Momos are a kind of dumpling that originated in Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The first time I had Tibetan momos was at The MoMo House in Toronto. I ordered the butter chicken momos, which are essentially a traditional momo consisting of a dumpling filled with well-seasoned ground chicken and smothered in a thin butter masala sauce. Of course, after eating at The MoMo House, I knew I had to attempt to make my own version of these extremely tasty dumplings. The filling of chicken momos is flavourful and extremely tasty on its own or with a dipping sauce. This recipe has multiple parts but don’t be intimidated; it is not as hard as it looks. The basic components are the ground chicken filling, tomato chutney dipping sauce and the butter masala. You can even make your own dumpling wrapper if you want an extra challenge. Check this out if you are looking for a fun dinner recipe.
Butter Chicken Momo
Ingredients
Chicken Filling
- 1 pound 455 grams ground chicken
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup scallion stalks finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cabbage or parchment paper to line the steamer
Butter Masala
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 oz 400 grams crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder adjust to your taste preference
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1 cup of heavy or thickened cream or evaporated milk to save calories
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves
Dumpling Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup warm water , plus 2 tablespoons or more as needed.
Instructions
Dumpling Dough
- Mix together water and flour. Knead for about 3-4 minutes. The dough should not be sticky it should be a bit tacky. You shouldn’t need to flour the surface.
- Once the ball of dough is smooth, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes take dough out and knead a few more times.
- Roll dough into a rope and cut into small pieces. I divide into 4, then divide each quarter into 8 pieces. Make sure to cover up dough you are using because it dries up quickly. I typically cover dough I am not working on with damp paper towel or damp kitchen town.
- Roll each piece of dough into a ball then using a rolling pin, roll balls out very thin, brush with some flour to prevent rolling pin from sticking.
- Work quickly to roll and fill as dumpling wrappers form a crust quickly. I typically only roll out about 3 dumpling wrappers, fill three and then move on to the next set.
Chicken Dumpling Filling
- In a bowl, add ground chicken, cilantro, red onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, salt, ghee and oil. Put on gloves and mix well or mix my hand.
- To test for seasoning, take a tiny bit of filling and place on plate. Microwave for about 20 seconds until cooked and taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Butter Masala
- In a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, add your ghee and sliced onions. Cook onion for about 2 minutes until they start to sweat.
- Add your minced garlic and ginger and sautée for about 1 minute.
- Add your spices, ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 30 seconds and stir.
- Add your crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt.
- Turn heat lower and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes stirring to prevent burning. The sauce should thicken and start browning slightly.
- Remove the sauce from heat, let cool for about 5 minutes and blend.
- You may need to add about 1/4 cup of water to thin to help with blending if you are having trouble.
- Return the sauce to the pan after blending, add cream and mix well. Add sugar, optional tablespoon of butter, kasoori methi and set aside until ready to serve.
Assembly
- Fill a small bowl with water.
- Take a tablespoon of your ground chicken filling and place in the middle your dumpling wrapper.
- Wet the tip of your finger and run around the dumpling wrapper. Fold as desired e.g. you can use your fingers to pleat the dumpling wrapper around the filling so it looks like a little pouch. You can also fold into a crescent moon shape.
- Dumplings may be frozen at this point and steamed at a later date or they can be cooked immediately.
- Fill a pot with a bit of water and bring to a boil. Line your steaming basket with cabbage leaves and momos on top. Steam the momos in batches for 12-15 minutes, until the wrapper becomes slightly translucent.
- Serve momos with butter masala.
Recipe Coming Soon
