Momos live in the heart of every Nepalese and are a perfect food at any time and in any season. It is a simple portion of happiness in a bowl that you can find at any roadside, hotel, restaurant, and household in Nepal. We have always said that momos are the unofficial national dish of Nepal.
These momos are bite-size dishes with a full blast of heavenly flavors and dripping richness from them. One of the most popular and satisfying dishes to go, momos are mouthwatering; they are symbolic and full of emotion. Undoubtedly, everyone loves momo.
So, instead of running for a takeout order whenever you are hit with a craving, why don’t you just dive into preparing it at home? As complex as you may find this dish, momos’ preparation is not at all nerve-racking.
Home-Made Recipe Guide To Chicken Momo
Among varieties of fillings and types, chicken momos have been one of the people’s favorite. You can put the preparation and serve at ease with several people gatherings.
However, momos can be made with multiple changes to the ingredients and techniques to wrap. But still, the primary way to prepare a momo is through the process of steaming. This article will give you a simplified guide to preparing chicken momos that linger in your mouth with the rich taste of ground chicken and the spices used.
Ingredients Used
Dough
- 300 gms of all-purpose flour
- Two tablespoons of baking powder
- One tablespoon of oil/butter
- Water (as per your desire)
For Chicken Filling
- 500 gms of ground chicken keema
- 200 gms of finely chopped onion
- 100 gms of finely chopped spring onion or 100 gms of finely chopped shallot (chyappi)
- 50gms of finely chopped coriander leaves
- Three tablespoons of garlic ginger paste
- One tablespoon of chilly powder
- Two tablespoons of cumin powder and coriander powder (if you are not using momo masala)
- Salt (as per taste)
- Turmeric (as required)
- Three tablespoons of regular butter or oil
- Three tablespoons of momo masala (if using masala)
Preparation Guide To Chicken Momo
- Take your flour and baking powder, and add butter or oil to the flour.
- Gently and gradually start adding water, so the dough does not get too sticky and soft.
- Then, knead thoroughly until it stops sticking to your hands.
- After you make your dough, set it aside for a bit and start making your chicken fillings.
- For the stuffing, take your minced chicken. Add finely chopped onion, spring onion, coriander leaves, ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, and grease (butter or oil). Mix all these ingredients properly.
- Here, if you are going to use momo masala, do not add cumin powder and coriander powder to your fillings.
- Leave this mixture for about thirty minutes. This will help your ingredients mix well for the flavors.
Chicken Momo Cooking Steps
- To start preparing your momos, take your momo steamer and start boiling water on the bottom of the steamer. Here, you can add a few bay leaves to the water for aroma and flavors in medium heat.
- As you keep your water to boil, now you should be back with your dough. Take your portion of kneaded dough and make small balls from it.
- To make your outer cover, take those flour balls and a rolling pin to make a small circle. If you do not know how to make a circle this way, you can flatten the dough into a thin shape and use a glass to cut out a circular shape.
- Add the chicken fillings to the dough wrappers and fold them as you like.
- Now, place all these momos in the steamer. Let it cook for about 20-25 minutes, and you are good to go. Your momo is ready to serve and eat!
Easy Tips To Wrap Chicken Momos
Indeed, there is no specific technique to make chicken momo wrappers; hence, there are many ways to fold them. Some of the methods are incredibly intricate and can take years of practice to master. Thus, if you are a beginner, you can also try some simple wrapping techniques.
Additionally, if you are a beginner, always start with less filling and more straightforward folds. As you get skilled, you can gradually increase the amount of filler and the intricacy of the folds. Furthermore, it would help if you pleated with your dominant hand as it gets easier to work with. Remember that the pleats are more for their aesthetics; even if your wrinkles go wrong, the momos will still taste delicious.
Wrapping Technique (Four Pleats)
- Take your circular flour wraps and add a spoonful of filling in the middle.
- Now, fold over and seal in the center only.
- Then, we will make two pleats on each side of the chicken wrappers.
- For the wrapping technique, hold the side of the dough closest to you.
- Following it, use your thumb and forefinger to make two folds towards the center seal.
- Again, make two folds on the other side as well.
Wrapping Technique (One Directional Pleat)
- For a one-directional pleat, place the chicken filling in the middle and fold it over to seal one of the bottom corners.
- Take the chicken wrapper in a non-dominant hand and start pleating with your dominant hand.
- Then, use your thumb and forefinger as you fold and seal until you’ve reached the other end.
- When you start pleating, you can weave either side of the dough.
Wrapping Technique (Circular Pleats)
- Hold the chicken wrapper in your non-dominant hand and place the chicken filling in the middle.
- Now, start making pleats, rotate the wrapper as you go, and bring the dough together to look like a “moneybag.”
- In the end, seal the wrapper by twisting the top.
Clean Tips On Chicken Momo Making
- When you roll your dough wrappers with a rolling pin, clean the surface with the dough.
- As you roll the dough in a circular shape, please do not make it too thin, so the wrapper breaks while holding the chicken filling.
- After you make the wrinkles on your momo wrappers, bring the edges together and twist to seal them.