Graphic by Kinsey Ratzman ’21
BY VICTORIA WANG ’20
In Tibet, one of the most popular native dishes is momo — dumplings steamed over soup stock. While momos are eaten in other countries like Bhutan and Nepal, international student Dechen Lama ’22 strongly associates them with her home country of Tibet.
Momos are commonly confused with Chinese dumplings, but in Lama’s mind, momos are a “better version of dumplings.” The seasoning of the fillings distinguishes Tibetan momos from their Chinese counterparts — they are “much more flavorful” thanks to a unique mixture of herbs and spices typically found in East and South Asia.
“When I think of momos, I think of my grandparents’ house,” said Lama. This traditional Tibetan dish reminds her of weekly family gatherings. According to Lama, the College’s Sunday brunch does not compare to her grandparents’ Sunday momo party, when her family gathers to make momos together.
Traditional momo-making is not an easy chore, nor can it be done with a single pair of hands. “It is very common in Tibetan households to make momos that involves the entire family,” Lama explained. “A lot of people would be invited over to make them.” For this collaboration, family members sit in a circle and everyone at the table is assigned a specific task. “Someone makes the dough, someone rolls it out, and they pass it on to the one who handles the fillings. It is like a whole party,” Lama reminisced.
Skilled makers then tackle the difficult task of folding the momos. Lama herself has never quite mastered the intricacy of the final step — she said it takes years of practice to keep the filling inside a thin layer of dough, but older family members always know the trick.
Momos are steamed in a big pot, and the aroma permeates the room the minute the lids are lifted up. Then comes the best part of the gathering: the family sits together and shares the meal.
This is Lama’s first time residing away from home. “I’ve never really been away from home for more than 10 days, so this is a big change for me,” she said. “I’m doing pretty well.” Still, at times she misses chit-chatting around the table, the white dough balls quickly passing from one hand to another and the hot steam flowing out of the first pot of momos.
Below is a recipe for Tibetan momos. For the preparation of this dish, various methods can be found online or in recipe books.
Ingredients for Tibetan yak-filled momos:
Dough for wrappers:
3 cups All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
Filling:
1 lb. lean ground yak meat
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tablespoon veg. oil or butter
Salt to taste