Dough Ingredients

2 cups white all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water

Filling Ingredients for Vegetarian Momos

1/2 large onion (we use red onion)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 cup baby bok choy (about 2 clusters) or cabbage
5 ounces super-firm tofu
2 stalks green onion
6 largish shiitake mushrooms (you can substitute white mushrooms)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon vegetable bouillon
1/4 cup of cooking oil such as canola

Prepare the Dough

Mix the flour and water very well by hand; knead for about 5 minutes or until you make a smooth, flexible ball of dough.
Leave your dough in a pot with the lid on or in a plastic bag while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Don’t let the dough dry out or it will be hard to work with.

Prepare the Filling for Vegetarian Momos

Chop the onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, bok choy, tofu, green onions, and mushrooms into very small pieces.
Heat 1/4 cup of cooking oil in a pan to high and add chopped tofu. Cook on medium high for 2 minutes, until the edges are brown (cooking all water out).
Add chopped mushroom and cook another 3-4 minutes. Cool completely (very important) and add to filling mix.

Making the Momo Dough Circles

When both your dough and filling are ready, it is time for the tricky part of making the dumpling shapes. To do this, you might want to watch this video to see how to make the two traditional shapes.
Place the dough on a chopping board and use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly, about 1/8 inch thick. It should not be so thin that you can see through it when you pick it up.
Cutting the dough into circles: Turn a small cup or glass upside down and cut out circles about the size of your palm. Pinch the edges of each circle to thin them.

Shaping a Half-Moon Momo

Prepare (lightly grease) a non-stick surface and get a damp cloth or lid to keep the momos you’ve made from drying out while you finish the others.
Hold a dough circle in your left hand, slightly cupping it. Put about a tablespoon of your veggie filling in the center of the dough. Start with a small amount; try to not overfill.
Starting on one edge and moving to the other, pinch the two sides of the dough together, creating a curved crescent shape. The bottom side of the momo will stay relatively flat, whereas the pinched edge has folds to allow for the bulk of the filling. Be sure to close all gaps so that you don’t lose juice while cooking.
Recipe for Tibetan momos vegetarian

Cook and Serve Your Momos!

Boil water in a large steamer. (Tibetans often use a double-decker steamer to make many momos at one time.)
Lightly oil the surface of the steamer.
Once the water is boiling, place the momos a little distance apart in the steamer because they will expand a bit when they cook.
Steam the momos for 10-12 minutes, with the water boiling continuously.
Momos are done once the dough is cooked.
Serve the momos right off the stove, with the dipping sauce of your choice. At home, we mix together soy sauce and Patak’s Lime Relish, which we get in Indian stores, or the Asian section of supermarkets. Tibetan hot sauce is also very good. See below for recipe!
Be careful when you take the first bite of the hot momos since the juice is very, very hot, and can burn you easily. Enjoy!