There is quite a fight regarding the origin of this well-traveled dish. Momos are considered to have been born in a Tibetan kitchen. But to my wonder, I learned from an article that it was Nepal that may take the pride of its birth. The article says it was in the 14th century. When a Nepalese princess married a Tibetan king in the 15th century, it then traveled to the Tibetan kitchen. It is the back story of Tibetan momos. But what about its trotting to India? It is believed that the Newari merchants brought this fabulous dish to India. Since then it has become a food to cherish in the mountains. If you wish to get Chicken momo in the mountains, it is not so friendly. The chicken isn’t a much available ingredient. So it is lamb which is preferably being used in making momos. You will find chicken momo only if you pay a visit to the Tibetan eateries. After a long stroll through history, it has become a popular street food in India, and now you may get any and every variation of momo, be it chicken momo, lamb momo, veg momo, paneer momo, mushroom momo, and whatnot!
Let’s see how you too make chicken momo in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
For Momos Dough
Whole wheat flour – 1 Cup
Refined flour – 1 ½ Cup
Salt – To taste
Sugar – 1 Teaspoon
White vinegar – 1 Teaspoon
Water – as required
For Chicken Momo Filling
Scallions / green onion – ½ Cup (finely chopped)
Tender coriander stems – 1 Tablespoon (finely chopped)
Salt – To taste
Green chili – 1 Tablespoon (finely chopped)
White pepper – 1 Teaspoon
Soy sauce – 1 Teaspoon
Garlic paste – 1 Tablespoon
Ginger – 1 Tablespoon (finely chopped)
Chicken – 300 g (minced)
For steaming
Cabbage petals/parchment sheets
Oil (for greasing)
Procedure:
Make the dough
Take a larger bowl where you may knead your flour.
Add wheat flour and refined flour followed by sugar and salt.
Mix them well.
Now start adding water.
Knead a bit.
Add white vinegar.
Mix well.
Make a not-so-soft dough.
Now cover it and keep it aside for a good half an hour.
Make the chicken momo filling
Take a bowl where you want to make your momo’s filling.
Take the chopped scallions along with coriander stems, and green chilies in the bowl.
Now add white pepper, soy sauce, garlic paste, and chopped ginger.
Give it a good mix.
Now add the minced chicken.
Mix it too well with your hands.
Add salt to taste. Don’t forget your soy sauce has salt in it. So, be cautious while adding salt.
Mix it well.
Shape the momos
Give the flour dough a final knead after giving it a rest for half an hour.
Now divide it into small portions (Enough to make a momo).
Roll it with the help of a rolling pin as thin as you may make.
Try to keep the sides thinner than the center.
Now take small portions of the filling, and give it the shape of a momo. It’s a skillful task, the more you practice the better shape your momos will get.
Steam the momos
Prepare your steamer beforehand.
Place the cabbage petals/parchment sheets so that your momos don’t get stuck to the surface.
Spread a little oil to grease the cabbage petals/ parchment sheets before you put your momos on it.
Chicken minced needs at least 15 minutes of steaming to get done.
Steam these for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Serve the momos
Transfer it to a serving tray.
Accompany it with Tibetan sauce or momo soup and serve.
Jhol Momo is a grand Nepalese dish to savor. You may try that too by adding Jhol to your momos.
Conclusion:
Momos are something people may taste anytime and every time. In my family, there is seldom someone who is not in favor of this spicy, lip-smacking, tasty dish. So whenever I prepare this, I have to keep in mind that a single batch will not be sufficient. I have to make a quite larger batch of momos to fill each stomach. But that’s how I show my love for them. Please try it in your kitchen and let me know how it came out.
Enjoy!
Read other Recipes here.