Introducing you to Indian Dim sums or Momos. MoMos are bite-sized delicacies made with spoonfuls of stuffing wrapped in dumpling wrappers. One can serve these vegetable Momos with a variety of side sauces including red chilli chutney, ketchup, and mayonnaise as well. I am sure you might have come across variations of this dish at least once in your life in the form of dumplings, dim sums or even Gyozas. These little pockets of treats belong to the dumpling lineage and are a big hit in many South Asian Countries.

7 fried momos served on a plate over a bed of the spicy chutney - 1

Origin Of MoMos

Momos are native to the Tibetan and Nepalese regions and were brought to India in the 20th Century. They are Nepalese or Tibetan versions of dim sums but can also be classified as a dumpling. People fill MoMos with either meat or vegetables. Due to their popularity, these flavourful dumplings now have a place in almost every Indian’s heart and are here to stay. And I hope this recipe makes its way to your heart as well.

What is a MoMo?

MoMos or Nepalese/Tibetan/Indian dim sums can occasionally be fried or steam-fried, but they are mostly steamed. The idea is to pack all the ingredients and flavourful broth into the wrappers, and steamed, fried, or steam-fried. It is filled with all kinds of fillings including meat, veggies, tofu, or even mock meat for those who want a vegan option. Momos are generally street food, sold in momo kiosks or carts, while fresh momos are steamed and served with a side of red chilly garlic chutney.

7 fried momos served on a plate over a bed of the spicy chutney - 2

MoMos in India

One big misconception that runs around in India is that the East Indian states or the Chinese introduced MoMos to India. This is absolutely false. Momos are thought to have arrived in India during the 1960s, during a time when many Tibetan immigrants were moving to Indian regions like Ladakh, Darjeeling, Dharamshala, Sikkim, and Delhi. All of these places have now popularized the consumption of momos by mass-producing variations of momos including steamed, fried, steam-fried, tandoori momos, chocolate momos, and so on.

In this recipe I am going to show how you can make these yummy vegetable momos in your kitchen with a few simple, no-nonsense steps. Let’s clear out a few things, first.

Is it Momo or Dumpling or Dim sums?

To make things simple for you, think of dumplings as the mother and all the other variations as the little babies including momos and dim sums. Depending on the region, Dim sums are native to the Cantonese region of China, and a Nepalese or Tibetan adaptation of the same is called a Momo. Dumplings are wheat-based appetisers with multiple fillings or none at all. As a result, Indian Samosas, Italian gnocchi, stuffed ravioli or even YOU will classify as a dumpling. 😛 Branching from the same family history, momos are predominantly of maida (all-purpose flour) and wheat flour, while dim sums can be cooked with any type of flour, including rice, potato starch, and corn starch.

Now that we know a little bit about the history of Momos, let’s jump right into the recipe.

How to make Vegetable Momos and Red Chilli chutney ?

Vegetable Stuffing

  1. Start by chopping the vegetables (processing them in a food processor until finely chopped). You can also use crumbled tofu or any mock meat of your choice as a filling.
Scallion tops being chopped off - 3
  1. In a pan heat oil, and add finely chopped garlic and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat. Add spring onion whites and sauté for half a minute, then add all the finely chopped vegetables.
image of me dropping chopping chopped mushrooms into a pan of mixed vegetables - 4
  1. Stir fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.. Then add soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Switch off the flame and add the spring onions/scallion greens. Mix well.
Adding soy sauce to the pan of cooked vegetables - 5

Making the momos

  1. Apply some water along the rim of the dumpling wrapper. Place 2 or 3 tsp of vegetable stuffing in the center of a dumpling wrapper, then pleat and close up the dumplings.
Image of me wrapping the momos with the filling. After placing a teaspoon of the filling on the wrapper, using both hands, I am pleating the momos into dumpling like shapes. - 6
  1. Prepare all momos this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel or napkin, so they don’t dry out until you are ready to steam.
All momos shaped and placed on a cutting board - 7
  1. In a greased steamer steam the momos for about 5-6 minutes. When you touch the momo the dough should not feel sticky and be kind of translucent

Spicy red chutney

  1. Drop the red chillies and tomatoes in boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes to blanch the tomatoes and rehydrate the red chillies. Once blanched and cooled, remove the skins of the tomatoes carefully.
Blanching the tomatoes and dry red chillies in hot boiling water. - 8
  1. Add red chillies, garlic, tomatoes, oil, salt, sugar and soy sauce (roughly chopped if required) to a blender and blend smooth. Serve with hot momos.
Adding all ingredients indlucing tomatoes, red chillies, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and oil into a blender. - 9

And that’s how simple it can get. I created a video for this recipe over on my Instagram in collaboration with Em from MyriadRecipes . Go check out her work as well!

