Jhol Momo
Years ago, while exploring the North Market in Columbus, Ohio, I discovered a new food: Johl Momo. These Himalayan dumplings, traditionally filled with savory ingredients and served in a spicy broth, were so comforting and delicious. After removing gluten from my diet, I was determined to recreate this dish to be gluten-free, without sacrificing flavor and authenticity.
Bite-Sized History
The origins of momos are somewhat mysterious, with debates surrounding their spread between Nepal and Tibet. In Tibet, momos were hearty, often stuffed with yak meat, potatoes, and cheese, while Nepalese momos often featured vegetable fillings to accommodate Hindu vegetarian diets.
Ingredients
Categorized for easy shopping list creation:
| PRODUCE | |
|---|---|
| Serrano Pepper | 1 |
| Coleslaw Mix / Shredded Cabbage and Carrots | 2 cups |
| Cilantro | 4 sprigs |
| Medium Sized Tomatoes | 4 |
| Garlic | 4 cloves |
| Ginger | 2 inches |
| Medium Sized Onions | 2 |
| Golden Potatoes | 3 |
| DRY GOODS | |
|---|---|
| White Rice Flour | 172 grams |
| Tapioca Starch | 50 grams |
| Vegetable Broth | 2 cups |
| Olive Oil | 4 tbsp |
| Coconut Aminos | 1 tsp |
| SPICES | |
|---|---|
| Bay Leaves | 4 |
| Sea Salt | 1/2 tsp |
| Red Chili Powder | 1 tsp |
| Cumin Powder | 4 tbsp |
| Coconut Aminos | 1 tsp |
| Cloves | 4 |
| Cardamom Pods | 2 |
| Cinnamon Stick | 1 |
Cooking Tips
You’ll steam these momos using any type of steamer—just be sure to line it with a steam liner or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking. If you’re using a steamer with two racks, place the momos on both the top and bottom racks. Steam them for 10 minutes, then swap the racks and steam for another 4 minutes to ensure even cooking.
The dough recipe is adapted from Happy Healthy Homemade on YouTube. Watch her video to see how she does it!
Folding momos can be challenging, and I’m still working on the technique myself. Various folding methods are demonstrated in this video. If you find them too complex, you can always opt for a simpler approach by folding the dough in half and pinching it until sealed.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that these momos aren’t suited for a quick weeknight dinner. Expect to spend approximately 2 hours for the preparation and cooking process. To save time on the day of cooking, prepare the filling and jhol sauce ahead of time. The effort is worthwhile to enjoy this delicious meal!
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Jhol Momo (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Momos originate from the Himalayan region and are traditionally made with a savory filling wrapped in a wheat-based dough. It's essentially dumplings served in a bowl of spicy johl. Here's my gluten-free and vegan version of this tasty dish.
Equipment
- Bamboo or Stainless Steel Steamer Amazon.com: Helen's Asian Kitchen Food Steamer
- Digital Scale Amazon.com: Etekcity 0.1g Food Kitchen Scale
- Adjustable Height Rolling Pin Amazon.com: Rolling Pin With 4 Adjustable Thickness Rings
Ingredients
Dough:
- 172 g White Rice Flour
- 50 g Tapioca Starch
- 3 g Salt
- 4 g Baking Powder
- 10 g Oil any kind
- 130 g Boiling Hot Water about 2/3 cup
Filling:
- 1 cup Golden Potatoes (210 g) roughly mashed, 2-3 potatoes
- 1 cup Cabbage (63 g) shredded
- 1 cup Carrots (85 g) shredded
- 2 cloves Garlic (7 g) minced
- .5 tbsp Ginger (8 g) minced
- 1 cup Sweet Onion (114 g) finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Oil for the pan *omit for oil free
Jhol Sauce: these ingredients will be blended
- 2 tbsp Oil for the pan *omit for oil free
- 4 Medium Sized Tomatoes (536 grams) roughly chopped
- 1 cup Medium Sized Onion (126 grams) roughly chopped
- .5 tbsp Ginger (5 grams) roughly chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic (5 grams) roughly chopped
- 4 Cilantro Sprigs + more for serving
- 1 Serrano Pepper with seeds removed* (24 grams) roughly chopped | *leave seeds in for an extra spicy sauce
- 1/4 tsp Indian Red Chili Powder more to taste | Indian Red Chili Powder is VERY spicy. Substitute with Cayenne Powder or omit if mild is preferred.
