Aashish Mishra

CNN’s Julian Buckley defines dumplings as a pocket of dough filled with some form of savoury or sweet stuffing. They are easy to cook, their ingredients can be adapted to fit local tastes and they are cheap to purchase. That is why dumplings are a popular food across the globe.
Nepal too has its own type of dumplings that we call momos. And coincidentally, our momos have been ranked as one of the 35 tastiest dumplings in the world by CNN’s travel staff in a list published this week.
So, in light of this recognition, let us take a look at the various kinds of momos that have been making Nepalis salivate for years.

Of course, we must start with the classic steamed momo, which, no surprise for guessing, is steamed. This way of cooking makes the momo scrumptious and its fillings (either minced vegetables or meat) juicy. Steamed momo is widely available, served at almost every fast-food joint in the country, and is easy to cook at home too.
Next up, we have Jhol momo which is momo drowned in a bowl of gravy. This gravy consists of various herbs and spices which gives the momo a tangy flavour.

Then we have fried momos which are momos that are deep-fried. (With momos, you get what you hear folks! They call it fried momos and they give you fried momos).
The frying turns the outer dough covering into a crunchy shell while the inside filling remains moist and tender. It is a bit on the oily side so it may not be for the health-conscious among us. But on second thought, who needs health when you can have momos, am I right?

Now, remember the old phrase “You can’t have your cake and eat it too?” Well, chuck it out the window because we have Kothey momo. Half friend and half steamed, Kothey momo lets you taste the best of both varieties at nearly the same price. It is also longer than traditional dumplings.
And speaking of size, we have Dhapu. These momos, which get their name from the Chinese Da Pao dumplings, are big with a capital B, I and G. The size of a child’s fist and dough as thick as leather, this momo does not go down easily without a drink. But after a few bites and coupled with the right achar, Dhapu is an absolute marvel.

On the rarer side of things, we have the open momo. Introduced by the Gangri Sui Mai Restaurant, the dough wraps have multiple openings at the top which allows the diner to pour the achar or sauce directly into the filling. It may not sound like much but it does make a difference in the taste.
Not as rare but not exactly mainstream either, we have the Tandoori momo which is a serious upgrade from the classic momos. Tossed in tandoori paste and chargrilled to *chef’s kiss* perfection, the mere aroma of this momo is enough to make anyone drool.

Nonetheless, as good as all these momos are, they are not the most nourishing of things to put in your body.
But momo giveth what momo taketh away and to address our nutrition needs, the momo gods delivered to us the Buckwheat momo. Here, the dough is made of buckwheat flour which should allow you to get in more protein with every bite than regular dumplings.

One drawback though, Buckwheat momos get very dry very quickly so remember to eat them as soon as they are served.
So next time you’re in a restaurant, remember to scroll intently through the menu, go through listed items like there’s going to be a pop quiz afterwards and then call the waiter to order a plate of momo.