Name: Steamed Momos with Spicy Tomato Chutney
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Nepali
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided, plus more for the steamer; 3/4 cup water, room temperature; 1 lb ground chicken, thigh meat if possible; 1 medium red onion, finely minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 5 garlic cloves, 3 grated for the filling, 2 whole for the chutney; 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided; 4 roma tomatoes; 4 dried red chilies, stems removed; 2 tbsp white sesame seeds; 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns; 1 small handful microgreens, for garnish

Steamed Momos with Spicy Tomato Chutney

4.7 from 279 home cooks Free

Soft, round Himalayan dumplings pleated into little purses around a juicy chicken filling fragrant with ginger, cumin and cilantro. The real star is the thick roasted tomato chutney with sesame and tingly Sichuan pepper, the kind every momo stall guards like a secret. Plan on eating these straight from the steamer.

Prep

1 hr

Cook

30 min

Total

1 hr 30 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Nepali

Method

Step 1: Rub 1 tbsp of the oil into the flour with a pinch of salt, then add the water and knead for 6 to 8 minutes into a smooth, medium-soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes while you make the filling and chutney.
Step 2: Mix the chicken, onion, ginger, grated garlic, cilantro, cumin, garam masala, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil. Squeeze it through your fingers for a minute so the onion juices get worked into the meat; that moisture is what makes momos juicy.
Step 3: For the chutney, char the tomatoes and whole garlic in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning, until blistered and blackened in spots, about 10 minutes. Toast the chilies, sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorns in the same pan for 1 minute, until the sesame smells nutty.
Step 4: Blend the tomatoes, garlic, toasted spices, remaining 1 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt into a thick, spoonable sauce. Add a splash of water only if the blender stalls.
Step 5: Divide the dough into 30 balls and roll each into a 3 1/2-inch round with thinner edges. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, then pleat the edge all around, pinching each fold to the last, and twist the top closed into a round purse.
Step 6: Oil the steamer tray and arrange the momos 1 inch apart. Steam over boiling water for 12 minutes, until the wrappers look slightly glossy and no longer floury, and the filling feels firm when pressed. Work in two batches.
Step 7: Plate the momos around a bowl of the chutney and scatter microgreens over them. Serve hot.

Kitchen note

Toasting Sichuan peppercorns briefly wakes up their citrusy oils and the numbing tingle, standing in for timur, the Nepali prickly ash that gives momo chutney its distinctive buzz.