STEAMED DUMPLINGS FILLED WITH LIGHTLY SWEETENED WHITE CHEESE; CHEESE MOMO, TIBET, Tibet, China
Flour, Baking Powder, Water
Butter
Sugar
Fresh Paneer Cheese
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour – 300 grams
Hot Water – 1 cup (237ml)
Baking Powder – 1 teaspoon
Fresh Paneer Cheese – 300 grams
Sugar – 30 grams
Unsalted Butter – 40 grams
Momo – The Tibetan cuisine is influenced by Tibet’s climate and diverse topography of immense mountain ranges, highlands, lakes, rivers and fertile valleys. The Tibetan cuisine is a confluence of nomadic traditions, crops grown at high altitudes and diverse livestock. The Tibetan cuisine is unique, hearty and simple. Visitors to Tibet can enjoy meat stews, flavorful soups, dumplings, noodles, regional cheeses and root vegetables. Momo, dumplings stuffed with different fillings, are a very popular Tibetan food. While visiting Lhasa, we degust a variety of Tibetan dishes, including the steamed momo filled with sweetened Chhurpi cheese. Chhurpi, a traditional cheese produced in Tibet and Nepal, is made as a soft Chhurpi or hard Chhurpi cheese from yak’s milk or cow’s milk. In our recipe, we use Fresh Paneer Cheese, available in Indian grocery stores in the USA. The Fresh Paneer Cheese, a good substitute, has similar flavor and texture. Our steamed Cheese Momo are easy to make, have a delicate texture and a wonderfully buttery flavor.
Cheese Filling
Making Cheese Momo
Cheese Momo
Cheese Momo
Preparation Method
Step 1 – Combine flour, hot water and baking powder, then knead well to form the dough. Leave the dough in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Step 2 – In a separate bowl, combine the Fresh Paneer Cheese with the soft butter. Use hands to incorporate the butter into the cheese, add the sugar and mix well until it becomes a smooth texture.
Step 3 – Cut the dough into 8 pieces and divide the cheese mixture into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough into thin circles. Place an equal amount of cheese stuffing on each circle and fold the edges as shown in the picture to create the round momo (dumplings).
Step 4 – Heat the water in the steamer, place the parchment paper and the dumplings in the steamer basket. Cover the lid and steam the dumplings for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5 – Serve the steamed cheese momo immediately and enjoy its wonderfully buttery flavor!