Other world recipe

Nepali Chicken Momo

Name: Nepali Chicken Momo
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Other world cuisines
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour; 170 ml water, plus more as needed; 500 g ground chicken thigh; 100 g finely chopped onion; 20 g garlic, minced; 20 g ginger, minced; 25 g cilantro, finely chopped; 30 ml neutral oil; 30 ml light soy sauce; 5 g ground cumin; 5 g salt; 300 g tomatoes for achar; 15 g toasted sesame seeds

Thin wrappers enclose ginger-garlic chicken and herbs, then steam until juicy and serve with tomato achar.

Nepal; Kathmandu Valley-style steamed chicken momo with a tomato-sesame achar

Prep: 1 hr 5 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Nepali chicken momos served with tomato-sesame achar — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Sumit SuraiSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

300 g
all-purpose flour
170 ml
water, plus more as needed
500 g
ground chicken thigh
100 g
finely chopped onion
20 g
garlic, minced
20 g
ginger, minced
25 g
cilantro, finely chopped
30 ml
neutral oil
30 ml
light soy sauce
5 g
ground cumin
5 g
salt
300 g
tomatoes for achar
15 g
toasted sesame seeds

Method

01
Mix and rest the dough
Mix flour and water into a firm dough. Knead until smooth, cover and rest while preparing the filling so the wrapper rolls without springing back.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Season the filling
Combine chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, soy, oil, cumin and salt. Mix until evenly seasoned and slightly cohesive; keep chilled.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Make the tomato achar
Char the tomatoes in a dry pan until blistered, then cool and blend with toasted sesame, a little garlic, chilli and salt to a coarse dipping sauce.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Roll the wrappers
Divide the dough into small balls. Roll each into a thin round, keeping the centre just slightly thicker than the edge so the base supports the filling.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Fill and pleat the momos
Place a small spoonful of filling in each wrapper. Bring the edges together in neat pleats and pinch the top closed, leaving no gaps.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Steam until cooked through
Oil the steamer lightly and space the dumplings apart. Steam over boiling water until the wrappers turn slightly translucent and the chicken centre reaches 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Serve hot with achar
Lift the momos onto a warm platter and serve immediately with tomato-sesame achar. Keep the remaining batch covered so the wrappers do not dry.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Rest the dough or batter covered so the flour hydrates evenly and shaping becomes easier.
Use only enough flour to prevent sticking; too much bench flour makes the cooked wrapper tough.

Common mistakes

Overworking the dough makes it spring back and hard to seal; stop as soon as it is smooth and let it rest.
Overfilling makes seams burst; use a modest filling and keep the sealing edge clean.

Substitutions

If a specialty cheese is unavailable, blend a mild melting cheese with a little salty brined cheese for balance.
Use a neutral vegetable oil for pan cooking; strongly flavored oils can change the aroma of the dough.

Storage

Refrigerate uncooked momos in a single layer for up to 1 day or freeze until firm before bagging. Refrigerate cooked momos within 2 hours and use within 2 days; steam until hot throughout.

Cultural context

Momo is a steamed dumpling shared across Himalayan communities and especially popular in Nepal, where fillings and shapes vary. This chicken version uses a thin wrapper and a Nepali-style tomato-sesame achar; vegetarian and other meat fillings are also common.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Steamed Chicken Momo.jpg — Photograph by Sumit Surai; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to other world recipes

Nepali Chicken Momo

Ingredients

Method

Mix and rest the dough

Season the filling

Make the tomato achar

Roll the wrappers

Fill and pleat the momos

Steam until cooked through

Serve hot with achar

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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