ramyaramesh3007These steamed dumplings with a spiced tofu filling on a bed of tomato-chili momo chutney is a classic street dish you need to make at home!
Momos are steamed dumplings native to the Himalayan region and they are particularly popular in Nepal, Tibet, and some parts of India. Traditionally, momos can be filled with a variety of ingredients, from meat to vegetables, but veg momos have become a staple for for almost everyone looking to indulge in a vegan/vegetarian healthy snack!
I first tasted these delicious and nutritious dumplings on the streets of Bangalore – where a Nepali lady was serving hot steamed momos fresh from her steel cookware. She paired it with a super spicy momo chutney that was comfort food at its finest. My cousins and I had had a few drinks and we had these right on time to sober up just five minutes away from our house. This memory is etched in my brain like it was yesterday.
The versatility of momos is amazing which is why I decided to fill these dumplings with crumbled tofu instead of regular vegetables – so these are high in protein too! If you’re avoiding soy, you can also use this Plant Protein Block from Herbyvore – made entirely from yellow split peas.
Ingredients You Need
- extra firm tofu or soy-free tofu – I used Herbyvore here (gifted)
- vegan dumpling wrappers – get the ones that are circular!
- aromatics – minced ginger, garlic, spring onions
- dry spices – garam masala, kashmiri chili powder, turmeric
- sweetener – you can use agave or maple syrup
- condiments – black pepper and black salt/regular salt
- light soy sauce
- momo chutney – tomatoes, dried chillies, cumin (or sichuan pepper), minced garlic, black pepper, sweetener, salt, water to blend
Alliums free substitutions: Substitute minced garlic with a pinch of hing (asafoetida). Substitute chopped spring onions with coriander.
Vegan Tofu Dumplings (Nepali Tofu Momos)
Ingredients
Momos
- 25 dumpling wrappers
- 2 tbsp oil
- 250 g extra firm tofu or minced protein
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped spring onions
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp sweetener
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp black salt/salt
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- water
Tomato-Chili Chutney
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 4-5 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp ground cumin or sichuan pepper
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sweetener
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and ginger until golden. Add dry spices garam masala, chili powder, turmeric and saute.
- Crumble tofu and saute until well combined. Add soy sauce, sweetener, black pepper and salt. Add a splash of water if mixture is too dry.
- Stir in spring onions and let it cool.
- Line the dumpling wrapper edge with water. Place a spoonful of filling in the center, fold the dough over, and pinch the edges to seal. You can shape them into pleats.
- Place the momos in a steamer lined with parchment paper. Steam for about 7-8 minutes until the dough is translucent.
- Prepare tomato-chili chutney by boiling tomatoes and dried red chillies. Drain the excess water.
- Add tomatoes, chillies, and the other ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth – use the excess water from the boiled aromatics earlier.
- Enjoy momos with the spicy chutney. Garnish with more spring onions.