<p>The Indian momo has come a long way since its original Chinese counterpart – which was satisfied being steamed only. And the young Nepali who stands with an aluminium rack, will testify to the same. <br /><br />The meat-stuffed dumplings (paneer/cabbage, if you happen to be a philistine) and the fiery-red chutney that he and hundreds like him sell every day have never been more at home on a Delhi street. In fact, they are now as at home as the aloo tikki which sizzles metres away on an oily, black tawa or the gol gappe waiting to be tasted with its tangy tamarind water.<br /><br />The tandoori twist, that the momos have now got, was inevitable - given Delhi’s ‘Punjabification’. And it has led to tandoori momos becoming latest temptations in the list of quirky savouries that the City’s gourmands love. Although steamed and fried momos have been a foodie’s delight, this lip-smacking experiment has become a favourite amongst college students. <br /><br />Since many students from the North-East are looking for traditional momos and the North Indian crowd wants them to be spicy, tandoori momos have turned out to snacks which serve both the palettes.<br /><br />“These tandoori momos are crispy and not fried, hot and really tasty. The first time I set my eyes on them, they looked unappetising but tasted like a sizzling tandoori <br />kebab that’s served to you straight out of a tandoor,” says Karmini Sharma, a DU student.<br /><br />Although the momos taste a tad too much like the tandoori chicken or tandoori paneer, this variation on the steamed momo has become the most popular item on the menu of various restaurants. The recipe for making tandoori momos is quite simple and homey too. Mix maida, baking powder and water to make a smooth dough. Leave the dough overnight. </p>.<p>Then roll out medium-sized chapattis from dough. Cut into two halves from the middle like you would for samosas. Now make a mixture of minced chicken, onions, ginger paste and salt to taste for the stuffing. Stuff the half-moon chapatti with this mixture. Repeat the step to make all the momos. Steam them in an idli utensil for about 10 minutes or you can also fry them. Once again, marinate these steamed momos with chilli garlic sauce and put them in a hot tandoor till they are cooked just right.<br /><br />Despite their rising popularity, tandoori momos are still hard to find. “I was so sick of eating the regular steamed and fried momos. One day I was out in a restaurant at Kamla Nagar when we saw this new version of momos. We really liked them. But we couldn’t find them at any other restaurants. I have had them just one time and I really crave for more,” says Kavya Sharma, a foodie.<br /><br />For other tandoori momo lovers, here is a rough selection of of restaurants serving them in Delhi/NCR. Purple Haze and Shanghai at Satya Niketan market; QD’s at Kamla Nagar market and Haldi Mirch Khansama at Sector 45 in Gurgaon. Enjoy. <br /></p>
<p>The Indian momo has come a long way since its original Chinese counterpart – which was satisfied being steamed only. And the young Nepali who stands with an aluminium rack, will testify to the same. <br /><br />The meat-stuffed dumplings (paneer/cabbage, if you happen to be a philistine) and the fiery-red chutney that he and hundreds like him sell every day have never been more at home on a Delhi street. In fact, they are now as at home as the aloo tikki which sizzles metres away on an oily, black tawa or the gol gappe waiting to be tasted with its tangy tamarind water.<br /><br />The tandoori twist, that the momos have now got, was inevitable - given Delhi’s ‘Punjabification’. And it has led to tandoori momos becoming latest temptations in the list of quirky savouries that the City’s gourmands love. Although steamed and fried momos have been a foodie’s delight, this lip-smacking experiment has become a favourite amongst college students. <br /><br />Since many students from the North-East are looking for traditional momos and the North Indian crowd wants them to be spicy, tandoori momos have turned out to snacks which serve both the palettes.<br /><br />“These tandoori momos are crispy and not fried, hot and really tasty. The first time I set my eyes on them, they looked unappetising but tasted like a sizzling tandoori <br />kebab that’s served to you straight out of a tandoor,” says Karmini Sharma, a DU student.<br /><br />Although the momos taste a tad too much like the tandoori chicken or tandoori paneer, this variation on the steamed momo has become the most popular item on the menu of various restaurants. The recipe for making tandoori momos is quite simple and homey too. Mix maida, baking powder and water to make a smooth dough. Leave the dough overnight. </p>.<p>Then roll out medium-sized chapattis from dough. Cut into two halves from the middle like you would for samosas. Now make a mixture of minced chicken, onions, ginger paste and salt to taste for the stuffing. Stuff the half-moon chapatti with this mixture. Repeat the step to make all the momos. Steam them in an idli utensil for about 10 minutes or you can also fry them. Once again, marinate these steamed momos with chilli garlic sauce and put them in a hot tandoor till they are cooked just right.<br /><br />Despite their rising popularity, tandoori momos are still hard to find. “I was so sick of eating the regular steamed and fried momos. One day I was out in a restaurant at Kamla Nagar when we saw this new version of momos. We really liked them. But we couldn’t find them at any other restaurants. I have had them just one time and I really crave for more,” says Kavya Sharma, a foodie.<br /><br />For other tandoori momo lovers, here is a rough selection of of restaurants serving them in Delhi/NCR. Purple Haze and Shanghai at Satya Niketan market; QD’s at Kamla Nagar market and Haldi Mirch Khansama at Sector 45 in Gurgaon. Enjoy. <br /></p>
