Steamed Chicken Momos: A Healthy Anytime Snack!

(Adapted from Veg Recipes of India: Steamed Veg Momos)

This week I am posting a favorite street snack: steamed momos. Momos are basically steamed dumplings stuffed with a lightly spiced filling.

The filling can be both vegetarian or non-vegetarian. On our recent trip to Darjeeling, we ate momos galore. I was even planning to lug home a momo-steamer all the way from Kurseong but the hubby knocked some sense into my head. He promised that he would buy one for me in Kolkata.

But the momo bug had bit me and I started hunting around for the perfect, easy recipe. Voila! found just the one in my fave blog Veg Recipes of India. You can find the recipe here.

Here is the recipe, my way:

Ingredients:

Makes about 8 momos

For the momo base:

All purpose flour/Maida: 1 cup

White Oil: 2 tablespoon

Water to knead the dough

For the filling:

Minced chicken: 320 grams (vegetarians can use grated paneer and sweet corn)

Onions: 2 medium (chopped fine)

Ginger (chopped): 1/2 tsp

Garlic (chopped): 1 tsp

Spring onions (chopped fine): 2 tablespoon (optional)

Oil: 1 and a half tsp

Salt to taste

Pepper(crushed): 1/4th tsp
Sugar: a pinch
Vinegar: 1/2 tsp
Soya sauce: 1/2 tsp

For the chilli-garlic sauce:

Dried red chilli: 5-6

Garlic: 6 cloves

Tomato ketchup: 3 tablespoon

Salt: to taste

Process:

1. First knead the dough. Add enough water so that the dough is smooth and pliable but not sticky. Set aside for 30 minutes, covered with a wet cloth.

2. Chop all the ingredients for the filling.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry for a minute. Next, add the ginger and garlic. Fry for another minute. 
4. Add the chicken mince. (Vegetarian options are grated paneer and sweet corn.)

5. Add salt, sugar, pepper, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add about 1/4th cup water and cook covered at medium heat.

6. Take off the gas and set aside to cool.

7. Now take the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces.

8. Sprinkle a little maida on the work surface. Roll one roundel of dough into a roti. The thickness of the roti should not be too thick, neither too thin. If the dough is too thin, then it will tear when filled with stuffing.

9. Place one tablespoon of the dough in the center of the roti.

10. Smear the ends of the roti with water. Fold the roti into half.

11. Pinch the edges of the seam like a gujiya. To make it look good I pressed the edges with a fork. This step is optional. Mold the rest of the dough ball into momos. Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.

12. Now its time to steam the momos. Since I don't have a momo steamer, I used my idli steamer. Pour two cups of water into the steamer and let the water come to a boil.
13. Place a perforated vessel inside the steamer. I used my rice strainer. Grease the perforated vessel and place the momos in that. Cover with the lid and steam for 7 minutes.

14. Remove from the steamer.

15. To prepare the chilli-garlic sauce, de-seed the chillies to remove the hotness quotient. Immerse the chillies in hot water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, discard the water and grind the chillies and garlic to a fine paste. Add tomato ketchup to the paste. Add more salt if required.

Enjoy steaming hot momos with fiery chilli-garlic sauce.