Momo

Make the dough by combining flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Knead for eight minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for thirty minutes. The dough should be firm but pliable, not sticky or cracking at the edges.

Prepare the filling by combining ground chicken, diced onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, oil, salt, and pepper. Mix in one direction for three minutes until the filling is sticky and cohesive. Refrigerate for fifteen minutes to firm up for easier wrapping.

Make the tomato achar by dry-roasting the tomatoes, dried chilies, and garlic in a hot pan until charred on all sides. Blend with toasted sesame seeds, lemon juice, and salt into a coarse, fiery dipping sauce. Set aside.

Divide the dough into twenty-four small balls. Roll each into a thin circle about eight centimetres in diameter, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges. The thin edges make for easier pleating while the thicker centre prevents the filling from breaking through.

Place one tablespoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Gather the edges upward and create small pleats all around, twisting and pinching at the top to seal. The classic momo shape is a round purse with a pleated crown. Alternatively, fold into half-moon shapes.

Line steamer baskets with oiled parchment paper or cabbage leaves. Arrange the momos with space between each one. Steam over rapidly boiling water for twelve to fifteen minutes until the wrappers are translucent and the filling is firm and cooked through.

Serve the steaming hot momos immediately with the spicy tomato achar on the side for dipping. These Nepali dumplings are the country's most beloved street food, found at every corner stall in Kathmandu and across the Himalayan region.