Vegan Momos Recipe With Momo Dipping Sauce

Learn how to make this easy-to-follow vegan version of Nepalese steamed dumplings (momos) recipe from my friend Kabita, who comes from Nepal. Nepali steamed dumplings known as momos are very popular in Nepal. They’re normally stuffed with meat or vegetables and can served as an appetizer, snack, or main course.

This vegan momos recipe is absolutely delicious and easy to make. Made with homemade wrappers, stuffed with cabbage that’s flavored with fresh coriander and ground cumin, and served with a slightly sweet sesame – tomato sauce. Even my husband, who always claims not to be a fan of cabbage enjoys these vegetarian momos.

With this vegetarian momo recipe with step by step photos and lots of tips, you too can make and shape your momos at home, just like a pro.

What you’ll need to make momos recipe vegetarian

For the momo dough

•  300 g (2/3 lbs/ 2 ½ cups) plain flour plus extra for dusting
• 150 ml (5 fl oz/ about 2/3 cup) water, room temperature

For the vegetarian filling

• 475 g (about 1 lbs) cabbage
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 small onion
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 15 g (½ oz) fresh coriander (about 5 tablespoons chopped)

What you will need for momo dipping sauce with toasted sesame seeds

• 70 g (2 ½ oz/ ½ cup) sesame seeds
• 125 g (4 oz/ ½ cup) tomato ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• ½ tablespoon sugar
• ½ small onion

How to make Nepali steamed dumplings

Make the vegetarian filling

Begin by shredding cabbage. Simply remove the outer leaves and shred it with either a knife or a box grater.

Next finely chop coriander. Then peel and finely chop onion. In a bowl combine shredded cabbage, half of finely chopped coriander (the other half is for garnish), onion, ground cumin, oil, and salt.

Using your hands mix well, until you have a smooth mixture. Cover and chill while making the momo dough for wrappers.

How to toast sesame seeds

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan without oil over medium heat, until lightly brown. Be careful not to burn the seeds. It’s important to toast a small quantity of sesame at a time.

Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a plate and let cool. Repeat the process until you have toasted all the seeds. Put sesame seeds in a blender or food processor and blend.

If you’re using a mortar, put ¼ of the sesame seeds in a mortar and grind them with the pestle. Continue grinding until the seeds are ground down to a fine powder. Put ground sesame on the plate and grind the remaining seeds.

How to make dumpling dough for wrappers

In a bowl combine plain flour and water and mix well, until you have a smooth dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured working surface and knead for 3 minutes.

Cover with a kitchen towel or bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, make the sesame-tomato-dip.

How to make the sesame dipping sauce

Heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Then fry finely chopped half small onion until golden brown.

Reduce the heat to low (the lowest setting on your stove). Add freshly grounded sesame seeds and mix well. Stir in ketchup and sugar.

Let cook for 3 minutes, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside for later.

How to make dumpling wrappers from scratch, fill and fold momos

Once your dough has rested for 10 minutes, divide the dough into two parts. Cover one part with kitchen towel or cling film, so that it won’t dry out.

Lightly flour the working surface and divide the dough into small dough balls, each weighing around 15 g (½ oz). Then you roll out each dough ball separately. Put the dumpling wrappers on a lightly dusted board.

Hold the dumpling wrapper with your left hand. Take a tablespoon with your right hand, take about one tablespoon of the filling, and place it in the center of the dumpling wrapper.

Dip your right-hand pointing finger in water and dab around the edge of the wrapper. Put your left thump on top of the filling and start folding with your right hand around your thumb.

Always grab a bit of the dumpling wrapper, fold it and then pinch it together. Continue folding and pinching until the wrapper edge meets where you’ve started. (See photos and the video).

Put the folded dumplings on a greased or lightly floured flat plate. In a steamer pot bring water to a boil.

In the meantime, grease the steamer pan with sunflower oil and arrange the momos in it. Make sure to leave enough space between the momos since they will expand.

Steam the vegan momos for 10 minutes. We’ve used a 2 tier steamer, thus why after 10 minutes we’ve rotated the steamers and steamed for 5 more minutes.

How to steam dumplings without a steamer

If you don’t have a steamer, you can also use a pot. Fill a medium – pot with one-third water and cover it with aluminum foil.

Using a toothpick poke tiny holes in the foil. Don’t overdo it. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium – low. Grease the aluminum foil with sunflower oil and arrange the dumplings on top, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes. Repeat the process until you’ve used up all the dumplings.

Serve the freshly cooked dumplings  with the sesame-tomato-dip. The dumplings taste over the top when served immediately after cooking!!

Did you make this vegan momos recipe with momo sauce? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.