Chef-tested recipe
Hand-folded Nepalese chicken dumplings with a juicy aromatic filling and roasted tomato-sesame achar.
Momo are among Nepal’s most loved dumplings. The wrapper is simple flour-and-water dough; the character comes from a moist, highly seasoned filling and the bright achar served alongside.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 1 hour
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cuisine
- Nepalese
- Course
- Main Dish, Snack
- Best Served With
- Serve immediately with generous tomato achar and, if desired, a second hot chilli sauce.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Mixing bowlspaid link
- Rolling pinpaid link
- Bamboo or metal steamerpaid link
- Blender or mortar and pestlepaid link
Ingredients
- Wrapper
- 400 g plain flourpaid link
- 200 ml water, approximately
- 4 g saltpaid link
- Chicken filling
- 600 g chicken mince
- 150 g onion, finely chopped
- 100 g cabbage, finely chopped and squeezed dry
- 30 g spring onion, sliced
- 20 g ginger, minced
- 20 g garlic, minced
- 25 g coriander, chopped
- 5 g ground cumin
- 4 g ground coriander
- 10 g saltpaid link
- 30 ml neutral or mustard oilpaid link
- Tomato achar
- 400 g ripe tomatoes
- 40 g sesame seeds, toastedpaid link
- 2 dried red chilliespaid link
- 15 g garlic
- 10 g ginger
- 2 g timur or Sichuan pepper
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 5 g saltpaid link
Preparation Overview
Knead and rest the dough, mix the filling without overworking it, roll small wrappers, pleat the momo and steam only until the dough is tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
Method
-
Mix flour and salt. Add water gradually and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
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Combine all chicken-filling ingredients. Chill while preparing the wrappers.
-
Roast or char the tomatoes until softened. Blend with toasted sesame, chillies, garlic, ginger, timur, lemon and salt into a textured achar.
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Divide dough into 32 pieces. Roll each into a thin 9 cm circle, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edge.
-
Place about 20 g filling in each wrapper. Pleat and seal firmly.
-
Arrange in a lightly oiled steamer without touching. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the wrappers are tender.
-
Serve hot with tomato achar.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Keep unused dough covered so it does not dry out.
- Do not overfill; the pleats must seal completely.
- Leave space between momo because they expand slightly during steaming.
Tips and Variations
- A little fat in the chicken mince keeps the filling juicy.
- Roasting the tomatoes concentrates the achar and gives a lightly smoky note.
- Momo can also be filled with buffalo, pork or vegetables.
Storage
Freeze uncooked momo in a single layer, then bag once solid for up to 1 month. Steam from frozen, adding several minutes. Refrigerate cooked momo for up to 2 days.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 410 kcal, 27 g protein, 50 g carbohydrate and 12 g fat per serving.
Allergen Notes
Contains gluten and sesame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought wrappers?
Yes, but homemade flour-and-water wrappers give the most traditional texture.
Why are my momo dry?
The filling may be too lean or the dumplings may be oversteamed. Use moist mince and stop cooking as soon as the center is done.
