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bowl of vegan gluten free jhol momo with chopsticks

Jhol Momo (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Momos originate from the Himalayan region and are traditionally made with a savory filling wrapped in a wheat-based dough. It's essentially dumplings served in a bowl of spicy johl. Here's my gluten-free and vegan version of this tasty dish.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 14 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Nepalese
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 172 grams white rice flour
  • 50 grams tapioca starch
  • 3 grams salt
  • 4 grams baking powder
  • 10 grams oil any kind
  • 130 grams boiling hot water about 2/3 cup

Filling

  • 1 cup golden potatoes roughly mashed, 2-3 potatoes
  • 1 cup cabbage shredded
  • 1 cup carrots shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • .5 tablespoon ginger peeled, minced
  • 1 cup onion any variety, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Jhol Sauce: these ingredients will be blended

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 4 tomatoes, medium sized roughly chopped
  • 1 cup onion roughly chopped
  • .5 tablespoon ginger peeled, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 4 cilantro sprigs + more for serving
  • 1 serrano pepper roughly chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Indian red chili powder more or less (very spicy — substitute cayenne or omit for mild)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coconut aminos

For a more flavorful, soup-like sauce, add these ingredients

  • 4 cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or water

Instructions
 

Make the Filling

  • Steam the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until soft. Roughly mash in a medium mixing bowl. This bowl will be used again in step 3.
    1 cup golden potatoes
  • While the potatoes steam, prep the vegetables: shred the cabbage and carrots (if not already), mince the garlic and ginger, and finely chop the onion.
    2 cloves garlic, .5 tablespoon ginger, 1 cup cabbage, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup onion
  • Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add all prepped vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the bowl with the mashed potatoes and mix until well combined.
    1 tablespoon oil

Make the Jhol Sauce

  • Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and serrano pepper. These will be blended after cooking. If you’re using extra cilantro for garnish, chop and set it aside now.
    4 tomatoes, medium sized, 1 cup onion, .5 tablespoon ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 serrano pepper, 4 cilantro sprigs
  • Measure the spices into a small bowl: red chili powder, cumin, coconut aminos, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves.
    1/4 teaspoon Indian red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon coconut aminos, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 bay leaves
  • Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat.
    2 tablespoon oil
  • Add the chopped vegetables and spices to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Pour vegetable broth into a blender.
    2 cups vegetable broth or water
  • Remove the cinnamon stick from the pan. Transfer the remaining contents to the blender. Blend until completely smooth.
    If your blender can't handle whole spices like cloves or cardamom, strain the sauce before serving.
  • Transfer back to the pan to keep warm on the lowest setting.

Make the Dough

  • Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: white rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
    For best results, use a scale to measure the dough ingredients.
    172 grams white rice flour, 50 grams tapioca starch, 3 grams salt, 4 grams baking powder
  • Heat water until boiling. Measure the hot water in a scale-tared bowl. Add the oil and stir.
    10 grams oil, 130 grams boiling hot water
  • Add most of the water/oil mixture to the flour and mix with a fork.
  • Knead the dough by hand, adding the rest of the liquid gradually until it becomes smooth and soft. Avoid using too much or too little water — dough should be moist but not sticky.
  • Form the dough into a ball and divide into four parts. Cover three of them with a damp towel to prevent drying.
  • Dust your surface with tapioca flour. Roll one quarter into a ball, then flatten with a rolling pin to about 2–3 mm thick. If the dough sticks, dust with more tapioca flour.
  • Cut into circles about 3 inches wide. A drinking glass works well for this.

Fill the Momos

  • Fill each dough circle with 1 tablespoon of filling. Don’t overfill or the dough may tear.
  • Seal the edges by pinching lengthwise. For a traditional look, keep the bottom flat and the pleated side facing up.
  • Place sealed momos on a tray and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
  • If sealing is difficult, dip your finger in water and moisten the dough’s edge before pinching.
  • Patch small tears with a touch of water.
  • Repeat until all dough is used. If you have help, one person can roll and cut while the other fills and seals.

Steam the Momos

  • Prepare your steamer by boiling water and lining the rack(s) with a mat or cabbage leaves.
  • Place the momos in the steamer, spaced apart.
  • Steam for 14 minutes total. If using a double-rack steamer, do 10 minutes, then switch racks and steam 4 more minutes.

Serve

  • Ladle the jhol sauce into a shallow bowl and add the steamed momos. I use 1 cup of jhol + 6 momos per serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Serving size: 1 cup jhol + 6 momos
  • Yield: Sauce makes about 5 cups when using vegetable broth
  • Freezer-friendly: Momos can be frozen either before or after steaming.
    • To freeze, place on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour or until solid.
    • Transfer to a zip-top bag and store until ready to use.
    • To reheat:
      • Steam pre-steamed, frozen momos for 14 minutes
      • Steam raw, frozen momos for 22 minutes