Utterly unique and delicious Tibetan Dumplings – momos- are basically the unofficial national dish of Tibet. Momos are dumplings native to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Himalayan states of India.
Biting into hot steamy Momos, with a lip-smacking spicy chutney will definitely start a love affair with these delicate parcels! Momos for me are more than just ‘food’. They are little parcels each ‘wrapped’ with love and memories that are sealed in little package. Momos are a great first foray into Tibetan food. Tibetan food is not traditionally the most vegetarian friendly cuisine, due to the country’s high altitudes- making growing crops a challenge. But due to the increase in vegan/vegetarianism the plant based options of these delicious parcels have slowly gained popularity.
Momos have now become the quintessential Tibetan dish that everyone talks about and loves. Traditionally, in Tibet, momos are considered more of a family meal – something to be made together and eaten together. Sometimes it is not just the food but the whole atmosphere a dish brings! I love making momos at home as it brings the whole family together. We all gather around the dining table, chatting away, making memories while we all take time filling and shaping each momo. The delicious smells from the kitchen of steaming the momos just fills the house with most aromatic smells.
The variations for making momos are endless – momos can be meat, vegetarian, steamed (the most popular), fried, and cooked in a broth. Every Tibetan family has a slightly different momo recipe, with various theories on how to make them the most juicy and delicious, or how to keep the dough skins to the desired delicate thinness. The perfect momo has a shell that is delicate yet firm enough to hold in the juices. One bite and the juice will squirt out if you are not careful.
While making momos there are three main things to keep in mind. First the dough, then the filling, and then the last step is the steaming. Of course, making the momo wrapper and shaping the momo is also a skill that needs some practice. This actually is a great way to keep the children involved in cooking with a piece of dough and let children wrap their own momos.
I am sharing my family’s favourite momo recipe!
