Indian version of Momo!

It is not any surprising fact how food cuts across geographic boundaries. For instance,some of the culinary dishes  from Nepal has some similarities with food from China in terms of content, texture and how they are being cooked. Here I'm talking about Momo or dumplings. Momo is also common in some part of Northern India. When I googled about Momo, I came to this exhaustive  list.  Wow, there can be so many varieties of dumplings, I told to myself!! Right from sweet fillings to vegetables, Tofu and what not!

While growing up, I never had Momo. I first sampled Chinese dumplings at Bellaire Boulevard in Houston. One of my Chinese friend introduced me to this Chinese delicacy and I have enjoyed it henceforth. Bellaire Boulevard looks like Mini China. With all the signs interpreted in both Chinese and English, lots of Chinese grocery stores around the street, it is sometimes hard to believe that this place is tucked in Houston! Apart from sampling Chinese food, another good reason to visit Chinese market they have lot of vegetables which are also commonly eaten in India but cannot be find in Kroger or HEB or Walmart.

Bellaire Boulevard, Houston,  picture source: Wikipedia

Few months back, one of my friends from Nepal treated me with home made Momo. Be it Chinese dumpling or the Nepalese Momo, both had one thing in common - simple ingredients and a spicy dipping sauce. And my friend from Nepal also taught me the secret ingredient for Momo cover  - Gyoza Potsticker wrapper. It makes the whole process so easy!

I made Momo couple of times at home following her instruction. But I deviated. And I have to admit while the traditional Nepalese Momo or Chinese Dumpling doesn't require to precook ( or saute) the stuffing, I gave it an Indian twist by putting Masala and frying the vegetables lightly before they are being used as filler.

I also enjoy the simple yet delicious Chinese dumplings. . Stuffed with rice noodles, Tofu, Spinach and other things, I'm not an expert to suggest cooking variation of  Momo, but with my growing enthusiasm of trying quick and easy recipes, I thought this is appropriate to share the recipe here.

Recipe:

Momo wrapper : Gyoza potstickers ( available at most of the Supermarket. Thaw for half an hour before you are ready to put in the filling)

For stuffing ( Makes about 10-12 Momo)

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup chopped beans

1/4 cup crumbled Tofu

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp grated garlic

I used a food processor for grating the veggies. One of the key steps here is the vegetables should be finely and evenly chopped.

Dry masala powder:

Roast together 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seed, 1 dried red chilly, 1/2 inch long cardamom stick. Grind it to a fine powder and keep aside.

Preparing the filling:

Heat oil in a pan. Once it is ready, put the shredded veggies and a little bit of salt. Keep stirring. Once the raw smell is gone, Put the dry masala powder and mix together everything. Don't overcook the stuffing, as later they will be steamed for 15-20 mins!

Preparing the Momo:

Thaw the Gyoza pot stickers. Once they are ready, they will easily pull apart from one another. Take a small bowl of water. Put a small scoop of stuffing at the center of the pot sticker. Lightly water around the edge.Now pull both the edges together to give the shape of a half moon and press it lightly so that the edges stick together.
I used a bamboo steamer to prepare Momo. In a big wok or pan, put enough water ( so that the steamer when placed inside it, the Momo receives steam but does not get in contact with water). Let it come to the boiling point. Place the Momos in basket leaving a little space between them. I had a two tier basket and after 10 minutes I changed the order of the basket so that all the Momos gets cooked evenly. Let it steam for good 15-20 minutes. When the Momos are done, the color will change from opaque to translucent.

Recipe for Momo chutney:

This is the best part of the dish.  While Momo is quite plain and simple, the chutney has a fiery kick in it! Chutney making doesn't consume much time and can be done simultaneously while the Momos are getting steamed.

Ingredients :

Half cup white sesame seeds
Two spoon black peppercorn
Handful of peanuts
Two ripe tomatoes

Method:

Dry roast the peanuts. Once they are done, during the last 20 seconds, add sesame seeds and peppercorn. I love the smell of this mixture! Remove from heat and let it cool and then roast to a fine powder. Now dry roast the tomatoes.Make few incisions and put in a pan without oil . Once it starts getting blackened, mash it with the back tip of the laddle. Let the water ooze out. It might take 8-10 minutes to get rid of the raw smell of tomato. Remove from heat. Let it cool down and puree it in a blender. Now mix together the roasted powder and the pureed tomatoes! The taste is tangy and fiery!

Serve hot Momos with Chutney and enjoy!