Vegetable Momos | Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

Momos are quite famous more in North/North-East compare to South India and mostly wrongly presumed as Indo-Chinese food where it's actually native from Tibet and Nepal. 

First time I had Momos was in Delhi and immediately liked it, though I have tried the same in Singapore at few Indo-Chinese restaurants but it was so-so.  Momos can be either steamed or fried, fried momos called 'Khotey Momos'. It taste wonderful if served steaming hot with sauce, it actually very easy to make except the flour rolling part, that's the only tedious job I find but neither the less the end result makes up for all the hard work :)

Ingredients:

Makes - 20 medium size momos

For outer layer

Maida/APF - 1 1/2 cups

Sesame Oil - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water 

For Filling 

Cabbage - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Carrot - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Beans - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Paneer - 2 tbsp shredded 

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Green Chilies - 2

Garlic & Ginger - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Freshly Grounded Pepper - 1 tsp

Light Soya Sauce - 1 tsp

Sesame Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Spring Onion - 2tbsp divided [ I didn't use]

Method:

 1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients for outer layer, add water in small quantities and make smooth pliable dough.  Cover with damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes or until we are ready to use it for filling.

2. To make the filling heat a wok or pan, add 1 tsp of oil, chopped ginger-garlic and green chilies sauté until light brown.

3. Add chopped onion and fry until light pink, add carrot, beans and stir for a minute.  

4. Now add cabbage and mix well, cook for 2 minutes in high flame.

5. Add paneer, salt, pepper, soya sauce and stir for a minute. 
~ Add less salt and soya sauce contains salt too.

6. Off the flame, the veggie should be crunchy and  not  over cooked.  Add 1 tbsp of chopped spring onion and let the filling come to room temperate.

*My paneer had little extra moisture, make sure yours is dry.

7. Till we wait for the filling to cool down, take lemon size pinch from the dough and roll in to thin roti.  Always keep rest of the dough covered with damp cloth.

8.  Use a cookie cutter, or any steal bowl, cap and cut into rounds puri.  The size depends on how big you want your momos to be.

9. Add 1 tbsp of filling each disc and bring the sides together in the center, pinching firmly together, pinch out extra dough OR make a half moon and pinch the edges.  

I simply bring the edges together as it was faster compare to doing the half moon.  

10. Heat water in steamer or idly maker.  If using idly cooker then brush the plates with little oil and place momos on them, do not over lay but give lot of space in between.  Brush all the momos with sesame oil and steam for 8 to 10 minutes or until it gets cooked.

Garnish with remaining spring onion and serve hot/warm with any sauce of your choice.  I made soya sauce dipping and also used plum sauce.  

For Soya Sauce Dipping

Light Soya Sauce - 3 tbsp

Water - 2 tbsp

Green Chilies - 2 finely chopped (I used green n red chili)

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

Enjoy the hot steaming momos.

 Note:

~ Use minced chicken instead of vegetables for a chicken momos.
~ You can deep fry the momos.

And this goes to Chinese Cuisine event by Radhika.

Have a nice day ...