These chili momos are a craveworthy street snack originating from Nepal and Tibet. Stuffed with a spicy potato and pea filling and stir fried with a sticky chili sauce and bell peppers, these chili momos offer a pleasant mix of flavors!
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What is a momo?
Besides having the cutest name, momos are so flavorful and there are so many ways to make them. They are a common street snack originating from Nepal and Tibet and they are also very popular throughout India. They’re usually filled with meat and vegetables, but one of the best momos I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in SF called Gurung Kitchen. The momos are stuffed with the same filling as a samosa, so a spicy potato pea mixture. I’ve never met a momo I didn’t like, from the soupy jhol momo to these spicy chili momo, so if you’re looking for a fun project to do by yourself or with others, this might be it.
How to make these chili momos
Make the potato pea filling.
Boil and mash your potatoes ahead of time so they are ready to go. Start with cumin seeds, ginger, green chilis, and a few spices. Finish with peas and the potatoes.
Wrap the momos.
Use whichever folding technique you like. I used water on the edges to almost seal the wrappers in half, but before closing them together, made a few folds on half of the wrapper.
Steam or pan fry.
Steaming them will give you softer momos and pan frying will give you crispy momos. Both are great in their own way! You could either enjoy them now with some of this homemade chili oil or a chutney of your choice or put in a little extra effort to make chili momos.
Stir fry with a sticky spicy sauce.
Start with garlic, ginger, green chilis, and scallion whites. Toss in some onions and bell peppers before making it saucy with tomato paste (or ketchup, which is great in umami-rich dishes like this), a few spices, chili garlic sauce or sriracha, and optionally, black bean garlic sauce. Finish with soy sauce to taste and a cornstarch slurry to make the sauce thick.
Chili Momos
Ingredients
potato pea momos
- 6 small white potatoes, boiled
- ½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 green chilis, minced
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 30 dumpling wrappers
chili momo
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 green chilis, minced
- 2 scallions, whites and greens separated
- 1 medium onion, layers separated and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup tomato paste (from 1 tomato) sub with 2 tbsp ketchup
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce sub sriracha
- 1 tbsp black bean garlic sauce optional
- 1 tbsp soy sauce + more to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with ½ cup water
Instructions
- To make the potato pea filling, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add ginger and green chilis and stir for a couple of minutes. Then add spices and salt. Stir for 30 seconds before adding peas.
- Cook peas for another few minutes before adding the potatoes. Once you add the potatoes, mix them with everything else for about 5-7 minutes. Set aside so they can cool before you fill the momos.
- To fill the momos, set aside a small bowl with water. Place half a tablespoon or so of filling in the center of the wrapper or as much filling that fits. Gently spread some water with your finger on the edges of half the wrapper. Fold the wrapper almost in half, making small pinches on one side of the wrapper until the entire side is folded and ready to seal. This is just one way to do it! Feel free to do whatever you like.
- To prepare the momos, you can steam or pan fry them. Steam in a greased steamer basket with plenty of simmering water. Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes or until they are soft. To pan fry, simply fry them for a few minutes per side in 2 tbsp of neutral oil. They should be golden and crispy on each side.
- For the chili momo sauce, heat oil in a pan or wok over medium heat. Add garlic, green chilis, ginger, and scallion whites. Stir for a few minutes before adding onion and bell pepper. Stir for a few more minutes before adding ¼ cup water, covering, and letting it cook for 5 minutes or until the peppers are cooked.
- Uncover and add tomato paste, ground coriander, black pepper, and red chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the sauces: chili garlic sauce and black bean garlic sauce, if using. Finish with soy sauce and a cornstarch slurry.
- Toss the momos in the sauce, garnish with scallion greens, and serve immediately.
If you enjoy these momos, you’ll love…
