Nepalese Tomato Achar Food

NEPALI MOMO (NEPALESE MEAT DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Dough: In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water.
• Mix well, knead until the dough becomes homogeneous in texture, about 8-10 minute.
• Cover and let stand for at least 30 minute.
• Knead well again before making wrappers.
• Filling: In a large bowl combine all filling ingredients.
• Mix well, adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow all ingredients to impart their unique flavors.
• This also improves the consistency of the filling.
• Assembly:.
• Give the dough a final knead.
• Prepare 1-in. dough balls.
• Take a ball, roll between your palms to spherical shape.
• Dust working board with dry flour.
• On the board gently flatten the ball with your palm to about 2-in circle.
• Make a few semi-flattened circles, cover with a bowl.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out each flattened circle into a wrapper.
• For well executed MOMO's, it is essential that the middle portion of the wrapper be slightly thicker than the edges to ensure the structural integrity of dumplings during packing and steaming.
• Hold the edges of the semi-flattened dough with one hand and with the other hand begin rolling the edges of the dough out, swirling a bit at a time.
• Continue until the wrapper attains 3-in diameter circular shape.
• Repeat with the remaining semi-flattened dough circles.
• Cover with bowl to prevent from drying.
• For packing hold wrapper on one palm, put one tablespoon of filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the center, making the pleats.
• Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling.
• This holds the key to good tasting, juicy dumplings.
• Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well.
• This is critical because it will prevent dumplings from sticking.
• Arrange uncooked dumplings in the steamer.
• Close the lid, and allow steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Take dumplings off the steamer and serve immediately.
• Alternatively, you can place uncooked dumplings directly in slightly salted boiling water and cook until done, approximately 10 minutes. Be careful not to over boil the dumplings.
• You may also slightly sauté cooked dumplings in butter before serving.
• To serve, arrange the cooked dumplings (MOMO's) on serving plate with hot tomato achar or any other chutneys as condiment.

NEPALESE TOMATO ACHAR

Steps:

• 1. Heat a non stick frypan or wok over a medium to low heat. Once the pan is hot add the whole tomatoes to the dry pan. Roast them in the dry pan over a medium to low heat, turning as necessary, until the skins are slightly wrinkled and split.
• 2. Add the chilies to the dry pan and roast for a further few minutes.
• 3. Remove the tomatoes and chilis from the pan. Roughly chop the tomatoes and chop the chilis a bit more finely.
• 4. Heat the oil in the pan and add the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, ginger and garlic. Fry until the fenugreek seeds are just browning. Add the cumin, coriander, tomatoes and chillis.
• 5. Cook over a medium to low heat until there is no liquid left, and the achar is like a thick paste. Stir through the fresh coriander and serve.
• 6. You can also add lemon juice if you want to make it tangy.
• 7. Serve with rotti, bread or dolloped on your curries. Also great spread on burgers and wraps.

TOMATO ACHAR

Steps:

• Roast tomatoes in oven for about 30 minutes, or until charred.
• Remove charred skin and reserve flesh in a bowl.
• In a sauce pan, heat oil.
• Add cumin and mustard seeds; fry for 30 seconds or so.
• Add chilies, garlic, ginger, timur, asafetida, lime juice and salt; stir for a minute.
• In a blender, combine roasted tomatoes, chopped cilantro and mint, if used, and spice mixture; process to form smooth paste-like mixture (can be made chunkier, if desired).
• Transfer into a large bowl.
• For garnish, in a non-stick pan heat one tablespoon of oil, splitter fenugreek until it turns dark.
• Add slices of garlic and fry till light brown.
• Pour the garlic-oil mixture and chopped cilantro over the tomato mixture.
• Mix well and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.