Momo notebook recipe
Momo Masala
My house momo masala: coriander-heavy, cumin-warm, a little dark from pepper and clove, and lifted by timur. It is not garam masala. It is built specifically for momo filling, where the meat, onion, ginger, garlic, fat, and achar are already doing plenty of work. The spice blend is there to support them, not overpower them.
Yield
About 80 g of spice blend, enough for several batches of momo.
How I use it
Start with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per 500 g of filling, then adjust depending on the filling and the achar.
Ingredients
- 25 g coriander seeds
- 15 g cumin seeds
- 8 g black peppercorns
- 5 g fenugreek seeds
- 4 g green cardamom pods, about 6 to 7 pods
- 2 g cloves, about 6 to 8 cloves
- 5 g cinnamon stick, 1 medium stick
- 3 g timur, Nepali Sichuan pepper, as a sensible starting point
- 8 g dried red chillies, 2 to 3 medium chillies
- 5 g turmeric powder
Method
- 1Break the cinnamon into smaller pieces so it roasts and grinds evenly.
- 2Toast the coriander, cumin, black pepper, fenugreek, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, timur, and dried red chillies in a dry pan over medium-low heat.
- 3Keep everything moving. Toast until the spices become fragrant and just begin to deepen in colour, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- 4Be especially careful with the fenugreek. It can turn from pleasantly nutty to aggressively bitter surprisingly quickly.
- 5Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the turmeric powder while the spices are still warm. The residual heat is enough. Turmeric burns easily.
- 6Let everything cool completely before grinding. Grinding warm spices traps moisture and shortens their shelf life.
- 7Grind to a fine powder using a spice grinder or coffee grinder.
- 8For an extra-smooth blend, sift the powder and grind any coarse pieces a second time.
- 9Store in an airtight jar away from heat and light.
Notes
This masala is meant to live inside the filling, not steal the show.
Buff momo usually welcomes a little more masala. Chicken and vegetable fillings usually need a gentler hand.
Timur is where this blend becomes personal. The 3 g listed here is a diplomatic starting point.
Around 3 g gives a gentle tingle. Around 5 g makes timur an equal partner. Around 7 g or more means you have chosen violence and I respect it.
The right amount is the point where the filling wakes up, but your tongue still remembers its own name.
Fenugreek deserves similar respect. A little adds depth. Too much, or too much roasting, and the whole batch starts tasting like regret.
Like most spice blends, this is best during the first few weeks, but it keeps well for about 2 to 3 months in an airtight container.