Momos~Indian State Sikkim

Momos~Indian State Sikkim

Nestling
as it does in the Himalayan Mountains, the state of Sikkim is characterised by mountainous terrain.
Almost the entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 ft)
to 8,586 metres (28,169 ft). The summit of Kangchenjunga—the
world's third-highest peak—is the state's highest point, situated on the border
between Sikkim and Nepal. For the
most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the rocky, precipitous
slopes. However, some hill slopes have been converted into terrace farms.
Numerous snow-fed streams have carved out river valleys in the west and south
of the state. These streams combine into the major Teesta River and its tributary, the Rangeet, which flow through the state from
north to south. About a third of
the state is heavily forested.

The
Himalayan Mountains surround the northern, eastern and western borders of
Sikkim. The Lower Himalayas, lying in the southern reaches of the state, are
the most densely populated. The state has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers, 227 high-altitude lakes (including
the Tsongmo, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lakes, five
major hot springs, and more than 100 rivers and streams.
Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.

Sikkim's
hot springs are renowned for their medicinal and therapeutic values.
Among the state's most notable hot springs are those at Phurchachu, Yumthang,
Borang, Ralang, Taram-chu and Yumey Samdong. The springs, which have a high sulphur content, are located near river banks; some are known to emit hydrogen. The
average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50 °C
(122 °F).

So Sikkimese are essentially
rice-eaters. Alcoholic drinks are popular both amongst men and women. Beef
eating is common amongst the Bhutias. It is not uncommon to see Marwari
plainsmen gulping down Momos and Thukpa and Bhutias partaking to Indian dishes
like Puris and Dosas - a turn sign of national integration. A typical diet of a
working Sikkimese consists of dal bhat (lentils and rice) with meat for
breakfast, a light lunch of momos, and an early dinner consisting of noodles. ( Copied basically from Wikipedia).

So when shall we visit Sikkim? Physically today I have taken you on a virtual tour on the Blogging Marathon day 25 where we are blogging food from Indian States.

I had asked Chandrani Banarjee
for some NE Indian dishes. I knew NE would be difficult and knowing that
Chandrani is from NE was a blessing.

She has very kindly posted these two
dishes. The first being a dish that needs bhut jolokia murg I was sure none of
our local chillies will do any justice to this famous dish. The second one was
momos…

This is for the second time that I have made momos this time because the
girls saw the pictures and said, “ you are going to use these pictures? They
are so bad! You will do a better job if you make momos again.”

If I ask them they will still not
like the pictures. This time they want
me to stem momos over tomato soup in the true Sikkim way. Maybe in the rains I
will do it.

Thanks Chandrani for showing how easy
it is to make momos and it need not be enjoyed only in restaurants only.

Momos~Indian State Sikkim

Momos

Indian State:Sikkim

Recipe Source:Cuisine Delights

Ingredients :
The dough :

2 cups Maida/APF
Water to bind the dough
A few drops of oil (optional)

The filling:

1 Carrot
¼ cup Cabbage, grated
¼ cup Cauliflower, grated
¼ cup capsicum,
chopped fine
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Red chilli Powder:
1 teaspoon oil

Method:
For dough :

Knead the flour to smooth but not sticky dough, and keep aside.
Smear a
little oil cover it with a damp cloth set aside.

For
filling:

Heat oil, add chopped garlic, when gives nice aroma then add veggies, and red
chilli powder, fry for a minute.
Then
add salt, mix well and leave to cool. If there is any water, drain well before
using.
The filling should be dry, and this is why we
add salt in the end.
For making momos:
Now that your dough and filling are both ready, it is time to shape the dumplings.
Roll out the dough using a cookie cutter or a katori cut it into little circles
for each momo.
Put a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each circle and fold over into a
half moon.
You could dip your fingertips in water &
press the edges tight & pleat the edges (like a modak) to seal. Given the
number I had to make (for the announcement was this is for lunch and if any are
left for tea) I just got the edges together and pressed them hard.
Repeat
the filling process for all the circles. Keep these aside.
There are many, many different choices for momo shapes, and you can check the
once Chandrani has shown here. I made the modak kind and the half moon kind
earlier I found that it’s faster to make the modak style momos.

For
steaming the Momos:

I do
not have a steamer so I use a big vessel to boil water. My colander fits the
mouth of the vessel. So this is what I use. Boil the water before transferring
the momos to the colander.
Before
you steam the momos oil the colander lightly then put the momos in, so they won’t stick to the
metal, then place as many as you can without touching each other.
Steam the momos for about 30 minutes, till they get done.
Serve hot with Spicy Garlic Chutney.