Joy of Making Momos: How to cook momos at home?

Let me begin with a question: how often do you have momo cravings? Talking about me, I find myself having some deep momo cravings at unusual times. If you are also one of those who loves Momo, then you should definately learn how to cook momos at home.

In this blog, we will be going through how to cook momos at home so that you can prepare some fresh momos and serve them to your friends and loved ones. Aren’t you excited to learn about making some delicious and fresh momos?

The Origin of Momo 

To no surprise, you might find very few restaurants in Nepal that do not serve Momo. Haven’t you ordered a plate of Momo after going through a long menu at a restaurant? Whether it be a kid in his early 10s or an old age in his late 50s, everyone loves Momo in Nepal.

Though being widely popular, there is no exact proof that supports where Momo actually originated and how it came to Nepal. However, it is believed that Tibetan dumplings inspire momos. 

The credit for introducing momos to Nepal goes to the Merchants from the Newari Community who used to visit Tibet for trade and business. Tibetans used yak meat for the fillings of Momo and steamed it. Merchants from the Newar community recreated a local dish out of the Tibetan Dumplings, replacing the yak fillings with buffalo meat.

Later, when it was introduced to communities that did not eat buffalo meat, people started filling it with chicken meat. Likewise, the vegetarians began filling it with vegetables and the experiment with filling continues.

Why is Momo so famous in Nepal?

Now, what’s the reason behind Momo becoming so famous? When it comes to momo dumplings served with some achar, I bet you it can compete with any other famous dishes around the world. So, it’s the taste behind the Momo that makes it popular.

In addition to that, you don’t need any special and costly ingredients for making Momo; it’s just some traditional and unique spices which make it affordable and best suited for a light lunch. Another thing is the availability; you can find Momo in every corner of the country, from small restaurants to big hotels.

How to cook momos at home? 

Now, diving into our main concern, how can you make some delicious momos at your home? Cooking momos at home is no longer a nightmare if you have the necessary ingredients as well as a momo maker. Let’s go through in detail about cooking some delicious momos at home.

Necessary Ingredients 

There are two major components of momo: The dough and the momo fillings. While dough preparation is the same for all kinds of Momo. On the other hand, the momo fillings will depend upon the variety of Momo you are preparing, whether it’s a veg momo, chicken momo, buff momo or any other.

For dough 

Maida (All Purpose Flour) 

Vegetable Oil 

For Filling/Stuffing

Vegetables as per your choice, including cabbage, carrots in case you are preparing veg momo and Grinded meat (Chicken/Buff/Motton) in case you are preparing non-veg momo 

Onions

Turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt

Ginger and garlic paste 

Grated chilli

Spices 

The Momo-Making Process

Now, when you prepare the necessary ingredients for making momos, let’s get into cooking some delicious momos in your kitchen to answer your question about how to cook momos at home.

Step 1: Making Momo Wrappers

• Add the maida flour to a bowl and some water.
• Make a dough by kneading.
• Divide the dough into small portions by pinching it. The size of the dough you pinch will depend upon the size of the wrapper you want to make.
• Flatten the small dough with the help of a roller, making it flatten, round and thin.
• Sprinkle some flour into each wrapper, and it’s ready to use.

Step 2: Preparing the Fillings 

• Take your preferred ground meat or chopped vegetables in a bowl.
• Grate the onion and add it to the grinded meat
• Add turmeric powder according to the amount of grinded meat or chopped vegetables to give some colour to the fillings.
• To enhance the taste, add some coriander powder, ginger and garlic paste.
• Add spices according to your need, some freshly chopped coriander and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Mix them well, and your filling is ready.

Step 3: Cooking the momos 

• Take the wrapping and put around one tablespoon of the filling in the centre.
• Bring the edges of the wrapping closer, pinch one edge of the wrapper to the other, and twist. Continue it until the wrapper covers the filling.
• Apply the same step for making Momo out of the remaining wrappers and fillings.
• Oil the bottom of the momo maker; an electric momo maker would make it easier for you to cook. 
• Arrange momos in a systematic order in the momo maker so that they don’t touch each other.
• Steam it for 20-30 minutes, and the Momo is ready.

Conclusion 

There are rare chances when a Nepali will say no to a momo offer. Not only do they satisfy your hunger, but they are a little chunk of happiness. The reason behind Momo being so popular in Nepal is the taste it has, its affordability and availability.

You can satisfy your momo cravings by making delicious momos at home. With the necessary ingredients and a momo maker, preparing Momo at home is no longer a nightmare. You can simply follow three steps that include making a momo wrapper, preparing the fillings and cooking the momos.

Also, remember to serve the home-cooked momos with some home-prepared achaar to enhance the taste of momos.