Since I moved to the United States, I have been craving all of Nepal’s street foods, particularly a dumpling known as mo:mo. In Nepal, mo:mo is the most popular street food among all age groups. People usually get together to make mo:mos with their families and friends which is a lot of fun. Although the preparation time is lengthy, the end result is worth the effort and patience.

Ingredients:

Dumpling Dough

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of water (at room temperature)

Dumpling Filling

• Ground chicken meat
• 2 chopped red onions and green onion leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ginger and garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 (½) tablespoon chili powder
• 1(½) tablespoon cumin powder
• Sesame Oil

Dipping Sauce

• 3 Tomatoes
• Sesame seeds
• Coriander leaves
• 2 Lemons
• 1 tablespoon chili paste

Let’s get started on making the dough for the wrap so that we can stuff it with fillings. To make the dough, start by putting all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually adding water. Mix it together until the dough becomes smooth and soft. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and set it aside for about 30 minutes.

In another large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken meat and all of the ingredients listed above for the dumpling fillings. Now, mix it thoroughly and set it aside for an hour to achieve perfect flavors that will melt in your mouth.

We can prepare the dipping sauce while the dough softens and the fillings marinate. Boil the tomatoes until they’re soft. Allow the tomatoes to cool for a few minutes then add them to the grinder along with 1 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, sesame powder and coriander leaves. The dipping sauce is now ready.

We are now ready to wrap the mo:mos. To make wrappings, take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a thin round shape. Then, add the dumpling fillings and shape it to your liking. Because the momos have no specific shape, you can experiment a little and make your own shape for each dumpling.

The next step is to steam the mo:mos. Take a steamer and coat the base of the steamer with oil. Then place the dumplings that you prepared on top. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Finally, the delectable momos are ready to be served, and you can get a taste of them by dipping them in the previously prepared sauce. Enjoy the food!

Edited by Simran Shrestha and LeSha’ Davis