Momo Sauce?

[theminx]

We have a new Indian restaurant here in Baltimore, called Yeti (the owners are from Nepal). They added momo to the menu of dishes typically found in Indian restaurants in America (chicken tikka masala, lamb saag, et. al.). We tried the lamb momo, and found them to be rather like Chinese pot stickers in appearance, but the filling was spiced with coriander and cilantro.

The dipping sauce was most intriguing. It was the color of dijon mustard but had a texture like ground sesame seeds. It had a sesame flavor as well, plus a tingle of chile. Anyone know what this might have been? Is it a typical Nepalese sauce?

thanks :)

[jhlurie]

Were they from one of the major Indian-influenced peoples of Nepal? Nepalese who actually lived in India as some intermediary step? Or are they simply identifying themselves with India for the convenience of American sensibilities?

It's funny. You know who appears to have the most complete ethnicity/tribal information on Nepalese on the web? Missionaries. They've actually got the ethnic/tribal breakdowns with "conversion" statistics.

eGullet's own Ellen Shapiro (aka- "Mrs. Fat Guy") knows a LOT about this area, and a decent amount about their food, so hopefully she sees this. Her DOG is named Momo.

Theoretically this topic perhaps should go in eGullet's Elsewhere in Asia forum.

[Fat Guy]

There's not any one official momo sauce, but almost all of them are based on cilantro and chilis. Ellen is in Honduras right now but can I'm sure talk at great length about momo sauces when she returns in June. She's been to Nepal 6 or 7 times, and a little while ago we spent a day in Queens with a Tibetan chef making momo and Ellen photographed and cataloged everything.

[Rushina]

I love Momos. I had the good fortune of having them for the first time at the royal palace in Nepal, with the late king and his family. The Princess Shruti was in our class and the royal family hosted our class for our mid term trip. On our way there a lot of the girls from Delhi were telling us uneducated bombayites about momos but the real thing was far beyond my expectations.

I loved ever bit of them! I had to wait many many years, till I got married to have em again. Now every trip to Dehra Dun includes a trip to the Momo man. The Chandigarh restaurant Cinnamon Roof serves a very good version.

Does anyone know if momos are available in Bombay??? VIKRAM???

The momo sauce I have eaten in Dehra Dun is nothing like the one you describe. I have duplicated the one I had with great success. Finely chopp onion, tomato, coriander, Pound hot chillis, garlic, salt, red chilli powder to a paste. Combine everything with fresh lemon and let stand for a while before consuming with momos.

The chillies are really hot and the whole has a slightly raw flavour to it because of the hand pounded spice paste.

I have tried mushroom momos also with great success.

I am really looking forward to hearing from Ellen on momos. Maybe Ellen can do a eGci course on momo making. (Are the powers that be reading????)

Rushina

[BBhasin]

The young lady from Nepal who works for us tells me that there are diffrent kinds of momo sauce tomato based, with sesame seeds etc. etc.

I will quizz her more and see what we can learn.

[Monica Bhide]

Bbhasin - I would love to know more about the sauce too.. I am not sure exactly how to prepare it. As you know Momos are readily available in Delhi and quite delightful

[Vikram]

Does anyone know if momos are available in Bombay??? VIKRAM???

Momos were till recently one of the very few food items where that awful city up north could rightly claim superiority over Bombay. I have even eaten them down south in Coorg, in one of the resettlement camps for Tibetans in the hills there, but they never seemed to make it to Bombay. But now I'm told there's a place in the suburbs dishing out very decent momos. Its in Andheri Lokhandwala, somewhere near that Lotus petrol pump. A couple of weekends back the boyfriend and I tried finding it, and we almost located it, with the help of the talking Yellow Pages service. They gave us the number, but we called and they were still closed - it was only around 5.00, and we couldn't stay that side much longer. I'm off to Madras this weekend, but will make attempts to find it when I'm back,

Vikram

[Rushina]

Hey people!

Went on a momo hunt in Dehra Dun this trip, despite dire warnings of it being monsoon...

Unfortunately fates were conspiring against us as all the places we went to had run out of nonvegetarian momos.

Had three / four versions of vegetarian momos. Beggars cant be choosers sfter all!

the last lot was the best with a mint / chilli chutney that had us in tears...

Rushina

P.s Vikram did you find that Restaurant for momos? Ellen - are you back? On bended knee we ask you to share your expertise with momos.

Edited July 8, 2004 by Rushina (log)

[Rushina]

I am really excited because I have just picked up fozen momos at a little store near my house! I know not as good as fresh but something is better than nothing! I look forward to trying them will keep all posted!

Rushina

[Pompollo]

I was fortunate enough to visit Nepal and stay with friends, a couple, who had this great cook. One night I was pleasantly surprised with "momos" , which were served as an appetizer. I just remember the filling was non-veg, but was a such a great combo of things. We dipped them in a spicy chile sauce that also had some soy sauce too. I thought momos were Nepalese, until my hosts said that they were actually from Tibet, hence the soy sauce addition/influence. (???)

The wife and I both studied together in Japan (where I currently live). We had to laugh, though, when she said the name of the food was "momo" because in Japanese "momo" means "peach". Also, Japan has "gyoza", which are Chinese origin and known in English as "pot stickers". In Japan they are served with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and hot sesame oil.

I really love dough-filled pouches, be they momos, gyozas, pot stickers or even ravioli.

The next day after my momo experience in Nepal I went on a tour and found out the lunch-time restaurant served momos, so I had to try. Sorry to say I was REALLY disappointed, and had to ask the cook a favor again to make them one more time during my stay.

I have come across Nepalese restaurants in Tokyo that serve momos. The few times I've ordered them I've found that most aren't very flavorful. But it's fun to see them on the menus.

I just wanted to add my 2-cents on a fun momo memory, and sorry I can't add any sauce recipe.

[gingerly]

momomo...

`throw a momo making party and raise some Tibetan awareness