Making momos with Stef Reid and Dr Indra
On her recent trip to Nepal to visit Anandaban Hospital, Paralympian Stef Reid spent time with staff including Anandaban’s Medical Director Dr Indra Napit and his family.
Former Celebrity Masterchef contestant Stef had the chance to try her hand at Nepalese cooking at one of Dr Indra’s ‘momo parties’, where he gathers friends together to make momos before tucking into a delicious meal together. He’s provided us with his recipe, so now you can make them too. Why not hold your own momo party and let us know how you get on?
How to make momos
480g plain flour
1kg minced chicken
50g chopped fresh coriander
150g chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and chilli powder to your taste
Non-stick cooking spray
Mix together the flour and 375ml water in a bowl. Knead the dough well until it is medium firm and flexible. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the chicken, coriander, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and chilli powder (we use a tablespoon of salt and half a teaspoon of chilli powder) in a bowl. Mix in 250ml water.
To make the momo wrappers: break off a piece of dough weighing roughly 30g and roll into a ball. Place the ball on a flat surface and roll into a piece about three inches round with a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Spray a steamer pan with cooking spray.
Place a teaspoon of the chicken filling in the middle of a wrapper. Holding the wrapper in your left hand, use your right thumb and index finger to start pinching the edges of the wrapper together. Pinch and fold until the edges of the circle close up, then place the momo in the steamer pan. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Fill the steamer pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Set the steamer pan with the momos on top of the pot and cover with a tight lid. Steam the momos for 15 minutes.
Serve your hot momos with pickle (read on to find out how to make it) or another dip of your choice!
How to make pickle
500g tomatoes
250g sesame seeds
100g peanuts (fried)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and chilli powder to your taste
- Boil the tomatoes until soft.
- Fry the sesame seeds (be careful not to burn them).
- Mix the tomatoes, sesame seeds and peanuts together and blend.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add all the other ingredients – garlic, ginger, cumin powder, turmeric, lemon juice, salt, and chilli powder – to your tomato mixture. Add 125ml water and cook for about 15 minutes.