Momos | Chicken Momos Recipe | A Step by Step Guide

Momos is a type of South Asian dumpling, popular across the Indian subcontinent and the Himalayan regions of broader South Asia.

Momos are native to Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, North Indian region of Ladakh, Northeast Indian regions of Sikkim, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, and Darjeeling. Wikipedia

What Is Momos?

Momos is a small bite-sized savory snack or steamed dumpling with a delicious filling which adds flavorful variety to the dish.

The stuffing is mild in taste. So it is best to serve with any spicy dipping sauce on the side.

Momos is popular street food in India which is originally a Tibetan recipe.

The word ‘momos’ comes from the Chinese loanword word ‘momo’ which means ‘steamed bread’

It has different kinds of stuffing like meat (chicken, mutton), shrimp, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, paneer, tofu, green beans, cooked potato, baby corn, bean sprouts, etc.

Today I am sharing the chicken momos recipe though, Veg momos is one of the most requested among Indian Chinese food recipes

In making momo, the flour is kneaded into dough, which is then rolled into small puris and a small amount of filling is placed in the center.

(It reminds me so much of how to prepare the Nigerian meat pie)

Once the filling is centered on the skin, there is a system to folding and twisting the dough to keep the momos shut (to lock in the filling’s normal juices).

Finally, the momos are cooked traditionally in a steamer until the outside is no longer sticky to the touch.

However, these days the momos are cooked using various methods such as frying, pan-frying and tandoori.

The Shape of a Momo

It is very simple to make at home except for the shaping part.

Shaping them is not hard, but a little time consuming and requires some practice to perfect the technique.

The shapes can be round pleated (potli shape), half-moon shape and simple flower bud style wonton shape which is the easiest and can be done in a jiffy.

Size of a Momo

The size of a momo also differs, with large momos filling one’s whole hand while the smaller size can be consumed in one bite.

Eating Momos

Eating a momo involves a skill. While you may use your chopsticks, Tibetans by tradition eat these with their hands.

Momos Recipe: A Step By Step Guide

This chicken momos recipe is quite popular among the non-vegetarians and you can enjoy it with spicy chili-garlic sauce and tomato ketchup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon canola/vegetable oil
• Warm water
• 1 cup minced chicken
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• ½ tablespoon finely grated ginger
• ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped cabbage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar, soy sauce, and white pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro)
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Firstly, mix flour, oil, and salt in a bowl. Then, slowly pour in water and continue mixing until a soft but firm dough forms. Allow resting for 30 minutes.
2. Secondly, in a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Put in fridge for 20 minutes for the mixture to firm up.
3. Thirdly, assemble, pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into circles approximately 3 inches in diameter.
4. After that, place a tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the dough.
5. Then, pull up the sides of the dough towards the middle, and fold to create a pleated design.
6. Lastly, steam in a steamer for 10 minutes and serve with either hot Ghanaian shito sauce, momos chutney, tomato ketchup or soy sauce. Enjoy!