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Momos

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sabihatameem
Momos

Momos are a type of Tibetan and Nepalese dumpling dish popular in these regions. it’s  found in the cuisines of Nepal and Tibet. They are a either fried / steamed dumpling with some form of stuffing’s inside. A simple white-flour-and-water dough is generally preferred to make the outer its covering and something filled inside them. Sometimes little yeast or baking soda is added to give a texture to the final product.


Traditionally, they are prepared with ground/minced meat filling, but in the modern era, this has changed, and the fillings have become more elaborate.


These days, they are prepared with virtually any combination of ground meat, vegetables, tofu, paneer cheese, soft chhurpi (local hard cheese) and vegetable and meat combinations. The dough is rolled into small circular pieces making it kind of small pockets. The filling is then filled in those small pocket shaped dough that is made in a desired shapes . People prefer meat that has a lot of fat because it produces flavorful taste.


A little oil is sometimes added to the grounded meat to keep the filling moist and juicy. The dumplings are then cooked by steaming over a soup (either a stock based on bones or vegetables) in an utensil called mucktoo. Momo are traditionally steamed or deep-fried or pan-fried. its usually served with chili garlic sauce and pickled daikon in Tibet.


In Nepal, popular dipping sauces that includes tomato-based chutneys or sesame or soybean-based sauces. Sauces can be thick or thin consistency depending on the eatery normally made with tomato or peanut and soybean as the base ingredient.


In Kathmandu valley, the traditional way of serving is 10 small ball sized round and drowned in a sauce infused with Timur pepper (Nepali pepper) they have warm or hot broth poured over them (not cooked in the broth). One of the main ingredients is lemon or lime juice may be used.


Soup momo is another way to serve them where they are either cooked in broth for a type of dumpling soup are added to broth. There are also a variety of dumplings of Nepal found in different Indian states. 


Have you ever wondered about there journey? 


Come to think of it, they have probably travelled the farthest of all foods. That, it is now quite at home on the streets of Delhi, as it is comfortable at posh five-star eateries, only confirms how these stuffed dumplings (either with meat of one’s choice or with greens including paneer) have evolved over the ages. And how India, which is not even its place of origin, has adopted it like its very own and adding twist every day. 


Today, there are food entrepreneurs who prepare them in bulk and supply them to vendors and whose only job is to steam and sell them hot with hot sauce to hungry customers and make them fall in love with the food and Sause all over and over again. There was a time, not too long ago, when people associated them with food from the Northeast. More over it’s not really a part of their traditional cuisine. 


For instance, in Manipur's capital Imphal, restaurants may now get to the popularity of this food and including them in their menu with passion, but they can never get it right simply because it is not a traditional dish like fish and rice are. Shillong is one of the places where it’s easy to get of the most delicious momos as compared to the other states in our country. 


Expect meaty fillings in creamy, light shells with hot sauce to go with it. Rather credit must be given to the Chinese community who have made Shillong their home and introduced Chinese food, including them.  Perhaps it is only among Arunachal Pradesh's Monpa and Sherdukpa tribes, who live in the West Kameng and Tawang districts and share a border with Tibet, where they are a part of their diets. Their version is usually stuffed with grounded meat and mustard leaves or other vegetables, and served with chilly paste. How they are received in Sikkim is quite another story. 


Across the communities like Bhutias and Nepalis, it is a comfort food which is very much a part of their diet. Their steamer is always in use which is of aluminum metal. The dumpling you get in Sikkim is a close cousin of the Tibetan food. The great withdrawals from their homeland in the 1960s scattered Tibetans and their cuisine across India — several settled in Sikkim, Meghalaya, the hill towns of Darjeeling, Bengal, and Delhi. In Sikkim, they have pushed the state's traditional dish, off the plate. 


Today, few citizens of Sikkim remember it but they take pride in their ability to prepare the delicious dish. At home and in some restaurants, it is served with salads . Beef and chicken are traditional fillings; but chicken and vegetable and cottage cheese of late, are gaining ground.


What Makes it Delicious? 


So, what makes it delicious and really depends on how it is prepared and what ingredients are used. If the dough, for instance, is fresh and of fine quality, be sure that you make them good. Some people use warm water while kneading the dough. 


The stuffing, be it meat or vegetables, should be chopped well and flavored with ginger or garlic. The juicy stuffing of shrimps, fish, chicken and vegetables come wrapped in a of finest flour, in a bamboo basket. And many chefs often say the real trick of a dim sum is the dough – it must be so fine that when steamed, it gets only finer and not thicker. 


From glass noodle turnip dumpling to spinach, water chestnut and black bean dumpling, the variations are like art. No matter where they come from, they will always be the soul food.


Craving for momos??? 


If your in Bangalore do check out these places

·                 Snow Lion Tibet Kitchen - Where: 50/1, Venkateshwara Layout, Opp. Gate No.7, Ramaiah Hospital, Chikkamaranahalli Bangalore., New BEL Road, Bangalore     Cost: INR 400 approx.


·                 Taste of Tibet - Where: 2nd Floor, Indo Dubai Plaza, Rest House Road, Off Brigade Road, Brigade Road, Bangalore    Cost: INR 300 approx.


·                 Momo Jojo - Where: 7, 2nd Cross, Brindavan Nagar, Ist Main Road, BTM, Bangalore      Cost: INR 300 approx.


·                 Bamey’s Restro Café - Where: A/5, Ground Floor, KHB Colony, 5th Block, Koramangala, Koramangala 5th Block, Bangalore  Cost: INR 600 approx.


·  Momo Hut - Where: 99, 4th B Cross, Koramangala 5th Block, Bangalore     Cost: INR 250 approx.

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