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.

How to use leftovers – Dumpling Filling

Often when making dumplings (or potstickers, gyoza, jao zi, etc.) you'll end up with extra fillling. Here is one recipe that solves this leftover problem. This was adapted from an excellent recipe from the NY Times, Mark Bitten's blog, 11/18/09, "Meatballs, Chinese Style."

Take leftover dumpling fillling and add an egg white and about 2 tsp tapioca starch. You can add more salt if ou like, or a tsp of soy sauce or fish sauce. The mixture will be very wet but don't worry the poaching in stock will firm them up.

Mince an inch of ginger and finely slice the white parts of a leek or a small handful of Chinese chives or a couple of green onions. Heat veg oil, add ginger and onion but don’t brown just get it softened. Add about 6-8 small heads of baby bok choy roughly chopped. Or use an equivalent amount of regular bok choy or Napa cabbage, coarsely cut up. It looks big at first but the greens cook down so much, you’ll be surprised.

Add white pepper and 2/3 to 1 cup of chicken or pork stock. Stir, then cover the wok or pan w/lid and let the bok choy cook down a little. After a minute or two, shift the bok choy over to one side of the pan. Make the dumpling filling into balls, don’t have to be precise here, and gently ease them into the cooking liquid next to the bok choy. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. The bok choy will be very overcooked but so yummy.

The broth is pretty amazing. I don’t usually reduce or thicken it. If you have leftover broth from meal, this can be used in another stirfry or as a soup base. Check for seasoning, add a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

Serve, of course, with rice.

Note: I’ve made this recipe several times from scratch (no leftover filling.) Making the meatballs from a lb of ground pork, 1 tbs fish sauce, ½ small minced onion, , white pepper , tiniest pinch of sugar, egg white (small egg), 1 tbs starch (corn or tapioca.) It makes a lot but then you have -- leftovers!

Dumplings, Potstickers, and Gyoza, Oh My!

Dumplings

Ingredients:

Ground pork
Nappa cabbage, shredded, salted for 20 mins squeeze out extra liquid.
(If really salty, rinse and squeeze)
Sesame oil
Soy sauce (not too much because nappa is salted)
(Chinese or Japanese soy will change the flavor)
White pepper

Optional: Yellow chives, minced, soaked dried or fresh shrimp and or soaked dried mushrooms, some folks use garlic

Note: Can use frozen spinach that’s been defrosted, and squeezed out dry. You can use tofu, that’s been drained and crumbled, may want to add some tapioca flour for binder. (?)

Making the dumpling:

Mix filling ingredients. If the ingredients are good and they should be, keep the flavors simple.Don’t use all the optional ingredients maybe just one. All the seasonings are added to taste (microwave a teaspoon or drop in boiling water to test) or by smell. Use prepared gyoza skins or make your own. (see below) Take between 1tsp to 1tbs of filling and put in center of wrapper. Wet edge of wrapper and bring center together and press to stick. Then pleat one side only (towards the direction of the center) Should be about 3 pleats each side of center. This makes the potsticker stand up and is easy for pan-frying or steaming. Here is a youtube video that shows how to do it with homemade wrappers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb5CWHK8zuQ

Cooking methods

Fried:
Heat pan med high w/minimum coating of oil. Add potstickers before oil is too hot to avoid splatters, then add ½ cup water. Cover and let steam until water is gone. Turn down to med or low, cover (monitor closely to prevent burning, adding spoonful of water at a time if needed.)Potstickers are done when bottom golden and crisp and insides firm approximately 10-20 mins depending on if frozen or fresh.

Boiled:
Bring water to boil. Add dumpling for 5-10 mins depend on if fresh or frozen. Can add a bit of cold water every time water comes to boil until the little guys float to the surface.

Steamed:
Prep the steamer by lining with nappa or lettuce so they don’t stick to the bamboo. Steam until firm and dough not sticky.

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Making the dough for dumpling wrappers:

About 2 cups flour,

Mix enough water, a little at a time, to form a ball.

Knead for 10 minutes.

Wrap in plastic for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Shape in to disk and cut in half. Cover one half and take the other half and cut in half again then each of those halves into fourths. These make thicker and bigger wrappers like for momos or you can cut in half again. Keep dough you are not using immediately, wrapped to prevent drying out.

Form into ball and roll out in as round a shape as possible. Use flour as needed to keep from sticking.