Tingmo is a Tibetan steamed bread prepared with a yeasty dough. It is soft, airy and fluffy and goes well as a bread for any starter or main course Tibetan or Nepali dishes.
Tingmo is a contraction of ‘tinga’ which means ‘cloud’ in Tibetan language and ‘momo’ which is a stuffed steamed dumpling. A tingmo with some type of filling of vegetables, fish and/or vegetables is called momo.
The first time I had this recipe was in a Tibetan and Nepalese restaurant in Delhi with my sister Pooja. My sister always indulges me whenever I am in India by taking me to some hidden foodie places which serve simple, delicious and authentic food. This Tibetan restaurant served the most simple, delicious and satisfying food! It had my tastebuds on fire, but I just couldn’t stop eating. Tingmo was served as a part of a starter menu alongside other Nepalese delicacies like Wai Wai Sadeko, Aloo Sadeko and Kala Chana. Tingmo is quite the versatile bread and perfect for soaking up all the flavours.
Tingmo is prepared with a yeast-based simple dough. There are many different ways to shape tingmo. The proofed dough, one can simply cut out the pieces and steam until light or fluffy or my favourite is to use a chopstick across the center of each tingmo and twist to fan out the layers before steaming. It might sound a bit complicated, but it is extremely easy to prepare and quite satisfying too! The distinguishing feature of tingmo is its layered appearance. Once properly proofed and steamed, all the layers of the bread seem to open up like a flower.
You can serve Tingmo with Aloo Sadeko, Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer, Chilli Chicken Dry, and Sriracha King Oyster Mushrooms.