So, give this recipe a try and let me know how you liked the Momos or the Spicy chutney. I would love to see you try it out. Much love <3

Also, check out my other steamed dishes:

  1. Khaman Dhokla – Steam gram flour cakes
  2. Idli – steamed rice cakes
  3. Vegan Ela Ada – Kerala delicacy
7 fried momos served on a plate over a bed of the spicy chutney - 10

Fried Momos and Spicy Chutney

Ingredients1x2x3x

Momo Wrapper

  • 1 pack Store-bought or homemade dumpling wrappers

Momo Filling

  • 1 tbsp Oil to saute vegetables
  • 2 stalks Spring onions/scallions finely chopped. Save some of the greens for garnishing
  • 3 Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Ginger minced
  • 1.5 cup Finely chopped veggies suggestions: cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, beans, crumbled tofu
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce or add as requried
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • salt to taste

Spicy chutney

  • 8 Dry red chillis
  • 5 Garlic cloves
  • 3 tsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 Tomatoes 2 if large, 3 if medium
  • 3 tsp Sugar

Instructions

Vegetable stuffing

  • Chop the vegetables by knife or processing them in a food processor until finely chopped.
  • Make sure the vegetables are coarsely chopped and not minced.
  • In a pan heat oil, and add finely chopped garlic and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat.
  • Add spring onion whites and sauté for half a minute, then add all the finely chopped vegetables.
  • Stir fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.
  • Add soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  • Switch off the flame and top it off with the spring onions/scallion greens. Mix well.
  • Set the stuffing aside until it cools completely.

Making the momos

  • Place 2 or 3 tsp of vegetable stuffing in the center of a dumpling wrapper.
  • Pleat and close up the dumplings.
  • Prepare all momos this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel or napkin, so they don’t dry out until you are ready to steam.
  • At this point you can decide to whether fry them, or steam them or steam and fry as well.
  • If you are stemaing the momos: then in a greased steamer steam the momos for about 5-6 minutes. if they turn translucent then the momos are done.
  • For Fried: Drop the wrapped momos in hot oil and fry until golden and crispy. Serve with a spicy garlic momo chutney.

Spicy red chutney

  • Drop the red chillies and tomatoes in boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes to blanch the tomatoes and rehydrate the red chillies.
  • Once blanched and cooled, remove the skins of the tomatoes carefully. Add all ingredients, roughly chopped if required, to a blender and blend smooth.

Nutrition

This is Pav Bhaji, a mashed vegetable dish with a spicy tangy base that is served with soft fluffy dinner rolls called Pav. This recipe is my go-to recipe when I have a lot of leftover vegetables that are breathing their last breath. I have explained the ingredients and method to prepare in detail in the next few sections.

Image of pav and bhaji plated on a serving dish topped with vegan butter, chopped coriander - 11

What is Pav Bhaji?

This delectable fast food dish is a household favourite of almost everyone. It originates from the state of Maharashtra and is a popular fast food that has now made its way to the rest of the country. Pav means dinner rolls or bread and bhaji means sabzi or veggie preparation. Ideally, the Pav bhaji is made by boiling a bunch of vegetables and then adding them to an onion-tomato gravy base. Once the vegetables have been coated in the masala, they are mashed into a grainy pulp.

How to prepare Bhaji in Pav Bhaji? (detailed recipe)

My aim for this recipe was to bring to light all the veggies that go waste in our kitchens on a daily basis. Did you know that food waste totals up to million tonnes each year and nearly 570 million tonnes of this waste occurs in household kitchens? That’s a LOT of waste considering the number of people who are having food scarcity in this world. I am not trying to bum you out with these facts but I want to bring to light the things that are in our control viz. using leftover veggies and ingredients instead of just throwing them out.