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coconut Aminos
For a more flavorful, soup-like sauce, add these ingredients:
- 4 Cloves if you don't have a vitamix, crush cloves
- 2 Cardamom Pods if you don't have a vitamix, crush pods
- 1 Cinnamon Stick fish out before blending
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth or Water
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Steam potatoes for 15 minutes until soft, then roughly mash in a medium sized mixing bowl (we'll add the rest of the filling to this bowl in step 3).1 cup Golden Potatoes (210 g)
- While potatoes are steaming, shred cabbage and carrots if not already shredded. Mince the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the onion. Place all ingredients in a bowl/plate.2 cloves Garlic (7 g), .5 tbsp Ginger (8 g), 1 cup Cabbage (63 g), 1 cup Carrots (85 g), 1 cup Sweet Onion (114 g)
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the prepped ingredients (garlic, ginger, onion, carrots and cabbage) to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer everything in the pan to the bowl with the mashed potatoes and mix until combined. The filling is complete!1 tbsp Oil
Make the Jhol Sauce
- Prep the tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and serrano pepper and place in a bowl. These ingredients will be blended after cooking, so they can all be roughly chopped. *if you are going to top your momos with cilantro, now is a good to chop some up and set aside for serving.4 Medium Sized Tomatoes (536 grams), 1 cup Medium Sized Onion (126 grams), .5 tbsp Ginger (5 grams), 2 cloves Garlic (5 grams), 1 Serrano Pepper with seeds removed* (24 grams), 4 Cilantro Sprigs
- Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the veggies (tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and serrano pepper) to the pan. Now add red chili powder, cumin powder, coconut aminos, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 tbsp Oil, 1/4 tsp Indian Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp Cumin Powder, 1 tsp Coconut Aminos, 4 Cloves, 2 Cardamom Pods, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 4 Bay Leaves
- Add vegetable broth to a blender. When the ingredients in the pan are done cooking, add to them to the blender and blend until smooth. *If you used a cinnamon stick, be sure to remove it before transferring the rest of the ingredients to the blender. The sauce is complete!2 cups Vegetable Broth or Water
Make the Dough
- For best results, use a scale to measure the dough ingredients. Combine white rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.172 g White Rice Flour, 50 g Tapioca Starch, 3 g Salt, 4 g Baking Powder
- Heat water until boiling. Hot water is needed to activate the starches. Pour into a glass measuring bowl that has been tared on a scale. Add the oil and mix together.10 g Oil, 130 g Boiling Hot Water
- Add most of the water/oil mixture to the bowl with the flour and mix with a fork until well combined.
- Now, knead the dough by hand, adding water gradually until it reaches a soft consistency and incorporates all the flour in the bowl. Adding too much water will cause the dough to stick to the rolling pin, while too little water will result in a crumbly texture. Therefore, it's crucial to add water slowly, allowing you to gauge the dough's consistency accurately. Keep kneading the dough until its smooth.
- Roll the dough into a ball and then cut it into quarters. Keep 3 of the quarters covered in a bowl with a lid to prevent drying.
- Dust your work surface with tapioca starch.
- Roll one quarter of the dough into a ball, then roll out flat with a rolling pin. You want the dough thin, about 2-3 mm. My rolling pin has adjustable height attachments, which I had set to 1/8 inch | 3mm. If your dough is sticking to the rolling pin, sprinkle with tapioca flour.
- Cut into circles approximately 3 inches wide. I used a drinking glass for this.
Fill the Momos
- Working on one momo at a time, gently fill the dough circle with one tablespoon of filling. Do not overfill or the dough with tear.
- Seal the momo by pinching lengthwise along the dough. I like my momos to sit with the bottom flat, and the pleated side facing up.
- Place each sealed momo on a cookie sheet and cover with a wet towel to prevent from drying out.
- If you're having trouble sealing the momo, moisten the dough for easier sealing by dipping your finger into a bowl of water and dampening the edges of the dough with it.
- Tears in the dough can be fixed by gently rubbing with a bit of water.
- Continue this process until you've used up all the dough. If you have someone to assist you, the process can be expedited by having one person roll and cut the dough into circles while the other fills and seals the momos.
Steam the Momos
- Prepare your steamer by boiling water and lining the rack(s) with a mat or with cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.
- Add momos to steamer, leaving enough space to prevent them from touching.
- The momos should be steamed for a total of 14 minutes. If your steamer has two racks, steam the momos for 10 minutes. Then, switch the bottom and top racks and continue steaming for an additional 4 minutes.
- While the momos are steaming, you can heat the jhol sauce on the stove.
Serve
- Ladle the jhol sauce in a bowl and add the momos. I used 1 cup jhol + 6 momos for one serving. Top with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Notes
- 1 cup of sauce + 6 momos = 1 serving
- The sauce makes 5 cups if using vegetable broth.
- These momos are freezer-friendly: you can freeze them before or after steaming. Flash freeze by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing for 1 hour, or until frozen solid. Then, transfer them to a zip lock bag. When ready to enjoy, steam the momos that were steamed before frozen for 14 minutes, or 22 minutes for the raw momos.
