Okay, so I’ve been wanting to try making some Nepalese food at home for ages. I finally took the plunge and decided to tackle a few classic recipes. Here’s how it went down.
The Momo Mission
First up, Momos! Those delicious little dumplings are practically a national treasure. I started by gathering my ingredients. For the dough, it was just plain flour, water, and a pinch of salt. I mixed them all together, kneaded it for a good while until it felt nice and smooth, then let it rest.
The filling was where things got interesting. I chopped up some cabbage, carrots, onions, and ginger really finely. Then, I sautéed them in a pan with a little oil, some garlic, and a bunch of spices – turmeric, cumin, coriander, and a bit of chili powder for a kick. I also added some ground chicken, but you could totally use any ground meat, or even just keep it veggie.
- flour
- water
- salt
Once the filling was cooked and cooled a bit, it was assembly time. I rolled out the dough super thin, cut out little circles, spooned some filling into each one, and then pinched the edges together to make those cute little dumpling shapes. This part took some practice, I won’t lie! My first few were pretty… rustic-looking.
Finally, I steamed the momos for about 15-20 minutes until they were cooked through. Served them up with some spicy tomato chutney, and boom! Homemade momos, just like that.
Dal Bhat Delight
Next, I decided to make Dal Bhat, because you can’t have Nepalese food without it. This is basically lentil soup and rice, but it’s so much more than the sum of its parts.
I started with the dal. I rinsed some red lentils, then simmered them in a pot with water, turmeric, and a little salt. While that was cooking, I chopped up some onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic.
Once the lentils were soft, I heated some oil in another pan and fried the onions, ginger, and garlic until they were golden brown. Then, I added the tomatoes and some more spices – cumin, coriander, and a touch of chili powder. I cooked that down into a thick sauce, then poured it into the lentils.
I also cooked some fluffy white rice. To make the “bhat” part, you need rice!.
- rice
- lentils
- turmeric
For a little extra something, I made some quick pickled vegetables. I just sliced some cucumbers, carrots, and radishes, and tossed them with some vinegar, salt, and a pinch of sugar.
Finally, everything was ready. I served the dal over the rice, added a dollop of the pickled vegetables, and maybe a little bit of plain yogurt on the side. Simple, hearty, and so, so good.
It was a bit of work, but honestly, it was totally worth it. The flavors were amazing, and it felt really satisfying to make these dishes from scratch. Definitely going to be adding these to my regular recipe rotation!
