Ask any Nepali what their favourite food is and most, if not all, will say Momo. In fact, Melbourne resident Raju Shakya cheekily describes Nepali dumplings as the only food that can turn enemies into friends. Although he might be forgetting about the countless arguments among friends, sharing a plate of Momo, about who ate more pieces.
From providing comfort to homesick expat Nepalis, to changing countless lives, the humble Momo has turned into a significant part of Nepali culture.
WHAT IS MOMO?
Simply put, Momo is a Nepali style dumpling - with minced meat or vegetables mixed with ground coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin and chilli inside a wrapper made of flour.
"The use of these spices is what sets it apart from Chinese, Japanese or Korean dumplings," says Sydney chef Suraj Pradhan, who is originally from Nepal.
Source: Suraj Pradhan
According to Pradhan, “Momo is said to have been brought to Nepal by the Newar community of Kathmandu, who often travelled to Tibet for trade.”
However, they modified the dumplings with locally available ingredients like water buffalo.
“Chicken, lamb, pork, vegetables or cheese are commonly used as well to make fillings for Momo,: he says
“Momo can be steamed, fried,or steamed and then pan fried,” says Pradhan.
An essential part of Momo is its side dish - “Golbheda ko Achaar” or Tomato pickle/ chutney made from tomatoes, mustard oil, coriander, chilli, timur or Sichuan Pepper.
Melbourne resident Stephanie Woollard remembers the first time she tried Momo. In 2004, during her first trip to the country, she was taken to a major tourist hub in Kathmandu.
Source: Suraj Pradhan
“The first time I ate Momo, I was in a tiny little dingy restaurant in the heart of Thamel, with a few local friends and I wasn’t sure what was hiding inside” says Woollard.
Turns out it was also the first time she ate dumplings with buffalo meat.
Since then Woollard has been to Nepal 22 times and has also won international Rotary award for her work in empowering Nepali women from marginalised communities. One of the ways she helps the five thousand women at Seven Women, a company she founded in 2006, is by helping the women provide cooking classes, including Momo, for tourists visiting the centre.
Momo served in a hot spicy soup Source: Suraj Pradhan
“It’s also a great way of sharing the culture and educating around effective development which empowers locals, tipping the traditional aid model of welfare on its head” says Woollard.
Nepali cooking classes held by Stephanie Woollard Source: Stephanie Woollard
WHERE CAN WE TRY MOMO AND OTHER NEPALI DISHES?
You can find Momo in every Nepali and some Nepali owned Indian restaurants and take away shops around Australia.
For the time poor, Nepali grocery stores also stock frozen Momo.
There are more than two dozen Nepali restaurants each in various Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
You can also find Nepali restaurants in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Tasmania.
However, a lot of Nepali owners of Indian restaurants also serve Nepali food
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MOMO RECIPES
LAMB MOMO:
Source: Ben Dearnley
