How many can you eat? Nepali dumpling festival returning to Melbourne.

It was the Prawn-Crab dumplings that took the judges by surprise at the Momo masterchef competition last year. The competition was part of the first ever Nepali dumpling or Momo festival held in Melbourne. With the festival now returning as a three-day event on 23rd March, 2018, which ingredient will be the visitors' favourite this time?

Nepali Jhol Momo Source: Solangture

When Sita, an amateur chef, won the Momo masterchef competition at last year’s Momo Festival in Melbourne, her winning ingredient surprised many.   

It was her Prawn and Crab Momo that helped beat her opponents. Not a common ingredient though among lovers of the famous Nepali dumplings. In Nepal, common Momo recipes include buffalo, pork, chicken and vegetable mince.  

If, at this point, you’re wondering what a Momo is then click on this article. The article explains what it is, recipes to make them and where you can buy them in Australia. 

To put it simply, it’s a Nepali style dumpling - with minced meat or vegetables mixed with ground coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin and chilli inside a wrapper made of flour.

Various types of Momo during Momo Festival in Melbourne in 2017. Source: Solangture

As the Momo festival returns to Melbourne for a three-day event on 23^rd March, 2018, which ingredient will be the visitors’ favourite this time?  

Raju Shakya is from Solaunture, the team organizing the festival. He says this year’s festival will feature more than thirty varieties of Momos – ranging from buff, goat, chicken, seafood to vegetarian and vegan ones.

According to Shakya, the biggest challenge for them in the festival will be to provide good quality and wide variety of Momos, enough for everyone.

For many Australians, who have travelled to Nepal, Momo and Daal- Bhaat (rice and lentils) will be a familiar dish.   

But for the organisers, their aim is to turn the humble Momo into Melbourne’s favourite dish.

Crowd gathered during Melbourne's Momo festival in 2017 Source: Solangture

Instead of Momo, they had to name it the Nepalese dumplings to promote the festival. 

With significant number of locals unware about Nepali food and culture, it could be a challenge to attract visitors. 

But organisers say they are up for the challenge and are hoping to attract up to 25, 000 people for the three- day event.  

“Last year more than fifteen thousand people attended the first ever Momo festival held in Melbourne and because of the unexpected success, we have turned it into a three-day festival this year”, says Shakya, who was born in Nepal.

“The festival will run with different concept each day - on Friday, it will be Momo dinner with movies in a relaxed environment, Saturday is the main festival day, so there will be live music, multicultural performances, DJs and roving performers and Sunday will have Momo Brunch with DJ music.”

Internationally renowned Nepali musicians Kutumba will also headline the event, playing some of their most popular Nepali folk music. 

Momo’s role in soft diplomacy could also be crucial for them. 

“So far we have underestimated the power of Momo in promoting Nepal” says Shakya. 

With Momos, music, movies and more promised, the Momo Fest will be held in Coburg Velodrome, North Coburg from Friday 23^rd March until Sunday 25^th March 2018.

Details about the festival can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/momo-fest-nepalese-dumpling-holi-festival-2018-tickets-43153948622