Beef momos

In Tibet, these momos are usually made with yak meat, but beef is a great substitute, with the momos containing all the natural fats of a good cut of beef.

Credit: Taste Tibet

• makes

  40

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g (3⅓ cups) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

Filling

• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) beef, ideally 15–20 per cent fat content
• 50 g (1¾ oz) spinach or sweetheart (pointed) cabbage, washed and finely chopped
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. For the dough, put the flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in about 250 ml (1 cup) of warm water – a hot handwash temperature is good – into the flour with one hand, while mixing with the other. Add just enough water to make a dough – you don’t want it to get too sticky. Knead until the dough forms a ball in the bowl, then cover and set aside for 15–20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put all the filling ingredients into a bowl, add 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) of cold water and mix together well, ideally using your hands.
3. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it for a couple of minutes, then divide it into four equal pieces and return to the bowl. Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface – but don’t overdo it, as too much flour can stiffen the dough, making the momos harder to wrap later.
4. Take the first piece of dough, keeping the rest covered in the bowl to stop them from drying out. Roll out the dough into a sausage shape about 25 cm (10 inches) long, then cut into ten equal slices, flattening each one slightly with your hand.
5. Using a rolling pin, and making one wrapper at a time, push and pull the flattened piece of dough up and down quickly and firmly, holding it with your spare hand and turning it little by little as you go. The middle should end up a bit thicker than the outer edges, and it should fill the palm of your hand; it doesn’t need to be a perfect circle.
6. To fill, wrap and fold the momos, place a wrapper on your chopping board and spoon about a tablespoon of filling into the centre. Less is more when you are just starting out; you can add more filling as your confidence builds. Gently fold one side of the circle over the filling to meet the other side and, starting in the middle, use your fingertips to press the edges together into the board. (If you are using shop-bought wrappers, you’ll need to wet the edges before sealing.) If the momo is not completely sealed, the juices will escape during steaming, so try to ensure there are no gaps. You can make your momos into whatever shape you like. Place the completed momos on a wooden chopping board or lined baking tray, leaving at least 1 cm (½ inch) between them, and covering them with a tea towel to prevent drying out. Repeat until all the filling or dough is used up. 
7. These momos are delicious either steamed or steam-fried. Cook them in batches according to the size of your steamer or frying pan.
   
   To steam, you can use a metal or bamboo steamer. If you’re using a metal one, lightly brush each steamer basket with oil or line with greaseproof paper. If you’re using a bamboo steamer, line the steamer baskets with greaseproof paper. The water in the base of the steamer or in the wok should be boiling at the point at which the steamer baskets go on and they cook for 15-16 minutes. One way of testing whether your momos are ready is to press them gently. If the dough doesn’t stick to your finger, then they are done.
   
   To steam-fry, fry your momos until they are crisp and golden underneath, then cover the pan so they steam and cook through. To do this, place a large non-stick frying pan (not a wok) over a high heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, making sure the oil completely covers the base of the pan. Gently place the momos in the pan, fitting as many as possible, while leaving a little gap between each momo. Tilt the pan if the oil seems to be favouring one side of it. Let the momos fry for 1–2 minutes, then gently pour in about 100 ml (31⁄2 fl  oz) of boiling water and place a lid on the pan or cover with foil. Leave to cook for 8–9 minutes, turning the heat down low once the water has evaporated – this will take a couple of minutes. You may need to check in on the momos towards the end of the cooking time, just to make sure they are not starting to stick to one another - if so, carefully separate them using a spatula. When the momos are done, gently prise them out of the pan with your spatula.

 

Tip:

Yeshi says ‘The best beef momos hold a good deal of juice, and this surges out on first bite. Take care – momo splatter is real!’

Recipe and image from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa, Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.