Makes approx. 35
Mention the word momo to an expat Nepalese person, and they will turn misty-eyed, momos are the ultimate comfort food and source of homesickness for ‘hole in the wall’ snack bars. Yet no one can fully appreciate the significance of momos until they have experienced sitting around a fire on a cold Himalayan night with the wind howling outside. It’s a communal event with old and young chatting while helping, some rolling the dough as others fill and seal. As soon as the first batch of momos is cooked everyone dives in all at once to grab the spoils. Blowing smoke dragons to alleviate burning mouths while juices drip down greasy chins as the momos are ravenously devoured.
When you read the method for shaping momos, it sounds alarmingly complicated. Please don’t be put off, momos are not difficult to shape, however, writing a clear description of how to shape them is very difficult.
Ingredients
Dough wrappers
- 280g | 10oz plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder*
- Tepid water to mix
Filling
- 250g | 9oz minced pork (belly is best)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1½ teaspoons very finely grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon very finely grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander stalks
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Method
Start by making the dough, in a medium sized mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, adding enough tepid water to bring the flour together into a soft dough. Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough for 5–10 minutes until it becomes soft and elastic (just like making bread dough). Return the dough to the bowl, and cover it with a damp cloth, let the dough rest for an hour while you make the filling.
Making the filling is quick and easy, place all the filling ingredients in a second bowl and mix them thoroughly with your hands. Set the filling aside for 20 minutes or until you are ready to fill your dough wrappers.
To prepare the wrappers, *the easy way, flour your working surface, roll out your dough to 2mm thickness and cut it into circular, biscuit like rounds using a round 76mm / 3” pastry cutter. Set the round wrappers to one side and cover them with a damp cloth, it’s important not to let the dough dry out. Bring the remaining dough back together, repeating rolling, cutting, and covering the wrappers until all the dough is used.
Shaping perfect momos is an art and does require some practice, perfect momos are totally unnecessary, it really doesn’t matter how skilful or not you are, the flavour is the same. Balance a wrapper on the palm/fingers of your non-dominant hand, place a generous teaspoon of the pork filling into the centre of the wrapper and dampen the inside edge of the wrapper with a little water.
For a crescent shaped momo, using your non-dominant hand, fold the dough into a semi-circle, similar to making a pasty. Using the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand pinch the near edge together, moving along the momo use the forefinger of your non-dominant hand to form a small pleat on the side away from you. With your dominant thumb and forefinger, pinch the pleat together with the edges to seal a section of the momo. Repeat the pleating and sealing until your momo is completely sealed.
For a round momo the pinching and pleating method is the same. Starting with the edge nearest to you, lift the wrapper edge a little and pinch a small section of the wrapper. Then, using the forefinger of your non-dominant hand form a small pleat on the side away from you and pinch the pleat closed with your dominant forefinger and thumb. Working clockwise if you are righthanded or anticlockwise if you are lefthanded, turn the momo slightly with each pleat and pinch. Use your final pinch to seal the momo.
Place the momos to one side and cover them with a damp cloth until you are ready to cook them. Fill the base of your steamer one third full of water and bring the water to a fast boil. Oil the steaming section of your steamer** and place the momos in the steamer leaving at least a centimetre gap between them. Fit the lid securely to the steamer and place the steamer on the pan. Steam the momos for 15–20 minutes until the dough becomes translucent.
* Baking powder isn’t strictly traditional, using it will make the cooked dough softer.
** If you are using a bamboo steamer or a steamer with large holes, you will need to
line the steamer with parchment paper that you have pierced holes in.
Momos freeze very well, to cook them from frozen, steam them for 20–25 the traditional way
minutes.