Momo

Name: Momo
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Nepali
Ingredients: 400 g Wheat flour, plain, plus more for dusting; 200 ml Water, lukewarm; 0.5 tsp Salt; 500 g Chicken, thigh, minced, not too lean; 2 medium Onion, very finely chopped; 4 piece Spring onion, finely sliced; 1 handful Coriander, finely chopped; 20 g Ginger, grated; 4 clove Garlic, crushed; 1 tsp Sichuan pepper, timur, toasted and ground; 1 tsp Cumin, ground; 0.5 tsp Turmeric; 2 piece Fresh chilli, green, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 1.5 tsp Salt; 4 medium Tomato, whole; 3 tbsp Sesame seed, toasted; 3 clove Garlic; 3 piece Fresh chilli, red or green, to taste; 0.5 tsp Sichuan pepper, timur, ground; 0.5 piece Lemon, juiced; 0.75 tsp Salt

मःमः

Nepali steamed dumplings with a juicy chicken, onion and timur filling, served with a roasted tomato and sesame achar.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: मःमः.

Start cooking

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 25 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Momo are thin-skinned steamed dumplings filled with minced meat, a lot of onion, ginger, garlic, coriander and timur, the Nepali Sichuan pepper that numbs the tongue a little. Chicken is used here; buffalo is the Kathmandu original. The filling must be wet, with the onion juice and a spoon of oil, so the dumpling has soup inside. The wrappers are rolled from a plain flour dough thinner at the edge than the centre, pleated into round purses or half-moons, and steamed for ten minutes. The achar is a blended sauce of charred tomato, sesame, garlic, chilli and more timur, and it is not optional.

What you'll need

22 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 22 ready

4 servings

Wrappers
Filling
Achar

Ingredients

Servings

Wrappers

Wheat flour, plain, plus more for dusting400 g
Water, lukewarm200 ml
Salt2½ ml

Filling

Chicken, thigh, minced, not too lean500 g
Onion, very finely chopped2 medium
Spring onion, finely sliced4
Coriander, finely chopped1 handful
Ginger, grated20 g
Garlic, crushed4 clove
Sichuan pepper, timur, toasted and ground4.9 ml
Cumin, ground4.9 ml
Turmeric2½ ml
Fresh chilli, green, finely chopped2
Neutral oil30 ml
Salt7.4 ml

Achar

Tomato, whole4 medium
Sesame seed, toasted44 ml
Garlic3 clove
Fresh chilli, red or green, to taste3
Sichuan pepper, timur, ground2½ ml
Lemon, juiced½
Salt3.7 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Mix flour and salt, add the water and knead 8 minutes to a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
10 min
Step 2
Mix all the filling ingredients together with your hands for 2 minutes. It should feel loose and wet. Chill while you roll.
5 min
Tip: Do not squeeze the onion dry. Its juice is the soup inside the dumpling.
Step 3
For the achar, char the tomatoes and chillies in a dry pan or under the grill until blackened in patches, 10 minutes. Blend with the sesame, garlic, timur, lemon juice and salt to a loose sauce.
15 min
Step 4
Roll the dough into a rope and cut into 30 pieces. Roll each into a 9 cm disc, thinner at the edge than the middle. Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre, then pleat the edge around and pinch closed at the top, or fold into a half-moon and crimp.
35 min
Watch: Keep unused dough and finished momo covered. They dry out in minutes.
Step 5
Oil the steamer trays. Set the momo in without touching. Steam over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes until the skins are glossy and slightly translucent.
12 min
Step 6
Serve hot with the achar in a small bowl for dipping or spooned over.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 736 kcal
Protein: 53 g
Carbs: 93.6 g
Fat: 15.5 g
Saturated fat: 2.6 g
Fibre: 7 g
Sugar: 6.7 g
Sodium: 1664 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Sesame

Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Chicken → Buffalo, beef or pork mince
Buff momo is the Kathmandu original. Add a little extra oil for lean meat.
Chicken → Finely chopped cabbage, paneer and spring onion
Vegetable momo are standard. Salt and squeeze the cabbage first.

Tips

Chicken thigh, not breast. The fat keeps the filling juicy through the steaming.
Freeze uncooked momo on a tray, then bag them. Steam from frozen, adding 4 minutes.
Shop-bought round dumpling wrappers work when you do not want to roll. Wet the edges to seal.

History & culture

Momo are the national snack of Nepal, eaten at any hour from street stalls, college canteens and family kitchens. Making them is a group job, and a plate of ten with achar is a standard lunch. Kathmandu also serves them fried, in soup as jhol momo, and smothered in chilli sauce as C-momo.

The dumpling came over the Himalaya from Tibet with Newar traders who worked the Lhasa route, and the name is Tibetan. In the Kathmandu valley it picked up buffalo meat, timur and a tomato achar. By the late 20th century it had become the most eaten dish in the country.

Traditional — Buffalo mince is the Kathmandu classic and chicken the most common alternative. A tiered momo steamer is traditional; a bamboo or metal steamer basket over a pot does the same job.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Momo take?

1 hr 55 min all in — 1 hr prep, 25 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Rolling pin, Mixing bowl, Blender.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Chicken → Buffalo, beef or pork mince. Buff momo is the Kathmandu original. Add a little extra oil for lean meat. Chicken → Finely chopped cabbage, paneer and spring onion. Vegetable momo are standard. Salt and squeeze the cabbage first.

What should I watch for?

Keep unused dough and finished momo covered. They dry out in minutes.

Any tips from this recipe?

Chicken thigh, not breast. The fat keeps the filling juicy through the steaming. Freeze uncooked momo on a tray, then bag them. Steam from frozen, adding 4 minutes. Shop-bought round dumpling wrappers work when you do not want to roll. Wet the edges to seal.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.

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