The region's unofficial national dish is moos, a traditional Tibetan dish.They are best eaten with a spicy tomato sauce and steamed or fried.It is best to make momos to share with a group of friends because of their bite-sized size.Follow these tips to impress your guests.
Step 1: The amount of flour you need to make momos is taken out.
A white wheat flour is usually used to make momos.How many guests you serve will affect the amount of flour you need.If you want to make enough dough for four people, you need about 34 to 1 cup of water and two cups of flour.Depending on your needs, you can double, triple, or even quadruple the flour to water ratio.
Step 2: Put the flour, salt, and oil in a container.
After pouring your flour into a large bowl, add salt and oil to make the dough for momos.
Step 3: The water should be added to the flour mixture.
You may not need all of the water to form your dough if you add it all at once.While mixing with your free hand, add a little water at a time and the flour mixture will stick together.
Step 4: The dough should be formed by hand.
If the dough seems dry or unwilling to stay together, add more water.The dough should become firm, smooth, and flexible.It should not stick to your hands.
Step 5: Allow the dough to sit for 30 minutes.
When your dough is formed, place it in a clean bowl or container and cover it with a damp cloth or lid.This step will allow the flour time to absorb the water and keep the dough moist.
Step 6: Pick out the ingredients for your filling.
The filling for your momos can be prepared while your dough rests.Momos can be made with either a meat, vegetable, or cheese filling.Tofu can be used.The seasonings include garlic, onion, ginger, bouillon, soy sauce, cilantro, and Szechuan pepper.Ground meat can be used for a filling.Most of the time, yaki meat is used in Tibet.There are different types of meat used to make momos.Pork or beef is used in some areas.Chicken is used by people who don't eat beef.You can use a potato filling or an assortment of chopped vegetables.A cheese filling can be either a dry cheese blended with sugar from Tibet, or a soft cheese mixed with a vegetable, like cheese and mushrooms.
Step 7: Put your ingredients together.
To make a vegetable filling, wash and peel your vegetables.They must be finely chopped or shredded.You can either use a food processor or hand it.Unless meat is included in your filling, keep the garlic, onions, and scallions separate from the rest of the vegetables.If you want to blend the mixture into a smooth puree, pulse it instead of using a food processor.Allow the mixture to blend a couple seconds at a time until fully chopped.If you want a meat filling, replace the mushrooms and tofu with ground or chopped meat.
Step 8: Put your mixture in a container.
If you have to use your hands, place your chopped vegetables and/or ground meat in a large bowl.Add two ounces of soy sauce and one ounce of bouillon.If you want your meat mixture to be perfectly seasoned, cook a small piece and taste it.If you want, add more soy sauce and bouillon.
Step 9: You can cook the vegetable filling.
The vegetable filling must be cooked before it's placed inside the momo.The oil should be in the pan over medium heat.Add your chopped garlic to the pan.Then add the chopped onions.Turn the heat up to high when you add the chopped vegetables to the pan.The vegetables should be cooked all the way through after you stir fry them.If you want to add more scallions, cook for a minute.To find out if the filling is seasoned to your liking, taste it.Add more soy sauce, salt or pepper to make it taste better.
Step 10: When you are ready to use it, set the filling aside.
Place your filling inside the dough.Allow it to rest for at least an hour.The flavors will be fully absorbed by the ingredients after this time.
Step 11: Put your ingredients in a container.
The moos are usually served with a tomato sauce.If you want to enjoy your momos the traditional way, wash and peel your fresh ingredients.
Step 12: Tomatoes, bell pepper, and chilies can be roasted.
If you want to do this, you can either put them over an open flame or cut them in half and place them under a broiler.The top rack of your oven should be at least three to four inches away from the heat source.On the highest setting, set your oven to broil.Place the vegetables on a non-stick surface in either a baking dish or cookie sheet.As they are in the oven, watch them closely.You will have to turn them black if you don't cut them half.The skin splits on all sides once it blackens.Carefully remove them from the oven.Allow them to cool a bit, and then peel away the blackened skin.
Step 13: Put the sauce ingredients in a blender.
It should be like a paste.Add water to thin the sauce out if it's too thick.
