Recipe- Try This Delicious Veg Tandoori Momos

These Vegetarian Tandoori Momos are vegetable and paneer-filled dumplings. Slather each one in tandoori marinade and cook under intense heat for the heavenly charcoal smokiness we all know and love.

The idea of having a raging-hot pit of fiery coals in my kitchen makes me go weak at the knees. Install a beautiful granite countertop and leave just enough space for a cavernous drop into a heat-proof cylinder.

Pop in a clay oven and watch me go nuts with recipes galore. I’ll pretend I’m Sanjeev Kapoor or Cyrus Todiwala, reaching in with my gigantic asbestos hands. Traditionally, Nepali Momos are served with hot tomato chutney but instead, I made my own tandoori marinade (the one I use for making my Tandoori Paneer Samosas) and covered the Momos in it before popping them into the sweltering pit of fire, a.k.a, the oven.

The pastry is of course, homemade – why not when it’s just three ingredients: flour, hot water and salt. It’s worth making your own, and so much easier when it comes to folding the Momos.

You can make them any shape you like but I thought the simple half moon was pretty.

Health Benefits of Coriander

- Smooth and Glowing Skin
- Regulates Cholesterol
- Cures Cold and Cough
- Aids in Good Digestion
- Helps in Hair Growth
- Keeps Diabetes Under Check
- Cures Menstrual Irregularities

Ingredients

200 g plain flour
½ tsp salt
120 ml boiling water just enough to bind to a firm, smooth dough
25 g salted butter
1 large onion finely diced
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 hot red birds eye chillies chopped finely
60 g white cabbage finely shredded
2 carrots grated
30 g frozen peas
30 g green beans chopped finely
180 g paneer crumbled or grated
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 spring onions chopped finely
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground
1 tsp toasted fennel seeds ground
Salt to taste
2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp cold water
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
8 black peppercorns
2 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 inches cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
1 star anise
4 cloves
Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds
You’ll also need:
1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp yoghurt
2 tsp dark brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
Fresh coriander chopped
Plain yoghurt
Sliced red onions

Method

* First, make the tandoori paste. Toast all the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Grind them in a coffee grinder until super fine. Put half the ground spices in a jar and stow away for another day.

* With the remaining half of the masala, mix in the tomato puree, lemon juice, yoghurt, brown sugar, salt, ginger and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

* To make the filling, heat the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add in ginger, garlic and chillies, cook for a moment and then add in the rest of the ingredients, apart from the cornflour.

* Once the veggies and paneer have cooked down, about 10 minutes, add the cornflour and mix vigorously. The mixture should bind together. Turn out onto a plate to cool.

* Meanwhile, make the dough. In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Little by little, add in the boiling water, mixing with a spoon.

* Once you’ve added in almost all the water, leave it for a few moments until cool enough to handle. Try to bind, checking if the rest of the water is required. Add more water if you need to. Bind to a smooth dough, kneading for around 8 minutes.

* Allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.

* Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment.

* Take a grape-sized piece of dough and roll it out, 3 inches in diameter. A thin as you can.

* Take about 2 tsp cooled filling and place into the middle of the dough. Use your fingers to pull the dough together and pleat one side to the other, using your fingers to seal.

* There are lots of handy YouTube video around to help show you how to fold dumplings if you’re not sure. There are so many pays to do it and you don’t have to be a pro to make amazing ones. Just make sure the filling is totally sealed in. The shape is up to you.

* Repeat this process for all the dumplings. Put a movie on, make a cup of tea, enjoy the process.

* Once you have a tray or two of finished dumplings, you’re ready to cook.

* Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F. Boil 150ml water in the kettle.

* Heat a large, flat bottomed pan (one that has a lid). Add 2 tsp oil. Arrange the dumplings in the pan – you may need to do this in batches.

* Allow for them to sizzle for a minute. Now very quickly and extremely carefully add hot water from the kettle to the pan – just a splash or two. Put the lid on and allow to steam for 3 minutes on a low heat.

* Remove the lid and place the momos back onto a baking tray. Brush them with the tandoori paste you made earlier.

* Place them in the oven for 10 minutes or until charred in places and looking delicious. You can brush them again with melted butter before you serve.

* Tumble onto a platter and garnish with chopped coriander, sliced red onion and plain yoghurt. Serve immediately.