THE DUMPLING DELIGHT

Momos, Dumplings or Dim sums whatever your geography addresses them you cannot deny the treat they provide to the taste buds and the aroma tingling your senses. Momos are a staple dish in most of the south Asian countries now growing its popularity in the Western countries as well. With that one bite in the delicacy you experience a festival of spices and herbs in your mouth. These pocket sized delights dipped in the spicy Momo sauce can fulfil your food cravings and leave you wanting more. But why do we rarely prepare them at home because of the worded myth that its complicated. Today we bring an easy recipe for momos so that every beginner can enjoy these soulful deliciousness.

THE RECIPE : CHICKEN MOMO
The recipe is three fold and if you divide and simplify it, the preparation is easy.
INGREDIENTS
For the Dough
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sugar
½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
Water as required
For the filling
50gm of Chicken [boneless mince]
Chilli, garlic and ginger paste
Onion paste
Spices
Chilli powder [1  teaspoon]
Pepper [1 teaspoon]
Jeera powder [1 teaspoon]
Salt [According to taste]
Sugar [If the filling gets too spicy]
Red Sauce or Chutney
Tomatoes [3 pieces]
Chilli flakes [2 teaspoon]
Chilli [2 pieces]
Garlic and ginger paste
Schezwan sauce [1 teaspoon]
Sugar [1 teaspoon]
Salt [According to taste]

PREPARARTION
Dough
Put salt sugar in the flour and mix it
Put the oil in the mix
Keep adding water and knitting the mixture till it’s a dough
If it becomes very watery add some flour and if gets too dry add a little water or oil.
Filling
Put some oil on a saucepan and heat it
Once heated and turn the flame into medium
Put onion paste and sauté it
Then keep on adding the other paste and sauté it till you sense the strong aroma
Now add the chicken boneless mince and mix it good
Add the spices one by one, Chilli , Jeera, Pepper, Salt and Sugar
Sauté it in medium heat for another 10 minutes  and taste it before cooling it.
Preparing the Momos
The easy way to make the momo pockets are to roll the whole dough into a thin sheet and then will a sharp round cutter [A bowl] cut out round sheets.
Then fill these sheets with the filling and close the end.
Prepare a pot of boiling water and then pout a heat proof dish on it which has ventilation holes in it so that the steam can pass [ only if you don’t have a momo making utensil]
Rub oil on the surface and layer the momos in it and then cover the pot with a lid for 15 minutes.
Keep on checking the progress
Preparing the chutney
Boil the tomatoes
Slightly char them over fire
In a blender put the tomatoes cut in half
Add the schezwan sauce and the pastes
Lastly add the chopped chillies , chilli flakes and salt and sugar according to taste.
Blend it properly into a thick runny Chutney
Add some water if the consistency is too thick.

Serve the deliciousness hot on a plate and enjoy it. 

- Deepanwita Dey
Amity University
Kolkata