Recipe- Street Style Schezwan Paneer Momos

Schezwan Paneer Momos are filled with paneer and vegetables and tossed in a spicy homemade schezwan sauce. These vegetarian dumplings are so good on their own or with a side of spicy chutney.

Momos are small dumplings filled with meat/vegetables which travelled across the borders from Tibet and Nepal to become popular in India. They initially became popular in north-east and eventually everywhere else. I can say that I grew up in India literally during the time when momos gained popularity in northern India. When I was in school, they were not that popular.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups all purpose flour 260 grams
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 1-2 tablespoons water to knead the dough, 120 ml + 15-30 ml

Filling

1.5 tablespoons oil
3 large garlic cloves chopped
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 cup green onion chopped
1/3 cup carrots grated using a grater
3/4 cup green pepper finely chopped using a food processor
1.5 cups cabbage shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste
2 cups paneer grated, from around 240 grams
1.5 teaspoons soy sauce

For Schezwan Momos

2 teaspoons oil
6 paneer momos
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons schezwan sauce or as needed
cilantro chopped, to garnish
green onions chopped, to garnish

Method

Make The Filling

* Heat 1.5 tablespoon oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic, green chili and 1/2 cup chopped green onion. Sauté for 1 minute.

* Then add 1/3 cup grated carrots, stir and cook for 30 to 60 seconds. Add 1.2 cups shredded cabbage and 3/4 cup finely chopped green pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.

* Then add salt and pepper and mix. Add 2 cups grated paneer and mix well.

* Add 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce and mix. Cook for 1 more minute and your filling is ready. Remove pan from heat and set aside. The filling is lightly seasoned but you can definitely add more seasoning to taste.

Make the Dough

* To a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix to combine.

* Start adding warm water, little by little and mix. Bring the dough together, don't try to add too much water. We don't want a soft dough.

* It will look shaggy at this point but that's okay. It will get smooth once we knead it. So, transfer it onto a flat surface. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes using your hands, and you will notice that the dough will become much smoother compared to when you started.

* Now, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. After an hour, the dough would have relaxed and will look soft and smooth.

Roll the wrappers

* Divide the dough into 2 parts and then take 1 part and roll into into a long rope. Then divide the dough into small pieces- around 14 to 16 grams for small momos and 18 to 22 grams for medium ones.

* Now, take one dough ball (keep all other dough balls covered at all times) and roll it between your palms. Then place it on the surface and press it with your palm to flatten it.

* Then you can either use a rolling pin and roll like you roll a chapati or do like I did- hold the dough with left hand and with your rolling pin with right hand (vice versa if you are left handed). Now roll the dough with the rolling pin (the pin should never leave the surface), rotating the dough 45 degrees after every stroke. This method ensures that the edges are thin. The edges get crimped/pinched when we shape the momos so it's important for them to be thin so that all of the momos steams at the same time. Sprinkle flour as you roll so that the dough doesn't stick.

* For the first 2 revolutions, I move the rolling pin all through the length of the dough. Then I move the pin only till half length of the dough for the next 1 to 2 revolutions. For the last revolution, move your rolling pin only on the edges (see pictures above).

* You should have a circle of 3 to 3.5 inches in diameter. Dust it with dry flour and keep it covered. I usually like to roll 5 to 6 at a time, then fill and shape them and steam before working on rolling more wrappers.

Fill, Shape and Steam

* Now, take your rolled wrapper, apply some water around the edges. Place 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of the filling in the center.

* We are going to shape like a half-moon here. Pinch the side corners on one side and seal to bring the edges together.

* Then make pleats using your fingers. Make a pleat and then pinch the edges together. Keep making pleats until you reach the end of the other side. Pinch to seal the other corner and then press the edges to give the momo a half moon kind of shape. Shape all momos similarly.

* Boil water in your steamer on medium heat. Once the water starts boiling, open the lid and place a sheet of parchment paper on the steamer (else the momos will stick). Place the momos in the steamer, cover with a lid and steam for 5 to 6 minutes. The momos will be non-sticky and translucent once steamed. Steam all the momos similarly.

Toss in Schezwan Sauce

* I am tossing only 6 momos here. You may multiply the recipe 5 times if you want to toss the entire batch of momos made in this recipe. Heat around 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Then add the steamed momos to the pan.

* Sauté for 1 minute until they few have brown spots, and flip them over. Cook for 30 more seconds.

* Add 1/4 cup + 1 to 2 tablespoons of prepared schezwan sauce. Toss to combine until all the momos are coated with the sauce.

* Garnish with lots of chopped cilantro and green onions. Serve hot.