Steamed Veg Momos with Tomato Chutney
Soft steamed dumplings packed with a gingery vegetable filling and served with a fiery roasted tomato chutney.
On the street
Momos travelled from Tibet and Nepal into India's hill towns and the North-East, and today you'll find them on almost every busy street. The dough is simply flour and water; the filling is finely chopped vegetables with plenty of ginger and garlic. Don't worry if your folds aren't perfect — even simple half-moon shapes taste just as good.
How to make it
- Mix the flour and salt, then add water gradually and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle salt over the cabbage, leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Mix with the carrot, onion, spring onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and oil.
- Roll the dough into a log and cut into 24 pieces. Roll each into a thin 8 cm circle, keeping the edges thinner than the centre.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre, fold into a half moon and pleat or pinch the edges firmly to seal.
- Steam on an oiled steamer tray over boiling water for 10–12 minutes until the wrappers look slightly translucent.
- For the chutney, blanch or char the tomatoes, then blend with the soaked chillies, garlic, vinegar and salt until smooth. Serve with the hot momos.
Serving a crowd
- Uncooked momos can be frozen on a tray, then bagged; steam from frozen for 15 minutes.
- Steam in batches every 15 minutes so guests always get hot momos.
- Serve the chutney in small bowls and label it as spicy.
- Contains wheat and soy. Use tamari and a gluten-free wrapper if needed.
- Squeezing the cabbage is essential — wet filling makes the dough tear.
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