Nepali Chicken Momo
Momos are steamed dumplings found in various forms all over South Asia in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and the Himalayan region of India. The dumpling are typically made out of a basic flour dough, filled with ground meat (lamb, chicken, beef, and even yak), herbs, and spices. They get steamed in a bamboo steamer and served with harissa and a tomato pickle relish. They require a little work, but are still fairly simple to make. I recommend making a large batch, freeze down in a single layer on a baking sheet, then store in a gallon sized freezer bag. That way, you can have momos anytime you want.
Equipment
- rolling pin
- bamboo steamer
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb ground chicken thigh
- 1 cup white onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 dried red chili grohnd
Wrapper Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all of the filling ingredients together. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before filling the momos.
- Mix all of the dough ingredients together. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a wet paper towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
Assembly
- Portion out 1” dough balls on a well floured surface.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough balls into a 4” disc. Place a tbsp of the filling in the center.
- Crimp over the edges to seal.
- You should yield at least 30 momos.
Cooking
- Bring 2” of water to a boil in a pot. Rub oil on the grates of the bamboo steamer. This will keep the momos from sticking. Place the momos in the steamer, making sure that they don’t touch one another.
- Steam for 15-20 minutes.
