Momos Recipe | Dim Sum | Veg Momos

Momos are a popular street food in northern India These are also known as dim sum and are basically dumplings made from dough with a savory stuffing. Learn to make this popular Tibetan recipe of easy veg momos from scratch with two folding techniques. Momos recipe is also vegan

About This Momos Recipe

What are momos? As I mentioned above, momos are dumplings made of dough and a savory stuffing This stuffing can be made with veggies, seafood, chicken or paneer (cottage cheese).

Cooking Method: Momos can be steamed, baked or deep fried We prefer steamed momos to fried ones This recipe is for making steamed momos

Savory Stuffing: This veggie momo recipe has a filling of mixed veggies. The veggies I like to add are a mix of cabbage, carrots, french beans, capsicum and onion.

Sometimes I also add white button mushrooms to a meat dish and they add a nice umami flavor.

Dough: Dough for dumplings is prepared with all purpose flour But you can make dough with whole wheat flour

Taste: In this recipe, the savory veggie filling has a balanced flavor and is mildly spiced, so it goes well with any spicy and hot sauce.

Time consuming: Making momos or small batches takes a lot of time So make them when you have free time If you have a helping hand, the time will be reduced But if you do everything yourself, it takes around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your work speed and the gadgets you have in your kitchen.

Shape: The shape of momos comes through practice and I shape them nicely In the step-by-step photo guide below, I have shared two ways to make momos Choose the shaping method that is easiest for you

A video made for you: You can also check out the video showing the complete process of making Veg Momos Watch the video on the recipe card, if you don't understand the shape part from the step photo below

Serving Momos

We love the steaming hot veg momos with a spicy sauce I make it on days when we're craving some Southeast Asian food

I've had the best portions at mainland Chinese restaurants decades ago Little did I know at that time that the small quantity would become a popular street food in the northern part of India

A few years ago when we lived in Gurgaon, I was surprised to see a small quantity as a street food snack in many places.

While living in Goa, there was a restaurant just a few kilometers away from our place that specialized only in momos with a wide variety of ingredients. The owner's wife was a Tibetan and she and her staff would prepare the dumplings

The sauce they serve with momos is a spicy, hot sauce and very good I even had these steamed dumplings with a spicy sauce in Dharamsala, India

Veg momos are not spicy but the sauce served with them is spicy I have a really good recipe for a spicy momos sauce that we call momos chutney. You can try this spicy momo sauce when you make these steamed dumplings

You can even serve it with schizwan sauce or sriradha sauce or hoisin sauce or red chili garlic sauce.

How to make Momos or Dim Sum Recipe

For ease of understanding, I have divided this post into two main parts Let's get started, shall we?

Make The Dough

In a bowl, take ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of oil Mix well with a spoon

. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and start kneading into a firm dough Do not soften the dough, then it becomes difficult to form the dumpling

You can add 1 to 2 tbsp more water if needed

Cover the dough with a damp napkin or kitchen towel Let the dough rest for 30 minutes

Make Vegetable Stuffing

Finely chop the vegetables You will need 1.5 to 1.75 cups of finely chopped veggies You can use a food processor to finely chop vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and French beans.

Veggies like capsicum (green bell pepper), button mushrooms and spring onions (scallions) can be sliced.

Heat oil in a heavy frying pan Add ½ tsp finely chopped garlic Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds over medium-low heat

Add spring onion whites (small spring onions that have been finely chopped). Stir and sauté for 10 to 15 seconds over medium-low heat

Add all the finely chopped vegetables.

Raise the flame and fry the vegetables on medium to high heat If you're not using a heavy-bottomed pan, fry the veggies over low to medium heat.

Fry or broil for 10 to 20 minutes Then add 1 tsp soy sauce, ½ tsp black pepper and salt to taste.

Continue to fry on a medium to high flame for 3 to 5 minutes more Turn off heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of spring onion greens

Mix well Check the taste and add more salt, pepper or soy sauce if needed

The vegetable stuffing is ready. Let the stuffing cool completely.

Portion and Roll Dough

Divide the dough in two parts.

Make a 7- to 8-inch log from each section Cut the log into even pieces

Shape each piece of dough into a ball and cover them with a damp napkin

. Take each dough ball and lightly dust the board Roll each dough ball into a thin circle about ¼ to ¼ inch in diameter

The edges have to be thin and the center has to be thick

Apply water around the perimeter with fingertips or a small pastry brush This is an optional step

Shape Dim Sum – First Technique

Place 2 to 3 teaspoons of vegetable stuffing in the center

Pick up one side of the edge and start pleating (To see how you can refer to the video above or the recipe card below).

Begin to pleat the momos.

join all the pleats in the center.

. A pleated and shaped dim sum.

Steaming Veg Momos

 Grease a steamer pan with some oil.

Arrange them in the pan, keeping space between them.

Steam them in an electric cooker or steamer pan You can also use idli pan or pressure cooker for steaming

Add 2 cups of water to the pot or pan while steaming (Check the recipe notes on the recipe card below.)

Cover and steam for 5 to 6 minutes until the outer batter becomes transparent. Do not eat too much of the outer dough then, it becomes thick and chewy Steaming time may vary depending on the thickness of the momos cover

The dough should not feel sticky to you when you touch the momo This means they are done and the momos will have a clear appearance

Vemo Momos Serve hot with hot momos chutney or red chili-garlic chutney, spicy schizwan sauce or tomato sauce. They also go well with a spicy sauce and should be eaten hot

Expert Tips for Best Momos

Dough: The dough should be firm and stretchy Do not add more water and make the dough soft Making a soft dough will not be easy

Stuffing: You can use your favorite veggies for stuffing You can also make a stuffing with just button mushrooms or a mixture of fresh mushrooms Another variation would be to use some masala or boiled potatoes and paneer (Indian cottage cheese).

Spices, herbs and seasonings: I like some umami in stuffing so I love adding soy sauce. But you can experiment with different flavors here Say – Indian ground spices and herbs, Mexican seasoning, miso or any flavor profile you like.

Steaming: Leave some space between the dumplings while steaming Momos expand after steaming and you don't want them to stick together Steaming can be done in an instant pot, electric cooker, bowl or even an idli steamer (all options mentioned in the notes section of the recipe card below).

Check for doneness: After the momos are steamed, when you touch the dough, it should not feel sticky. Momos will also look transparent

Gluten free: You can get rid of small amounts of gluten by using a millet flour or rice flour. Figuring them out can be difficult Mix any millet flour or rice flour with 1 cup of enough boiling water, ½ tsp oil, ¼ tsp salt. Mix with a spoon Cover and allow the dough to warm and then knead to a smooth dough