The secret ingredient is the Pav Bhaji Masala – which you can procure from any Indian shop or make it at home if you prefer. The amount used can vary depending on your taste buds and spice tolerance capacity. I like it on the higher end

This classic Maharashtrian dish has been blessed with @ beextravegant’s magic touch.

Ingredients for Pav Bhaji (in this recipe)

  • Cauliflower

  • Potatoes

  • Carrots

  • Green peas: frozen or fresh

  • Bell peppers

  • Garlic: minced

  • Ginger: Minced

Alternatively or additionally, you can also use chopped green beans, radishes, beetroot, cabbage etc.

Method to prepare bhaji

Cooking the vegetables

  1. Add all the chopped vegetables to a pressure cooker with enough water, and a pinch of salt and cook them until soft.
  2. Pressure cook the veggies for about 12 minutes on medium flame or 20 minutes in a pot. (If you have leftover vegetables that have already been prepared, do not add them to the pressure cooker.
  3. Roughly chop the vegetables that have been cooked and keep them aside.

For Gravy base

  1. Add 2-3 tbsp neutral oil in a hot pan and add cumin seeds – roast until they crackle. Continue to add chopped onions and saute until golden brown and translucent.
  2. Add the minced ginger and chopped green chillies. Once the raw garlic smell subsides, add diced tomatoes.
  3. Add a pinch of salt and allow the tomatoes to get soft. Sauté on low to medium heat till the tomatoes turn soft and the oil starts releasing from the sides.
  4. Add the spices: turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and Pav Bhaji Masala.
  5. Add the cooked veggies along with the stock or water from the pressure cooker or pot that they were cooking in. Add salt and mix well.
  6. With a potato masher, mash the veggies directly in the pan (make sure it’s not a non-stick pan in case you use a metal masher).
  7. Mash the veggies according to the consistency you prefer. I prefer somewhere in between super smooth and super chunky. For a smooth mixture, mash more.
  8. Keep on stirring occasionally while the bhaji simmers for about 8-9 more minutes. The bhaji is ready to be served.
Image of pav and bhaji plated on a serving dish topped with vegan butter, chopped coriander - 12

For plating

This bhaji is usually served with Pav or dinner rolls. Ingredients for plating and garnishing are:

  • Pav (dinner rolls)
  • 3 to 4 tbsp Vegan butter – for roasting pav and topping the bhaji
  • 3-4 lemon wedges
  • 1 onion – medium to large, finely chopped
  • 6-7 stalks of coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish

Serve the bhaji with a bit of vegan butter, chopped coriander, chopped red onions and a squeeze of lemon along with the pav! Enjoy!

Q: Can I customize the vegetables to go into Pav Bhaji? A: Yes, definitely! The most common vegetables include potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. You can customize it with seasonal veggies, just keep in mind the moisture levels of each vegetable so that you can adjust the cooking time accordingly. Vegetables with higher moisture content need to be cooked longer to cook out the water.

Q: What can I use instead of pav if I can’t find it? A: You can use burger buns, dinner rolls, or even toasted sandwich bread. The key is to toast them well with vegan butter or oil.

Q: How spicy is Pav Bhaji? A: It’s moderately spicy, but you can adjust the heat to taste by reducing chili powder or green chilies. Adding a bit of sugar and lemon juice can also help balance spice levels.

Q: Can I make Pav Bhaji ahead of time? A: Absolutely! The bhaji actually tastes better the next day as the flavors develop. Reheat it on the stovetop and toast the pav just before serving.

Q: Can I freeze Pav Bhaji? A: Yes, the bhaji freezes well for up to 2 months. Store it in an airtight container and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Pav is best fresh or frozen separately.

Q: Is Pav Bhaji gluten-free? A: The bhaji is naturally gluten-free, but pav (bread rolls) usually contains gluten. Use gluten-free bread or buns if needed.

Q: What toppings go best with Pav Bhaji? A: Chopped onions, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a dollop of vegan butter, and plenty of coriander are traditional and delicious!

