How to Make Momo at Home: Nepali Chicken Momo Recipe + Achar

Easy Nepali-style chicken momo recipe with tomato achar, tips for juicy momo, and veg, jhol and chilli variations. From Avatar, Bundoora.

Momo are the dish everyone in Nepal grows up on, and they’re easier to make at home than they look. This is a home version of the Nepali-style chicken momo our kitchen at Avatar in Bundoora hand-rolls every day, plus the roasted tomato achar that goes with them. Vegetarian filling and jhol (soup) variations are at the end.

What you need

Dough

• 300 g plain flour
• 180 ml water (add gradually)
• A pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil

Chicken filling

• 500 g chicken thigh mince (breast makes dry momo)
• 1 brown onion and 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• A handful of coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander, ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground timur or Sichuan pepper (optional, but it is the authentic tingle)
• 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp melted butter or oil, 2–3 tbsp cold water

Tomato achar (dipping sauce)

• 4 ripe tomatoes, 2 dried red chillies, 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, a pinch of timur, salt
• Coriander and the juice of half a lemon

Method

1. Make the dough. Mix the flour, salt and oil, then add water a little at a time until you have a firm, smooth dough. Knead 5 minutes, cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling. Mix everything for the filling with your hand until it turns sticky. Chill it while the dough rests, because cold filling is easier to wrap.
3. Roll the wrappers. Roll the dough into a log and cut about 30 pieces. Roll each into an 8 cm circle, keeping the edges thinner than the centre.
4. Fill and fold. Add a heaped teaspoon of filling, then pleat the edge around it and twist the top closed. Half-moon folds are fine too.
5. Steam. Oil the steamer, space the momo apart and steam over boiling water for 10–12 minutes, until the wrappers look slightly translucent.
6. Make the achar. Char the tomatoes, chillies and garlic in a dry pan or under the grill, then blend with sesame, timur, salt, coriander and lemon.

How to make momo juicy

• Use thigh mince, or mince with some fat.
• Add the butter or oil and the cold water to the filling, because that becomes the juice inside.
• Don’t overfill, and seal tightly so the juice stays in.
• Don’t over-steam. Ten to twelve minutes is plenty.

Variations

• Veg momo: swap the chicken for finely chopped cabbage, carrot, onion and crumbled paneer or tofu. Salt the cabbage and squeeze out the water first.
• Jhol momo: thin the achar with hot stock and extra sesame to make a soup, then pour it over the steamed momo.
• Chilli momo: pan-fry steamed momo, then toss with capsicum, onion, soy and chilli sauce.

Don’t feel like folding 30 dumplings? Our steam, chilli, jhol and sadeko momo are on the menu every day. Read about each style in our momo guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze momo?

Yes. Freeze uncooked momo on a tray so they don’t touch, then bag them. Steam from frozen for about 15 minutes.

What flour is best for momo?

Plain (all-purpose) flour gives a soft, thin wrapper. You can use store-bought dumpling wrappers in a pinch.

What do you eat momo with?

Momo are traditionally eaten with achar, a tomato and sesame dipping sauce. Some versions add timur pepper or roasted chilli.

Are momo Chinese or Nepalese?

Momo came to Nepal through Tibet and are now one of Nepal’s national dishes, with their own spices and achar.

Hungry now? Order online, book a table or browse the full menu. Avatar Indian & Nepalese Restaurant, 12 Copernicus Crescent, Bundoora · (03) 9191 5003.