February 12
Even though Momo is the national dish of Tibet, the words - momo, dumplings, dim sums, all remind me instantly of Darjeeling and the times spent there. Lovely childhood memories preserved in the folds of time.
My masi (aunt) used to stay in Darjeeling with her husband who was posted as a doctor there. They stayed in the quaint little houses nestled in the slope of the mountain surrounded by lush greenery and dotted by bright orange Cosmos flowers which kept swaying in the light breeze. My earliest memory of travelling to Darjeeling was at the age of five during one particular summer vacation, with a whole gamut of grandparents, aunts and cousins. My grandpa was an acclaimed doctor in the Railways and hence we all got the privilege of travelling in the first class coup. As a kid, that was first ever long journey for me. My family used to visit my grandparents in Kolkata and travel by the local trains which plied between Kharagpur and Howrah. It was pretty much like the sleeper class bogies where there was no air conditioning and we could crane out our neck form the windows to enjoy the sight and sounds of the acres and acres of farmland on the way. Thus being cooped inside the coup (pardon my pun) which had an air-conditioning actually sounded very exciting. Through the glass window the outside world didn't look so clear, but the action going on inside was enough for us kids to remain entertained. Food was one of the primary reason. Come to think of it, I was a foodie even before I came to know the existence of the word 'foodie'. Intense adda over rounds of garam chai and home made snacks kept the evening engaged. While the chicken curry, rice and dal with a spot of pickle and lemon wedges made us happy for the night. I didn't sleep much that night due to the excitement of the next phase of the journey. The next day as we approached New Jalpaiguri Station the weather changed, there was a clear nip in the air and our parents made sure we were well layered with warm clothes.
That was the first time I stepped into this pretty little hill station some two and a half decades ago. Though my memory might not register everything that I experienced in that visit but still there are fragments of beautiful memories here and there within the mind. Like the bright red overalls I had, like that awe I had felt when I had seen the red panda for the first time in the magnificent zoo of Darjeeling or like the time when I first tasted the local delicacy - piping hot chicken momo!
The first morning we ventured out to walk to the Mall Road with the entire family in tow. Breakfast would be momos and chicken soup, my masi had told us. We kids had more energy to scale the steep slope of the Chowk Bazar area, while the elders caught up on their breath. The soft morning sun was beating down on us, while the aroma of fresh spices and something delicious cooking from various nooks and corners of the Mall area enticed us like the Pied Piper. And soon enough we saw the momo shops.
Among the town's tangled alleyways, we saw scores of tiny little shacks selling momos from stacked steamers. Ancient looking Nepali woman with countless age lines and a warm smile on the face wo-manned the shops. Their helper kept rolling out the dough while the lady herself piped in spoonful of minced chicken or vegetables into the momo pockets and put them inside the steamer to steam. The next 10-15 minute wait seem like an eon as we started to get impatient and hungry once the aroma of the momos had hit our nostril.
The soft supple almost transparent momos encasing the very flavorful succulent chicken mince filling is just an out of world thing. No matter what, no matter how, the worlds best gourmet restaurants would pale in comparison to the momos sold by these native women early morning. Dipping those delicate momos into rich hot sauce and taking a generous bite, as the hot filling tumbles into your mouth - you gasp both at the heat and at the burst of flavor, that overpowers you momentarily. Yes, you need to be in Darjeeling to experience it in person!
Being a Bengali staying in Bengal it almost becomes a yearly affair to head to the hills when the weather gets warm on the plains. But slowly over the years I experienced Darjeeling loosing its quaint charm to the influx of tourists. It no longer had those deserted early morning alleys nor would the mall road become deserted much before 9 PM. It kind of met the same fate as most of the hill stations in the country - overcrowding. But still, there is an ouch of rustic charm of the bygone era when you hang out in the alleyways of Darjelling Still you are occasionally arrested by the the unseasonal chill and flock of wispy clouds catching you unawares. The fabled Glenary's is still considered as the mecca of oriental cuisine for all foodie travel enthusiasts. The purple twilight and the golden orange mornings still beckon you with whole heart to be there and feel one with the nature. And most importantly, even after 2 and a half decade when I had visited Darjeeling and had momos in one of those winding alleyways, I felt everything was just as it was years ago.
The Darjeeling momo experience is a benchmark for me when it comes to any kind of dumpling. Unless the dumpling has a thin wrapper, generous amount of filling and melts into the mouth its not really something I will have again. While its very easy to find momos in the streets of Kolkata, here in Pune you wont find really good momos all around. For an example there is a specialized momo restaurant near my office area having a very high rating in Zomato. But when I tried it, they had thick dumpling wrappers with not so good filling and the sauce is best not mentioned.
This makes me very self critical of the momos I myself make as well. First criteria, I need them to be paper thin! I know there is a risk of tearing them, but then who doesn't take a little risk in their life to have something delicious? Food and adventure goes hand in hand for me.
I adapted this from Mei's recipe and it turned out lovely. A few tweaks here and there for practical reasons and these beauties were on the plate. They look just super perfect for the Valentines weekend up ahead. It might look difficult to make, but it is not, once you get a hang of the process. The only thing you need is patience. The more patience you have the more perfect roses you will have.
Make these for your loved ones and count your blessings to have these kindred souls in your life to make you feel loved.
Happy Valentine's Day in advance to one and all!
- All purpose Flour - 2 cups + for dusting
- Pink Food Color/ Beetroot Powder - 1/4 tsp
- Boiling Water - 1 cup
- Salt - a pinch
- Chicken Mince - 200 gm
- Whole Spring Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Chilli - 2, chopped
- Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
- Soya Sauce - 2 tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Sesame Oil / Refined oil - 1/2 tsp
- Roasted sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Microgreens (optional) - handful
- Light Soya Sauce - 3 tbsp
- Vinegar - 1 tbsp
- Sesame Oil - 2 tsp
- Chili flakes - 1 tsp
- Minced garlic - 2
- Sesame Seeds - 1/8th tsp
- Mixing Bowl
- Large non stick pan
- Knife
- Airtight containers
Making the chicken filling |
White Dough |
Pink Dough |
Rolling the Dough |
Cutting the Petals |
Filling the Dumpling Wrappers |
Making the Rose |
Shaping the Petals |
Cooking the Dumplings |
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