Street Icon · Steamed Dumplings

Momo

Name: Momo recipe
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 (about 30 momo) servings
Ingredients: For the wrappers: 2 cups (250 g) plain flour, about ½ cup (125 ml) water, added a spoonful at a time, and a pinch of salt; For the filling: 400 g minced chicken, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 3 tablespoons chopped spring onion, 3 tablespoons chopped coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 2–3 tablespoons water; For a Nepali-style achar: 3 ripe tomatoes, 2 dried red chillies (or 1–2 fresh), 2 garlic cloves, a small piece of ginger, a handful of coriander, salt, a squeeze of lime

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The pleating style on top of a momo can act almost like a signature — some cooks fold a dozen or more precise pleats into a single dumpling.

Small dumplings are stuffed with spiced minced meat or vegetables, pleated shut by hand, and steamed in stacked metal steamers, then served with a spicy tomato-chili dipping sauce called achar. They're sold everywhere from tiny street carts to sit-down momo shops in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

Why it's made this way: Momo has roots in Tibetan and wider Himalayan dumpling traditions, and its steamed, hand-held format made it ideal for street vendors who could prepare large batches in stacked baskets.

What is Momo?

Momo are small steamed dumplings, with a thin wrapper around a spiced filling of minced meat or vegetables. They are served with a spicy tomato-chilli dip called achar, and they are one of the most common street foods in Kathmandu and across Nepal.

Momo have roots in Tibetan and wider Himalayan dumpling traditions, and versions of them are eaten in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and northern India.

How to make chicken momo with achar

Serves 4 (about 30 momo) · prep 60 min · cook 30 min

Ingredients

For the wrappers: 2 cups (250 g) plain flour, about ½ cup (125 ml) water, added a spoonful at a time, and a pinch of salt
For the filling: 400 g minced chicken, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 3 tablespoons chopped spring onion, 3 tablespoons chopped coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 2–3 tablespoons water
For a Nepali-style achar: 3 ripe tomatoes, 2 dried red chillies (or 1–2 fresh), 2 garlic cloves, a small piece of ginger, a handful of coriander, salt, a squeeze of lime

Method

Make the dough: mix the flour and salt, then add the water a spoonful at a time and knead for about 10 minutes into a smooth, firm dough that is not sticky. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Mix all the filling ingredients thoroughly, including the water, which keeps the filling juicy. Chill while you roll the wrappers.
Roll the dough into a log, cut into about 30 pieces and roll each into a thin round about 7 cm wide, thinner at the edges than in the middle.
Put a spoonful of filling in the centre. Pleat the edge all the way round and pinch it closed at the top, or fold into a half-moon shape.
Oil a steamer basket, set the momo in it without touching and steam over boiling water for 10–12 minutes per batch, until the wrappers look slightly translucent. Cut one open to check: the chicken must be white all the way through and cooked to 74 °C (165 °F).
For the achar, roast or boil the tomatoes and chillies until soft, then blend with the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt and lime juice until smooth. Serve alongside the hot momo.

Tips

Roll the wrappers thin at the edges. Thick pleats stay doughy.
A little water or oil in the filling keeps the momo juicy; very lean mince can turn dry.
Do not let the momo touch in the steamer or they will stick together.
Cover the wrappers you are not using with a damp cloth so they do not dry out.

Regional versions

Buff momo (water buffalo) are common in Kathmandu; vegetable and cheese fillings are also popular.
Steamed (the classic), fried (kothey) and jhol momo (dumplings served in a spicy broth) are all widely sold.
In Tibet and Bhutan the filling may be yak meat or cheese with spinach.

Questions

What is momo filled with?

Minced chicken, buffalo, pork or lamb, or vegetables or cheese, flavoured with onion, garlic, ginger and coriander.

What is the difference between momo and gyoza?

Momo are Himalayan dumplings, most often steamed, with fillings such as buffalo, chicken or yak and a spicy dip; gyoza are Japanese, usually pan-fried, and typically filled with pork and cabbage.