Similar to Pav Bhaji

Give my other vegetable-based dishes a try:

  1. Achinga Kaya Mezhekkupuratti
  2. Sambar with Idli
  3. Pumpkin/Kaddu Sabji
  4. Easy Creamy Kidney Bean Dip
Image of pav and bhaji plated on a serving dish topped with vegan butter, chopped coriander - 13

Pav Bhaji – Spicy Vegetable Mash

Ingredients1x2x3x

Vegetables for the Bhaji

  • 2-3 Potatoes large to medium
  • 1 cup cauliflower, roughly chopped about 130 g
  • 1 cup carrot, roughly chopped about 130 g
  • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen about 140 g
  • 1 bell pepper green, red, or yellow
  • Enough water – for pressure-cooking or boiling the veggies in a pot

For gravy base

  • 2-3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 medium to large onion
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger and garlic 1-inch ginger & 3 large garlic cloves minced, or ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 to 2 green chilies chopped
  • 2 to 3 large tomatoes diced
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2-3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 2 to 3 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
  • Additional water for the gravy as needed
  • salt to taste

For plating and garnishing

  • 1 pack Pav vegan dinner rolls
  • 3 to 4 tbsp Vegan butter
  • 3-4 lemon wedges
  • 1 onion – medium to large finelychopped
  • 6-7 stalks of coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cooking veggies

  • Rinse, peel and chop the veggies in equal sizes
  • Place all of them, including the green peas, in a pressure cooker on a large pot with enough water covering the veggies.
  • Pressure cook the veggies for about 12 minutes on medium flame or 20 minutes on a pot.
  • When the pressure naturally releases, keep aside and check for doneness.

Gravy base:

  • Heat oil in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
  • Once they crackle and start to change colour, add finely chopped onions to it.
  • Saute on a low to medium flame till the onions turn golden.
  • Then add minced ginger and garlic. Cook till the raw smell of ginger and garlic go away.
  • Add chopped green chilies and tomatoes. Saute well. (Add water if the tomatoes start sticking to the bottom)
  • Then add ground turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder and pan bhaji masala, and mix well.

Making the Bhaji

  • Add the cooked veggies along with the stock or water from the pressure cooker or pot. Add salt and mix well.
  • With a potato masher, mash the veggies directly in the pan.
  • Mash the veggies according to the consistency you prefer. For a smooth mixture, mash more.
  • Keep on mashing/stirring occasionally while the bhaji simmers for about 8-9 more minutes.

Assemble the Pav and Bhaji

  • Toast/fry the pav in butter and 1-2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala (dropped directly onto the butter) until the pav turns reddish-golden and crispy.
  • Serve the bhaji with a bit of vegan butter, chopped coriander, and chopped red onions on top along with the pav.

Nutrition

Pear halwa, pear pudding, or whatever you want to call it, is going to be your favourite way to enjoy a quick dessert. This pear halwa legit tastes like a traditional Indian dessert but is based on fruit! It comes together in little to no time, and uses very few ingredients like ripe pears, cardamom, dried fruit and nuts, brown sugar, some plant milk, and saffron if you are feeling fancy!

Fried Vegetable MoMos with Spicy Red Chutney - 14 Pear halwa in a bowl with melted chocolate being poured on top, front view - 15

How to make Pear Halwa?

I used ripe pears but you can actually use substitutes like apples, even carrots (in which case you will want to bump up the sugar).

The steps are very simple:

  • Start by adding the saffron strands to 1/4 cup warm milk and set aside. This helps bloom the saffron strands and extracts the flavour.
Added saffron to plant milk to infuse - 16
  • Wash the pears and grate them. You can choose to keep the skin on or peel them. I don’t really mind the skin and if your pear is ripe enough, you won’t notice it at all.
holding up a ripe pear - 17
  • Add the grated pear to a heavy bottom pan and turn on the heat. Let the pear cook on medium to low heat until they turn soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Cooking the grated pears in a pan - 18
  • Add brown sugar, a pinch of salt, crushed cardamom, and the saffron-infused milk to this and mix well. When the right consistency is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside.
cardamom seeds in a jar - 19
  • In a small pan, heat up the vegan ghee/oil to it on medium to low heat and add the nuts and raisins to it. Let it get golden brown, be careful not to burn it.
adding almonds to fry in a mini pan - 20
  • Add it immediately to the pear halwa in the other pan and mix well.
fried dried fruit and nuts being poured on to the pear halwa - 21

  • Melt dark chocolate in a separate microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stove.

  • Serve the pear halwa in cute bowls and pour the melted chocolate on top.

Pear halwa in a bowl with melted chocolate being poured on top, front view - 22
  • You can also chill the pear halwa and melt and pour the chocolate right before serving!

