Tandoori Momos - Restaurant Style Recipe

Momos or dumplings are a quick make quick bite dish, mostly eaten as an appetizer. Momos were first invented in Nepal, this Nepali food dates back to the fourteenth century and was a part of Newari cuisine in Kathmandu valley. Later Tibet, China and even Japan got it's introduction and started making momos.

Today Indians have re-invented and redesigned this Nepali food as per their own taste, with spicy masala and different fillings, today momos are in the next level.

Let us make restaurant style tandoori momos today, that too in the comfort of our home, since Lock Down is still on, though restaurants have opened up, but looking into the safety it is advisable to have food made in home. Be ready with some bowls, we would need them.

In a bowl (1st bowl)

• Take 1 small cabbage and grate it (kaddu crush)
  
• Add salt to taste (a little extra)
• Keep this aside for the cabbage to release water

Take another bowl (2nd bowl)

• Grate or mash 1 cup paneer (cottage cheese)
• Grate 1 inch ginger and add it to this bowl
• Add 4 to 5 green part of spring onion (finely chopped)
• Add 3 to 5 green chilies (finely chopped)

Squeeze the cabbage properly to take out all the water it has released

• Add the cabbage to the second bowl with other ingredients in the bowl
• Mix everything properly
• Add 1 tbsp tandoori masala (Tandoori Masala Recipe)
• Leave aside

Take a 3rd bowl

• Put 1 cup maida (all purpose flour)
• Add 1/4 tsp salt
• Add 1/2 tsp vinegar (sirka)
• Add water as required

Mix it well to form the dough, knead the dough, make sure the dough is in semi form, not too tight or hard nor to soft.

Stretch and knead properly so that the gluten forms in the maida

• Add 1/2 tsp oil on top of the dough
• Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for sometime.

Now take another bowl, for marination (4th bowl)

• Put 1 cup thick curd in it
• Add 1/2 cup fresh cream
• Add salt to taste
  
• Add 1 tsp tandoori masala
• Add 1 tsp degi mirch powder (red chili powder)
• Add 1 tbsp mustard oil
• Add 1 tbsp roasted besan (gram flour)
• Add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• Mix it well and leave it aside

Take out the dough which was kept aside.

Knead it again, roll it to form a long thick stick.

Cut the dough stick into small pieces to make small balls, keep the balls little thick, press it to give a circular shape (small puri shape).

Use a rolling pin, roll the circular dough to flatten it and increase the size, keep the sides thick.

Take one flattened dough put little water all over the edges, then put little amount of vegetable, cabbage and paneer mixture in the center.

Join opposite corners and it will seal the mixture inside and from outside will look like a flower or put little mixture in one half and close the other half, then using a fork press the edges. (Like Gujia, see picture here).

Now use oil to fry the momos. Fry them 60% to 70% only.

Then dip this fried momos in the marination we have made.

Well, it is time to tandoor or grill your momos

But first, let us give it some smoky flavor.

Dice some capsicum, tomato, onions (See Tandoori Paneer Tikka recipe for reference).

Put these vegetables and momos in a deep pan with lid.

Burn a coconut shell / coconut husk or charcoal (whichever you have), I am using a coconut husk.

Keep the burnt coconut husk in a pannikin (katori) and put 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) in it.

Put the pannikin inside the deep pan and close the lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will give a nice smoky flavor to the tandoori momos.

Take out one momo at a time using a tong and burn it slightly over the gas fire to give the charring look and feel.

Hold tight, we are almost there, the momos will now go through the final phase in becoming the perfect tandoori momos.

Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp butter, put the diced vegetables and momos in it, toss them, squeeze a lemon, while tossing make sure no momos break.

Awesome!!! Our tandoori momos are ready. Take a small stick and assemble them with the tossed vegetables (like paneer tikka) before serving. Serve it with green chutney, mayonnaise and momo chutney.

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If you want the recipe for green chutney (served with tandoori items) and momo chutney, then do let me know in the comment section below.