What is momo? It is more than “food”

Momo for me is more than ” food”. They are “wrapped” with love, romance, and memories that are sealed in that little packet; recalling; of the family gathering, team work, innocent good times, friends, and our festival retreats, times that have slipped away beyond my reach, but I have been able to gather all of it and given words to some. With every bite I smell the home.

This is why, Momo is more than a food, it reflects tradition, lifestyle and culture of the place, where I come From.

Here are some of the information about momo:

1. What are Momo? momo are dumplings made with flour and a savoury stuffing. This stuffing can be made with veggies, sea-food, chicken or paneer (cottage cheese) . The filing of meat or vegetables creates a delightful juicy taste sealed inside the wrappers.
2. Method of cooking: Momo can be steamed, baked or deep-fried. I prefer steamed momo over the fried ones.
3. Savoury stuffing: Momo doesn’t always have to be of meat. Nowadays there are veg momo / vegan momo, chicken momo, mutton momo served as per the public demand. When I feel like having vegetarian option, I prefer to add a mix of cabbage, carrots, french beans, capsicum and onions and sometimes I also add mushrooms or soya chunks for a meaty texture, which also give a nice flavour.
4. Dough: The dough for the dumplings is made with all-purpose flour. But you can even make the dough with whole wheat flour.
5. Momo ko Achar: Momo is served with achar or chutney. Without Achar / chutney momo is tasteless, it adds extra flavour to the momo making it more delectable and appetising. Momo are mostly popular as street food and local eateries served with jhol achar. You can experience numerous versions of momo achar.
6. Time intensive: Making momos or dim sum takes quite a good amount of time. So when you have enough time to spare, then make them. If you have a helping hand, then the time will reduce. But if you do everything on your own, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hrs, depending on your working speed and the gadgets you have in your kitchen.
7. Shaping: The shaping of the momo come through practice. Choose the shaping method that is easy for you. Just remember it needs to be sealed!!!

momo in making 😍

In next post I will share the recipe of various momo.

See ya!