Step 14: When your momos are ready to be served, keep the sauce refrigerated.
When you're ready to serve momos, put the finished sauce in a bowl or container and put it in the fridge.
Step 15: Roll dough into circles.
A bit of technical skill is required to make sure the technique used to shape momos is done correctly.There is an alternate method you can use to make momos if you don't know how to cook in the kitchen.Dust a board or clean area of your counter before you start.
Step 16: Tibetans use a technique to mold the dough into circles.
Divide your dough into four equal sections.How much flour you used to create the dough will affect the number of sections you divide.The instructions are based on two cups of flour.Divide the dough into two equal sections if only one cup of flour is used.If four cups of dough is used, slice it into eight equal sections.Roll each section into a log and slice it into smaller slices.Roll the slices into balls and cover them with a napkin or cloth until you are ready to use them.Roll each ball into a circle with a rolling pin.It should be about 2 inches in diameter.The center of the circle should be thick and the edges thin.You might have to press along the edges of the circles to make them thinner.
Step 17: A simpler and quicker method is used to create flattened circles of dough.
Dust your dough with flour.Roll it out very thinly with a rolling pin.Don't roll it so thin that you can see through it.Cut circles out of the dough with a clean glass that is about the width of your palm.
Step 18: Place the filling in the center of the circle and then fold and shape the dough.
To keep momo from drying out before cooking, place it in a moist environment with a non-stick surface and shape it as you fill it with the mixture.The round and half-moon shapes are the most common ways to make momos.Take your food out of the fridge.If you roll your dough by hand, you will need to place a small amount of filling inside each circle.If you used the glass method to create your circles, you should use a small amount of filling.
Step 19: A round momo is what you should make.
Put one of the circles of dough in your less dominant hand.If you hold the piece of dough in your right hand, it will go in the other person's left hand.Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch together a small piece of the dough's edge after you add the filling to the center.If you don't move your thumb, use your forefinger to fold another piece of the dough's edge and then pull it into your first fold.Work your way around the entire circle of dough, gathering and pinching the folds together until you are back where you started.To close the hole at the top of the momo, pinch together the folds.The same steps are used to make round momo.When you're done with momo, place it on a non-stick surface and cover it with a lid or damp cloth.
Step 20: You can make a half moon momo.
Put your filling in the center of the dough.The filling should be covered by folding the circle in half.The dough should be closed by pressing the edges of the circle together.If you want to add a design to your momos, you can pinch and fold the dough.Half-moon momos can be created from the remaining circles of dough.As you go along, place each shaped momo in a lightly greased steamer or container and cover it with a lid or damp cloth.
Step 21: Decide how you want to cook momos.
There are other ways to cook momos than steaming.If you want to serve them in a soup, you can either pan fry or deep fry them.
Step 22: You can steam your momos.
The steamer pot should be filled with enough water to boil.It should be set over high heat.There is too much water in the pot if you put your steamer basket in it.If you have used your steamer basket to keep momos moist, then you should be ready to go.Before setting your momos inside, make sure to lightly grease your steamer basket with vegetable oil.This will prevent them from sticking.The steamer basket should be set over the boiling water.The momos should be allowed to steam until they are done.Depending on the size of your momos, the time it takes for them to cook will vary.If you roll your dough by hand, your momos will be smaller than if you use a glass cup.For the small momos, let them steam for a few minutes.The larger momos should be steam for 10 minutes.The larger momos need to cook for at least 6 minutes.The fully cooked moos will look transparent.Put them in the steamer pan and sprinkle with scallions.
Step 23: Pan fry your momos.
Cook in a frying pan over high heat.Place vegetable oil on the bottom of the pan.Place the momo in the pan so that they don't touch each other.Fry on both sides.
Step 24: Your momos will be deep fried.
The best way to cook momos is in a deep fryer.Allow your pan or deep fryer to get hot by filling it with a generous amount of oil.Drop a piece of dough into the oil to make sure it's hot.Momos can be added to the oil to cook if it bubbles.Allow the momos to cook for a few minutes.Put them on a paper towel and let the oil drain from them.
Step 25: While they are hot, serve your momos.
The best way to serve moos is with a spicy sauce.The sauce can be dunked on the side or poured over the momo.