Vegetable momos
Steamed dumplings from Sikkim and Darjeeling with a cabbage, tofu and ginger filling and fiery tomato achar
Momos came to Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills with Tibetan settlers and are now the snack of the whole Himalayan Northeast, steamed in tall stacked steamers at every street corner. Thin, soft wrappers hold a juicy filling of cabbage, carrot, onion and tofu with plenty of ginger, garlic and spring onion. They are dipped in a hot, garlicky tomato and red chilli achar. Serve straight from the steamer, with a bowl of clear soup if you like. Chef's tip: salt the chopped cabbage and squeeze out its water before mixing the filling; it keeps the wrappers from turning soggy and tearing.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the wrappers
For the filling
For the tomato achar
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and ¼ tsp salt, add 1 tsp vegetable oil and knead with ½ cup water to a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes; a rested dough rolls thin without shrinking back.
20 minStep 2: Toss 9 oz white cabbage with ½ tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze hard in your hands or a cloth to remove as much water as possible.
10 minStep 3: Mix the cabbage with 1 carrot, 1 onion, 3 spring onions, 3 ½ oz firm tofu, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. The oil keeps the filling juicy as it steams. Don't add more salt; the soy sauce is enough.
Step 4: For the achar, drop 3 tomatoes into boiling water for 3–4 minutes until the skins split, then peel. Blend with the drained 6 dried red chillies, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger and ½ tsp salt to a smooth sauce.
4 minStep 5: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan, add the sauce and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until it darkens and thickens slightly. Stir in ¼ tsp Sichuan pepper (timur) if using; it gives a tingling, citrusy heat typical of the hills. Cool.
5 minStep 6: Divide the dough into 24 small balls. Roll each into an 8 cm round, thinner at the edges than in the middle, so the pleated top isn't doughy.
Step 7: Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Pleat the edges, pinching each fold onto the last, and twist to close at the top like a little purse, or fold into a half-moon and pleat the edge. Keep the shaped momos under a cloth so they don't dry out.
Step 8: Oil a steamer basket or line it with cabbage leaves. Steam the momos over boiling water, spaced apart, on a high heat for 10–12 minutes, until the wrappers turn slightly translucent and are no longer sticky to the touch.
12 minStep 9: Serve straight away with the tomato achar for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable momos take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Coastal Mombasa mix
A Mombasa street-food bowl: chickpeas and potato simmered in coconut milk with raw mango and chilli, ladled into small bowls and topped with crisp lentil fritters, crunchy chevdo and red, green and tamarind chutneys. Make the fritters and chevdo ahead and assemble at the table. It's sweet, sour, hot and crunchy all at once.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, 'grilled as you like it') is the pride of Osaka, where it's cooked on hot iron griddles in lively restaurants. Finely shredded cabbage is folded into a light batter with egg and spring onion, then fried into a thick, soft pancake with a crisp outside. It's painted with a fruity brown sauce and zigzagged with mayonnaise. Bonito flakes are usual on top; this vegetarian version uses seaweed flakes and pickled ginger instead. Chef's tip: don't press the pancake down with your spatula while it cooks. Osaka cooks leave it alone so the cabbage steams inside and stays light and fluffy; pressing squeezes out the air.
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
