Dal Momo

Momo is a part of the staple food for North East India. Usually the filling of momo is made of vegetable or meat, but this recipe is made of dal – making it a healthier alternative as it is high in protein.

For the momo filling you need:

75 gm moong dal

2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

½ tsp finely grated garlic

 ½ tsp finely grated ginger

2 Tbs finey chopped capsicum

1 Tbsp refined oil

1 tsp soya sauce

½ tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Wash the moong dal and place it in a container with just enough water to immerse the dal. 
  2. Add ¼ tsp salt to the dal. 
  3. Now place the dal container into the pressure cooker. This method was followed because the dal should be soft yet retains its shape.
  4. After the first whistle lower the heat to its minimum and cook the dal for another 1 ½ minutes. 
  5. Switch off the heat and allow it to cool.

6. Heat a pan with the oil.

7. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and pepper one by one, stirring all the time over low heat.  

8. Add the soya sauce.

9. Mix the soya sauce well and stir fry the spices for few more seconds. 

10. Add the cooked moong dal. 

11. Mix it well with the spices.  

12. Adjust the salt. Keep it aside.

For the momo dough you need:

100 gm flour

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp oil

Warm water for the dough

Method:

  1. Sieve the flour and salt together into a big bowl. 
  2. Add oil and mix well. 
  3. Slowly add warm water to make the dough soft. 
  4. Knead the dough well for few minutes and then cover it with cling film and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Casing and filling the momo:

Rose bud casing is the easiest, so we will be doing that today.  The others need little practice and you can see how it is made on Youtube.

  1. Knead the dough swell and equally divide into 8-9 pieces.
  2. Take 1 piece and keep the rest covered in the bowl.

3. Roll the ball flat to the size of a 3 inch circle.

4. Further roll only the edge as thin as possible to make it to about a 4 inch circle.   

5. Place the filling at the centre.  

6. Bring the opposite ends of the circle and press together as shown in the picture. 

7. Press together the remaining part of the semicircle to seal the filling.

8. Now bring the two ends of the straight side together and press the ends to form a rose bud. 

9. Oil the steamer container and place the momo.

10. Repeat the same with the other dough balls and place them side by side keeping little space in between them.

11. Steam the momos for about 10 -12 minutes. 

12. Serve hot with tomato sauce or chilli sauce.

Happy Cooking !