Momo notebook recipe

House Momo Achar

Name: House Momo Achar Recipe
Yield: About 600 to 750 ml, depending on how much you thin it out. Enough for a proper momo session.
Cuisine: Nepali
Ingredients: 50 ml mustard oil; 1 medium onion, roughly chopped; 6 to 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; A handful of coriander stems, finely chopped; 2 to 3 teaspoons achar masala; 400 g canned tomatoes, chopped or whole peeled; 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds; 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (skin removed); A handful of fresh coriander leaves and tender stems; Salt, to taste; Water, as needed; Lemon juice or lime juice, optional; Fresh chilli or chilli powder, optional

My everyday house achar for momo: tomato-heavy, sesame-peanut thickened, mustard-oil sharp, and cooked down until it stops tasting like raw tomato and starts tasting like something that belongs next to dumplings. I use canned tomatoes because I live somewhere cold, and most fresh tomatoes here taste like they have only heard rumours about the sun.

Yield

About 600 to 750 ml, depending on how much you thin it out. Enough for a proper momo session.

How I use it

Keep it thicker for dipping. Loosen it more if you want it closer to a spoonable sauce.

Ingredients

50 ml mustard oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
6 to 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
A handful of coriander stems, finely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons achar masala
400 g canned tomatoes, chopped or whole peeled
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (skin removed)
A handful of fresh coriander leaves and tender stems
Salt, to taste
Water, as needed
Lemon juice or lime juice, optional
Fresh chilli or chilli powder, optional

Method

1Heat the mustard oil in a pan over medium heat until it loosens up and starts to shimmer. You want the mustard oil awake, not furious.
2Add the onion, garlic, and coriander stems. Cook slowly until the onion softens, the garlic mellows, and the coriander stems stop tasting green and start tasting useful, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3Add the achar masala. Stir it into the oil and cook for about 1 minute. This masala does not need to be toasted separately. It blooms directly in the mustard oil.
4Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Crush them with a spoon if needed.
5Simmer until the raw tomato smell disappears, the colour deepens, and the oil starts showing around the edges, usually 15 to 20 minutes. Do not rush this part.
6Add the roasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts. Stir them through and cook for another 2 minutes.
7Cool slightly, then transfer everything to a blender.
8Add the fresh coriander and blend until smooth or slightly coarse, depending on the texture you like.
9Thin it gently with water, a little at a time, until the achar lands where you want it.
10Taste and adjust with salt, lemon or lime if it needs brightness, and chilli if it has become too well behaved.

Notes

I like this somewhere between a dip and a sauce: thick enough to cling to momo, loose enough that you can drag a dumpling through it without needing an engineering degree.

The sesame and peanuts do the heavy lifting. They round out the tomatoes, thicken the achar, and give it that momo-shop comfort.

The coriander stems go in early because they have backbone. The leaves go in at the end because they should taste fresh, not exhausted.

If the achar tastes flat, it probably needs salt, acid, or heat. If it tastes harsh, it probably needs a few more minutes of cooking.

This is a house achar, not a constitution. Adjust it until the momo makes sense.