From: Gyaneshwor Pokhrel


Recipe for Momo (Dumpling)
   Original Author: Arati  ...
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Makes 16:
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Step 1:    Combine the following  in a  bowl and mix well.   Make 16
meatballs, set aside.
-	1 lb ground meat
-	1" long fresh ginger, 1 tbl ground cumin seeds, 1 tbl ground
coriander seeds, 1/4 tbl ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 5 cloves of
garlic, one small onion (grind all these spices in a blender, make a
paste).	(These spices can be substituted with 2 teaspoonful of Indian
curry powder and salt) - 2 tbl Vegetable Oil

Step 2: Knead a dough of 4 cups of all-purpose flour.  When the dough
gets soft, divide it into 16 balls. Roll each ball out into a 3" round
and spread butter one the top of each round.

Step 3: Put one meatball into one round, glue the seam together . You
can make fancy design on the top of the momo, the idea is to cover the
meat very well. Wonton shapes are easier to make, it takes lots of
practic to make good shaped momo.

Step 4: After the momos are wrapped up with meatball, steam them . You
can also boil the momos or fry in a pan. Steamed one is the best.

Serve momos with tomato sauce or with soya sauce.  You can make tomato
sauce with the curry powder, it blends well with momo.  (Fry up fresh
cut tomatos, add curry powder , salt and make a paste).


Momos are a typical Asian dish ...however when you ask for *momos*,
then you are referring to the Tibetan dumpling.  Nepalis also make
this dish, in the same Tibetan fashion.

Though I am caucasian, my husband is Tibetan and we are always making
momos. I learned to make momos while living in Nepal, before I met my
husband.  OK....here is the recipe as I have made them with many
Tibetans over the last four years...I'll try to be detailed. I'll
describe meat, veggie and potato momos.  We don't use any measuring
cups, so please use your best judgement on the portions.

--Dough--

White flour is usually preferred when making the momo wrappers.
Simply kneed flour and water.  Go light on the water, you can always
add more.  Your finished dough should not be sticky (or lumpy), but
rather a smooth consistency as if you were preparing a pizza.  When
making about 200 momos we use a little less than a pound of flour
--200 momos feeds about twenty people. Some people like to add a bit
of yeast or baking soda to the flour\water mixture, and this will give
the wrappers *doughy* taste; most of out Tibetan friends prefer less
dough and more meat :)

--Meat--

You can use either ground beef, pork, or turkey.  Many times we will
mix pork and beef and this tastes very good.  About 2 pounds will make
200 momos (sorry for the large portions --we are always making them
for parties).  Chop lots of onions or leeks, and garlic, and a little
cilantro (about 1/4 to 1/2 bunch for each pound of meat), and mix all
of this together with the meat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Your
meat mixture is now ready. You don't cook the meat separately, it will
cook in the wrappers.

--veggies--

Saute some onion, garlic mixed with a small bit of curry.  This will
form your veggie spice base.  Cut the following veggies into very
small shredded pieces: green cabbage, carrots, broccoli (maybe just
the flowers), cilantro, and whatever other veggies you would like in
the momo.  Next steep a few minutes in boiling water.  You don't want
the vegetables to cook thoroughly, only very lightly.  Mix the veggies
with your onion\garlic curry base.  Your veggies are now ready for
packing.

--potato--

this is very similar to the Indian samosa --and it makes one great
momo!!  cook potatoes, leaving them firm and not mushy.  Saute the
same veggie base as above, but this time add a few chopped tomatoes
and lots more curry.  Salt and pepper to taste.  You want the tomatoes
to be completely cooked, they should be completely turned to a watery
mixture in the base.  When this and your potatoes are done, add the
cut potatoes to the base mixture (skins are optional).  Saute a few
minutes mixing the potatoes and spices well, and now let this become a
*mushy* mixture.  After this the potatoes are ready for wrapping.

--MOMO WRAPPING--

Now this is going to be the tricky part.  The key to making the momos
is that the wrappers are completely closed, no open spaces in the
wrappers at all because you want the momo to get juicy.  If there are
openings in the wrappers your meat will dry out and you won't get to
taste all that delicious juice :)

Now it is time to return to the dough.  Have enough flour on hand to
powder your working area and hands.  Roll out a rectangular-like
shaped strip --pretend you are playing with clay and want to make a
snake.  With this you will break off small rounds, about 3 inches all
around, maybe a small bit bigger.  Roll these small balls around in
your hand so that they are smooth and without any folds in the dough.
Now gently flatten each one for the rolling of the wrapper.  The
following two directions, rolling and wrapping, will take some
practice --but you'll get there.

To roll out each small flattened dough ball you will need a small
diameter rolling pin.  We usually use a small glass jar.  Powder the
rolling bin thoroughly with flour --and you'll need to repowder the
pin and working area often, but be careful not to use too much flour
because this can ruin the momo.  Roll out the wrappers into a small
pie shape.  The key to a successfully cooked momo (one that does not
fall apart) will be the way you roll out this small pie.  You want the
middle to be a bit thinker than the edges and to do this don't just
roll over the dough with the pin.  Rather grasp the semi-flattened
dough in the middle with your thumb and index finger of one hand and
with the other begin to roll out the edges of the dough.  You will
need to slightly *swirl* the dough with your grasping hand so as to
get an even roll on the edges.  So it's like a roll, swirl, roll,
swirl, roll, swirl until your done.  As I said, the middle should be
thicker --not by a lot, but visibly so.  The reason for this is
because your packing ingredients will sit there in the middle and they
need the extra support.

Depending on the size of your wrapper will depend on the amount of
meat\potato\veggie.  With the size idea I am trying to present, about
one half -full teaspoon will be enough.  I will try to explain the
easiest way of wrapping.  Hold wrapper and packing mixture in one hand
and with the other hand you are going to make something similar to a
braid, or pleats.  Use your thumb as the stable point and use your
first two fingers to weave the pleats together, and around to a
closing circle.  Make the pleats small.  If all fails, and the pleats
don't look just right you can squeeze or twist what pleats you do have
together to close the momo.

--cooking--

Steaming:

These are the most juiciest!! There are momo steamers that can be
bought at Chinese stores, but any steamer will work.  You should oil
well the steamer, and will usually have to do this after every momo
batch.  If there is any caution needed in making momos, now is the
time; you can never use too much oil to grease the steamer -- you
don't want anything to stick.  Bring water to a boil (maybe adding a
few drops of oil to the water) and drop the steamer and momos and
cover.  It usually takes about 12 -15 minutes to cook, the meat may
take 20 minutes.  One sure way to tell is by touching the momos --they
should not leave a sticky residue on your fingers.  Serve with some
hot sauce and enjoy :)

Fry:

Fry in well oiled pan for about the same time in a covered pan.
However the key here is to throw a cup of cold water right at the end
of cooking and recover.  Be careful because everything will steam up
immediately --and it is this steam that is needed to finish cooking
the momo.  You will probably need to throw at least two cups of water,
at different times, for each momo batch.

Marguerite