Vegetable momos

Name: Vegetable momos
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 26
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour, plus extra to dust; ½ tsp salt; 60 g ready-washed spinach (optional, for colour)

Huzefa Sajawal says that momos, or little steamed dumplings, which are often enjoyed during the Lunar New Year festival.

"Momos are a comfort food," says Huzefa, chef-owner of Indo-Chinese restaurant Fatt Pundit. "They're popular in my grandmother's district of Tangra, Kolkata, from the influence of immigrants from Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan, and are now an integral part of Indo-Chinese food. Different varieties will be spread across the table – they're perfect for sharing."

0 out of 5 stars(0) Rate this recipe

Makes26
CourseSnack
Prepare1 hr 15 mins
Cook40 mins
Total time1 hr 55 mins

Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

Ingredients

250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
½ tsp salt
60g ready-washed spinach (optional, for colour)

For the filling

3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
40g fresh root ginger, grated
2 clove/s garlic, crushed
¼ onion, finely chopped
100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
0.8 Savoy cabbage, shredded, plus extra leaves to line the steamer (optional)
¼ medium carrot, finely chopped
0.3 medium courgette, finely chopped
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
120g firm smoked tofu

Method

Start by making the dough. Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. If making the plain dough, gradually add 125ml water and knead into a smooth dough. If making the spinach dough, whizz the spinach with 90ml water in a blender. Gradually add the spinach mixture to the flour and knead into a smooth dough (this should take about 10 minutes for both types of dough). Cover with a clean damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Put a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add 3 tbsp oil and add the ginger and garlic; cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the onion and stir-fry until translucent. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few minutes, until tender, and any liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off (7-8 minutes). Add the cabbage, carrot and courgette, and stir-fry for another few minutes, until the vegetables are tender and all the liquid released has been cooked off. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large colander set on a lipped plate to collect the excess water released by the vegetables as they cool. Once cool, transfer the drained vegetables to a large bowl and add the ground peppers, sesame oil and soy sauce. Crumble the tofu; stir through the mixture.
Divide the dough into about 26 small balls (10-15g each). Roll in a little flour, then use a rolling pin to roll out into 5cm circles, keeping the edges thin and the centre a bit thicker (the middle portion of the wrapper should be slightly thicker than the edges, to ensure they hold together during filling and steaming). Hold a wrapper in one palm, put 1 tbsp filling mixture in the centre and use the other hand to bring all the edges together to the centre, folding pleats as you go. Pinch and twist the pleats to seal the stuffed dumpling. Pleats are key for juicy dumplings. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling and cover again with the damp tea towel.
To steam the dumplings, put them in a steamer (oil the rack well to avoid sticking) lined with a bamboo mat, cabbage leaf or clean muslin. Steam for 15-20 minutes until the dough is tender and the filling piping hot. Enjoy straight away.