Dim Sum Veg Momos | Momos Recipe

Momos are a popular street food in northern parts of India. These are also known as Dim Sum and are basically dumplings made from flour with a savory stuffing. Learn to make these popular Tibetan recipe of easy veg momos from scratch with two folding techniques. The momos recipe is also vegan.

About This Momos Recipe

1. What are Momos? As I have mentioned above, momos are dumplings made with flour and a savory stuffing. This stuffing can be made with veggies, sea-food, chicken or paneer (cottage cheese) .
2. Method of cooking: Momos can be steamed, baked or deep-fried. We prefer steamed momos over the fried ones. This recipe is for making steamed momos.
3. Savory stuffing: This veg momo recipe has a stuffing of mix veggies. The veggies I prefer to add are a mix of cabbage, carrots, french beans, capsicum and onions. Sometimes I also add white button mushrooms for a meaty texture and they also give a nice umami flavor.
4. Dough: The dough for the dumplings is made with all-purpose flour. But you can even make the dough with whole wheat flour.
5. Taste: In this recipe, the savory veggie filling has a balanced taste and is lightly spiced, so that it accompanies any spicy and hot sauce very well.
6. Time intensive: Making momos or dim sum takes quite a good amount of time. So when you have enough time to spare, then make them. If you have a helping hand, then the time will reduce. But if you do everything on your own, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hrs, depending on your working speed and the gadgets you have in your kitchen.
7. Shaping: The shaping of the momos come through practice and I do shape them decently. In the step-by-step photo guide below, I have shared two ways of shaping momos. Choose the shaping method that is easy for you.

How to make Momos or Dim Sum

For ease of understanding, I have divided this post into 4 main parts. Lets begin, shall we?

1. Take 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon oil in a bowl. Mix well with a spoon.

2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoon water in parts and begin to knead to a firm dough. Do not make the dough soft as then it becomes difficult to shape the dumplings.

If required you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.

3. Cover the dough with a moist napkin or kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Make Vegetable Stuffing

4. Finely chop the vegetables. You will need 1.5 to 1.75 cups of finely chopped veggies. You can also use a food processor to finely chop vegetables like cabbage, carrots, french beans.

Veggies like capsicum (green bell pepper), button mushrooms and spring onions (scallions) can be chopped with a knife.

5. Heat oil in a thick bottomed frying pan or wok. Add ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat.

6. Add spring onion whites (2 small spring-onions which have been chopped finely). Stir and sauté for 10 to 15 seconds on medium-low heat.

7. Add all the finely chopped vegetables.

8. Increase the flame and stir fry the vegetables on a medium to high heat. If you have not used a thick bottomed pan, then sauté the veggies on a low to medium heat.

Sauté or stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon black pepper and salt as per taste.

9. Continue to stir fry on a medium to high flame for 2 to 3 minutes more. Switch off the heat and add 1 to 2 tbsp of the spring onions greens.

Mix well. Check the taste and add more salt, pepper or soy sauce, if needed.

10. The vegetable stuffing is ready. Let the stuffing cool completely.

Portion and Roll Dough

11. Divide the dough in two parts.

12. Make a 7 to 8 inches log from each part. cut the log into equal slices.

13. Shape into a ball of each dough piece and keep them covered with a moist napkin.

14. Take each dough ball and on a lightly dusted board. Roll each dough ball into a thin circle of about 3 to 4 inches diameter.

15. The edges have to be thin and the center has to be thick.

16. Apply water with your finger tip or with a small pastry brush towards the circumference. This is an optional step.

Shape Dim Sum

17. Place 2 to 3 teaspoons of vegetable stuffing in the center.

18. Lift one side of the edge and start pleating.

19. Begin to pleat the momos.

20. Join all the pleats in the center.

21. A pleated and shaped dim sum.

Serve veg momos hot with momos chutney or red chilli-garlic chutney, spicy schezwan sauce or tomato sauce. They also go best with a spicy sauce and should be eaten hot.