If you’re a fan of Chinese, Japanese, or wherever dumplings then you need to get round to trying momo, the Indian subcontinent’s take on the dish.
As well as being available in much of North India momo is pretty much a national obsession in Nepal, as well as being one of the few palatable things you can eat in Bhutan (like seriously). So, what is the story of momo, where can you get it and is it worth all the hype? Here’s my take on things.
What the Momo?
Momo is a steamed or fried dumpling that probably started off in Tibet and slowly moved its way into Sikkim, Bhutan, Darjeeling, and of course Nepal. Over time it has taken on its own styles depending where you are, but it usually means a dumpling filled with buffalo, chicken, or vegetables. The dough is just flour and water, and the fillings are minced and mixed with garlic, onion, ginger, and sometimes coriander or chili.
What makes momo good is that it’s cheap, fast, and generally tasty. Everyone eats it. Kids, monks, drunkards, tourists, families, you name it. It’s either steamed in a stack of metal trays or deep fried in blackened oil. You’ll get it with some kind of dipping sauce called achar, which is either tomato based or some mystery blend of garlic and hellfire.
It’s also one of those foods you’ll find at the high end or the low end. In a fancy restaurant in Kathmandu or in some shack in a village with three tables and a dead chicken hanging out back. Either way, it works.
Variations of Momo
Momo comes in all sorts of forms depending where you are and who is cooking. Here are the main ones you’ll come across:
Steamed momo
The most standard one. Basic dumpling. Soft. Hot. Comes with sauce.
Fried momo
Same as above but chucked in a pan or deep fryer until crispy.
Kothey momo
Half fried, half steamed. You get a crunchy bottom and soft top.
Jhol momo
Momo drowned in a spicy, watery soup made of tomato and god knows what else. Popular in Kathmandu.
Chilli momo
Momo stir fried in hot sauce with onions and capsicum. Usually the messiest and best.
Open momo
Some fancy crap where they don’t seal the top and make it look like a flower. Seen in Thamel.
Sweet momo
Rare but does exist. Usually filled with jaggery or sweetened coconut. Weird but not awful.
Tingmo
Not exactly momo, more a steamed Tibetan bread, but it shows up on the same menu a lot.
Buff momo
Filled with minced buffalo. This is the classic version in Nepal. Cheap and meaty and well, not beef…
Where the Momo?
You can get momo pretty much anywhere in the Himalayas. It’s one of the few foods that cuts across borders and doesn’t cause a fuss. Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and all the Nepali speaking areas of India live on this stuff. You’ll also find it in places like Delhi, but that’s a whole different vibe.
Here are the 5 best places to try momo, in my experience:
5. Thimphu, Bhutan
You won’t find much on the streets, but hit a proper Bhutanese bar or diner and you can get great beef or cheese momo, especially if you avoid the buffet bullshit.
4. Dharamshala, India
Loads of Tibetans, which means good momo. Stick to the stalls near the temples or little cafes in McLeod Ganj.
3. Pokhara, Nepal
Lake views and momo. Go to the alleys behind the tourist strip for decent buff momo and cold beer.
2. Gantok, Sikkim
They take momo seriously here. Gangtok has momo joints everywhere. Chilli momo is the thing to get.
1. Thamel, Kathmandu
The centre of the momo universe. You can get every style here, including stuff you didn’t know existed. From hole-in-the-wall joints to sit down places with menus the size of books. This is ground zero for momo.
Momo in Nepal
Momo in Nepal is like a national obsession and you will see it in most every restaurant in every single part of the country. Yes this can get boring too, but it also emphasizes just how good the local scene is
You’ll find it being steamed in hotels, mountain teahouses, roadside shacks, and actual restaurants that only sell momo and beer. The sauces change depending where you are, and some are better than others, but even bad momo still fills you up for cheap.
So, it’s a dumpling?
So, is momo just a dumpling? Well if we want to be honest, yes, yes it is, but it also has enough difference to be a cousin rather than a brother to the Chinese varietal.
This though is mostly down to the meat it comes with, such as buffalo, but perhaps more importantly because it comes with awesome spices, rather than just soy and vinegar.
Therefore, eat momo when you visit Nepal.