the centre of this circle and then holding the edges together (to form a semi circle) form pleats towards the centre and seal the edges together by pinching at the top. You can get a better idea by watching the video I have linked above. Repeat this with the remaining dough.
Steaming the momos: Grease the surface of the steamer (you can use idli steamers also) with little oil and place as many momos, making sure they do not touch each other. There should be sufficient space between them as they will expand while cooking. Steam for 10 minutes and serve hot with hot Sepen sauce!

Tibetan Hot Sauce - Sepen : Recipe

(Source: Adapted from Yowangdu.com)

Ingredients:

• Onion - 1 medium roughly sliced
• Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves roughly chopped
• Celery - 1 small stick roughly sliced
• Chopped tomatoes - 200gm
• Cilantro - few sprigs chopped
• Dry red chilli - 4 to 6 (Spice Alert!!)
• Salt to taste
• Vegtable oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil and saute the garlic, celery and onion till they are translucent. 
2. To this add the chopped tomatoes (you can use fresh or canned), red chillies, salt and cilantro and simmer it for few minutes.
3. Set aside to cool and then grind it into a smooth paste. Your delicious, hot sauce for momos is ready in no time :)