I would be so excited if you give this recipe a go! It’s light on your stomach and honestly just tastes pretty damn good! Comment below if you give it a try 😉

Here are other delicious Indian desserts for you to try:

  • Vegan Pal Payasam – Rice Pudding
  • Vegan Gulab Jamun
  • Vegan Kulfi – Indian Ice Cream
  • Healthy Vegan Laddoos
  • Vegan Ela Ada | The Best Healthy South Indian Dessert
Pear halwa in a bowl with melted chocolate being poured on top, front view - 23

Vegan Pear Halwa

Equipment

  • 1 Grater
  • 1 Pan
  • 1 Mini pan
  • 1 Wooden spoon
  • 1 Measure spoons

Ingredients1x2x3x

  • 4 pears ripe or semi-ripe
  • 1-2 tbsp brown sugar depending on your sweet tooth
  • 4-5 cardamom pods shelled and crushed
  • 4-5 strands saffron optional
  • 1/4 cup plant milk of choice warm, I used soy milk
  • 1 tbsp Vegan ghee or neutral oil
  • 6-7 almonds
  • 6-7 cashews
  • 7-8 raisins
  • Dark chocolate melted
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Add the saffron strands to 1/4 cup warm milk and set aside. This helps bloom the saffron strands and extracts the flavour.
  • Wash the pears and grate them. You can choose to keep the skin on or peel them. I don’t really mind the skin and if your pear is ripe enough, you won’t notice it at all.
  • Add the grated pear to a heavy bottom pan and turn on the heat. Let the pear cook on medium to low heat until they turn soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Add brown sugar, a pinch of salt, crushed cardamom, and the saffron-infused milk to this and mix well. When the right consistency is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside.
  • In a small pan, heat up the vegan ghee/oil to it on medium to low heat and add the nuts and raisins to it. Let it get golden brown, be careful not to burn it.
  • Add it immediately to the pear halwa in the other pan and mix well.
  • Melt dark chocolate in a separate microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stove.
  • Serve the pear halwa in cute bowls and pour the melted chocolate on top.
  • You can also chill the pear halwa and melt and pour the chocolate right before serving!

Notes

Nutrition

7 fried momos served on a plate over a bed of the spicy chutney - 24

Fried Momos and Spicy Chutney

Ingredients1x2x3x

Momo Wrapper

  • 1 pack Store-bought or homemade dumpling wrappers

Momo Filling

  • 1 tbsp Oil to saute vegetables
  • 2 stalks Spring onions/scallions finely chopped. Save some of the greens for garnishing
  • 3 Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Ginger minced
  • 1.5 cup Finely chopped veggies suggestions: cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, beans, crumbled tofu
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce or add as requried
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • salt to taste

Spicy chutney

  • 8 Dry red chillis
  • 5 Garlic cloves
  • 3 tsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 Tomatoes 2 if large, 3 if medium
  • 3 tsp Sugar

Instructions

Vegetable stuffing

  • Chop the vegetables by knife or processing them in a food processor until finely chopped.
  • Make sure the vegetables are coarsely chopped and not minced.
  • In a pan heat oil, and add finely chopped garlic and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat.
  • Add spring onion whites and sauté for half a minute, then add all the finely chopped vegetables.
  • Stir fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.
  • Add soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  • Switch off the flame and top it off with the spring onions/scallion greens. Mix well.
  • Set the stuffing aside until it cools completely.

Making the momos

  • Place 2 or 3 tsp of vegetable stuffing in the center of a dumpling wrapper.
  • Pleat and close up the dumplings.
  • Prepare all momos this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel or napkin, so they don’t dry out until you are ready to steam.
  • At this point you can decide to whether fry them, or steam them or steam and fry as well.
  • If you are stemaing the momos: then in a greased steamer steam the momos for about 5-6 minutes. if they turn translucent then the momos are done.
  • For Fried: Drop the wrapped momos in hot oil and fry until golden and crispy. Serve with a spicy garlic momo chutney.

Spicy red chutney

  • Drop the red chillies and tomatoes in boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes to blanch the tomatoes and rehydrate the red chillies.
  • Once blanched and cooled, remove the skins of the tomatoes carefully. Add all ingredients, roughly chopped if required, to a blender and blend smooth.

Nutrition