When in lockdown our cravings for momos hit the roof, we eventually decided to take matters in hand, and cook some at home. Momos, for the unversed, is a dumpling snack hailing from Tibet. Filled with minced meat or vegetables, these dumplings could be steamed or fried. One of the biggest struggles we faced apart from recreating the flavour of the street-side red hot chutney, was of shaping the momos. We have lost the count of momos that tore from the sides, when we put them to steam, or the momos that were cooked with no filing because the entire filling spilled out while it was being steamed. Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar's latest momo recipe on his YouTube channel is sure to strike a chord, if you could relate with similar struggles.
The internet is filled with hacks to make our lives easier, and while a lot of them are not even remotely as effective as is shown in the video, our hunt never stops. Recently, we stumbled upon Chef Brar’s new recipe of making momos and are having a tough time keeping our calm ever since. In his latest video, the celebrity chef can be seen making momos with the help of an ice cube tray. You heard us right. No folding, no sealing. These are momos that are set and steamed in an ice cube tray, “duniya me pehli baar (for the first time in the world)”.
With the help of this hack, you can make close to 20 momos at once. You can take any ice cube tray of your choice, metal or plastic, but do make sure it is sturdy. For the dough of the momo, chef Ranveer mixes maida, atta, salt, vinegar and water and kneads it together in a soft and pliant dough. Vinegar acts with the starch in maida and brings a nice stretchability, says Ranveer. After you have made the dough, smear it in oil and make sure you rest it too.
For the filling, he finely chops some cabbage, carrots, French beans, salt and then mixes the same with mashed paneer, dhaniya, butter, ginger and chillies. For the chutney, he roasts tomatoes, chillies and onions and blends the same with garlic and roasted peanuts.
Then he goes back to his dough and places it on the ice cube tray, and presses it along the edges. Post which he places the filling in the mould, covers it with another sheet of dough and steams it.
Watch the complete viral video here and let us know how eager are you to try this way of making momos?