How to use leftovers – Momo Dough

I posted a recipe for Tibetan momos on February 17, 2010. Often when making momos there is leftover dough. My favorite way to use up this dough is to make Yow Bing or Chinese green onion pancakes.

Yow Bing

Ingredients

Dough leftover from making momos OR make full batch as outlined in the momo recipe

1 tsp to 1 tbs safflower oil or other neutral oil

salt,

1/4 to 3/4 cup very finely sliced green onions (depends on how much dough is left)

oil for frying

On a floured surface roll out the dough into a roughly circular shape to 1/8-inch thick. If dough is sticky, keep lifting up and dusting flour underneath as you are rolling. Spread a thin film of oil on the round and salt evenly. Sprinkle green onions evenly over surface, not too thickly. Roll the dough tightly into a tube. Cut the roll into 4 sections. Take one piece and dust with flour and roll again into a tube shape. Take tube and twist a few times then roll into a spiral, tucking ends in to seal. Roll out to a round about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Repeat until dough is used up. Use flour to dust the dough or work surface as needed.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium low heat and add enough oil to create a thick film. When hot, put in bread and cook for a couple of minutes. Press down occasionally to ensure even cooking. Turn bread over and cook for 2 minutes on other side. Continue to cook, turning form side to side until golden brown spots form and the bread is cooked through. Remove and put on a paper towel and let drain. Cook all bread this way. Serve hot, cut in quarters.

Note: the size of your bread will vary depending on how many times you divide up the dough or how much dough you have left over. I usually get four med-small breads from the left over momo dough.

Kathy's Pic of the Week

My Hot Chili Relish

1 lbs chilies, sliced 1/4-inch rounds. Do not deseed. (see note below)

1-2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

one head garlic, minced

butter

salt

soy sauce

1 tbs paprika

Optional: powdered cayenne

Melt a cube of butter in large fry pan. Add the garlic stir till softened, do not let brown. Add paprika and stir for a minute or two then add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down, add chilies and let cook for a few minutes. Add some water 1/2 cup water and cover. Add more water as needed to keep from drying out. Sauce should be thick. when chilies are soft and the tomatoes completely broken down, pour soysauce to taste. Do not use more than a table spoon. If the sauce needs more saltiness at this point, use salt.

Note: Use a combo of or just one particular variety of chilies I usually just use jalepenos and then if they are mild, throw in a serrano or two. The more kinds of chilies used the more complex the flavor. I recommend using medium to hot varieties. Habaneros are too hot, the flavor gets lost in the overwhelming spiciness.

This makes a fair amount. I am going to make a milder version when the chilies begin to arrive at the Farmer's Market this late spring.

Kathy's Pic of the Week

Tibetan Momos

This is how I make momos based on how I was taught by the wife of a Tibetan lama. These dumplings are delicious and juicy. It's kind of tricky to make the round style dumplings but you can pleat them in the crescent shape (see my other entry on dumplings.) I really love to eat them with the below sauce. When you bite into them after they've been just cooked - be aware they are hot and juicy. Spoon a bit of sauce on the momo after each bite. Yum!

Momos

Filling

1lb beef
1 small to med small red onion finely chopped
1-1/2 to 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ c water
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped stems included

mix all together

Dough

2 1/2 c flour
approx ¾ c water (add a little at a time.)

How to:

Mix /knead to a smooth dough. Let rest covered at least 10 mins to ½ hour. Shape into a log and break of small pieces and using your hands make smooth balls and then flatten slightly.

Roll out pieces to 3 inch rounds with the edges thinner than middle. Stuff and pleat like a standard dumpling or to make traditional round shaped momos, try following this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzWSsWpZfjg. To freeze: dust bottom of momo with a bit of flour and put on dry cookie sheet. Do not let them touch. Once frozen put in plastic zip bag or other container and pull out as needed. Leftover dough can be used for Yow Bing (Chinese green onion pancakes.)

Put the momos in a steamer with the water already at a boil. Momos are done when you touch the sides and they are firm and the wrapper is not sticky to the touch, about 15 mins. 20-25 mins for frozen.

Cooking tips:

• You can also put beef bones in the water and maybe a few veggies and save the resultant broth for soup.

• When steaming, layer steamer with leaves of napa cabbage or lettuce to keep momos from sticking. For fun, you can use a slice of carrot under each momo but the carrot has to be pretty big to keep the momo from sticking. Traditionally, people just oil the steamer.

Makes about 30 dumplings. Serve with a green sauce or chili salt.

Green Sauce

1 bunch Cilantro coarsely chopped
1-2 Jalapeno chilies chopped
Dried red chili flakes if needed
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves Garlic chopped
½ to 1 tsp Salt
Water as needed

Blend all ingredients until just uniform. Or you can mince everything to control the texture. Alternatively you can use 1 cup of plain yogurt instead of the tomato.

Kathy's Pic of the Week

Cold Season Remedy - Bubbe-mycin

Chicken soup is proven to help to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. This recipe contains many home remedy ingredients (onions, garlic, thyme, oregano, celtic gray salt) and combined makes a tasty soothing broth. It's important to use the highest quality ingredients you can. Don't skimp on your health!

Lori’s Chicken Broth

3-4 lbs organic free range chicken, rinsed and innards removed

1 yellow onion washed with peel, with a clove stuck in

3-6 cloves of garlic, don’t bother peeling

2 Carrots

2 Celery

fresh thyme and/or oregano

Celtic gray sea salt

Wash all veggies, leaving skins on. Put all veggies, seasonings except salt, in pressure cooker then add chicken and water to cover. Bring pressure to high (Kuhn Rikon 2^nd red line) for 25 minutes. Quick pressure release.

Remove chicken and let cool enough to handle. Remove skin and then debone. Don’t be super careful removing all the meat from the bones, the point here is making bubbe-mycin and good flavor is important. Set the meat aside to cool and use in another recipe. You can leave the chicken in whole when cooking again but even I think that’s going a bit far.

Put the bones back in the pot with veggies. Return to stove and bring back to pressure for 1 to 1-½ hour. This should be sufficient to cooking all the meaty goodness from the bones. Pour through a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer to remove all impurities. Let cool before putting in refrigerator. Let thoroughly cool and remove any solidified fat. When reheating, add celtic gray sea salt to taste, more fresh thyme to taste.

Serve as a broth or this can be turned into chicken soup by adding chopped carrots, celery and onion along with the gray sea salt and fresh thyme and leftover chicken and cooking until veggies soft.

Note: Or the chicken can be used for chicken salad or chicken noodle.