Sagar Gurung stopped by the studio to share his favorite momo recipe. Do you know the momo? A beautiful, delicate-looking pocket of flavor. He explained that the origins of the momo go back over a hundred years. Traders from Mongolia brought dumplings to Nepal and then the Nepalese took over, combining elements of Chinese and Indian cuisines, creating something unique and special. And then came the secret sauce...
Sagar grew up in Nepal and moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 1996 as a teenager. As a kid, Sagar's family didn't have a lot of money, but every time he got some change in his pocket, his number one priority was getting to the momo stand as fast as possible. He told stories of sneaking away from his friends to indulge in a quick momo plate. Apparently, if his friends saw his secret stash of momos, they would "eagle dive" him, basically bombard him and steal all of his precious momos.
Sagar owns Himalayan Java, a coffee shop in downtown Omaha specializing in Nepalese coffee. Some customers wanted to try some of his food, so Sagar started making momos at the coffee shop a couple of times a week. You can find them there, as well as at special pop-up events around Omaha, including a regular one at Scriptown Brewing Company in the Blackstone District. His pop-up brand name is Kathmandu Momo Station.
Sagar's Momo Recipe. Serves 2
Wrapping Style: Newari (ethnic group) or street vendor style.
Ingredients
1 lbGround chicken
1 bunch Green onions
1 large Yellow onions
generous pinch of Salt
Butter
Curry spices
Dough for wrappers or you can use store bought wrappers.
For the momo mixture:
Finely dice the yellow and green onion. Combine in mixing bowl with ground chicken. Melt about 2 cups of butter and add to the same bowl as chicken and onions. Add curry spices and salt. Mix all the ingredients by hand or with a stand mixer. Cover, place in fridge, and let mixture sit over night. Wrap up the mixture in 3-4 in diameter wrappers. Pinch around the edges. Use a steamer pan and steam dumplings for 13-14 minutes. Pour sauce over momos and serve immediately.
Sagar held the sauce recipe pretty close, but here are basic ingredients for his wife's sauce:
Tomatos
Sesame seeds
7 different curry spices
Red dried chili peppers
Additional pepper from habanero family
garlic
Take a shot at it...you could always use a store-bought sauce and get close!
