Beef Momos

Ingredients

• 450 g beef mince
• 350 g plain flour
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 25 g ginger, grated
• a big handful of coriander, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tin of tomatoes, for the chutney
• 3 red chillies, for the chutney

Method

1. Make a plain dough

   Mix the flour with a teaspoon of salt and about 180 ml water into a firm dough, knead until smooth, then rest it covered for 30 minutes. No yeast, no fat — momo wrappers are deliberately plain so the filling carries everything.

   30 min

2. Chop the onion finely

   The onion must be chopped almost to a mince. Left chunky it stays crunchy inside the steamed dumpling and pushes the seam apart.

3. Mix the filling raw

   Combine the beef, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, spices, oil and plenty of salt. The oil matters — beef mince this lean gives a dry filling without it, and there is no sauce inside a momo to make up for that.

4. Roll thin with a thick centre

   Roll each piece into a small round, thinner at the edges than in the middle. The thicker centre carries the weight of the filling; an evenly thin wrapper tears as you lift it.

5. Pleat and steam

   Gather the edges into pleats and twist the top shut. Steam on oiled paper over a rolling boil until the wrappers look glossy and the filling is firm.

   15 min

6. Make the tomato chutney

   Blend the tomatoes and chillies with salt and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Momos are always served with it, and the dumplings are noticeably plain without.

   15 min