Jhol Momo

Ingredients

• 350 g plain flour
• 0.5 tsp salt, for the dough
• 200 ml water, for the dough
• 500 g minced buffalo, lamb or chicken
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• large handful coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground
• 1.5 tsp salt, for the filling
• 2 tbsp mustard oil, for the filling
• 3 tomatoes
• 60 g white sesame seeds
• 30 g roasted peanuts
• 4 dried red chillies
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 cm piece ginger
• 0.5 tsp timur, for the jhol
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp mustard oil, for the jhol
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt, for the jhol
• 400 ml hot water

Before you cook

• Chop the onion for the filling as finely as you possibly can, so it does not tear the wrappers.
• Slice the spring onions and chop the coriander.
• Grind the timur in a mortar.
• Halve the tomatoes for charring.
• Line the steamer tiers and brush them with a little oil.

Steps

1. Mix the flour and salt, then add the water gradually and knead for 10 minutes to a firm, elastic dough.
2. Cover the dough and rest it for 30 minutes.
3. Mix the mince with the onion, spring onions, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, cumin, ground coriander, timur, salt and mustard oil.
4. Work the filling with your hand for 2 minutes, until it feels sticky and holds together in a mass.
5. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, until they turn pale gold and begin to jump.
6. Tip the sesame seeds into a blender and set them aside.
7. Char the tomatoes, dried chillies, garlic and ginger in the same dry pan for 6 minutes, turning, until blackened in patches.
8. Peel the charred garlic cloves and drop them into the blender with the tomatoes, chillies, ginger, peanuts, timur, turmeric, salt and 200 ml of the hot water.
9. Blend to a smooth, pourable sauce, adding the rest of the water until it is about the thickness of single cream.
10. Stir the mustard oil and lime juice into the jhol and taste it for salt and sourness.
11. Roll the rested dough into a rope and cut it into 30 pieces.
12. Roll each piece into a 9 cm disc, thin at the edge and slightly thicker in the middle.
13. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of a disc.
14. Pleat the edge with your thumb and forefinger, working round in small folds, and pinch the top firmly closed.
15. Shape the remaining momos the same way and keep them under a damp cloth.
16. Bring the water in the base of the steamer to a hard boil.
17. Arrange the momos with a finger's gap between them and steam for 12 minutes, until the wrappers turn translucent and no longer feel tacky.
18. Warm the jhol through in a pan without letting it boil.
19. Ladle the jhol into wide bowls and float six or seven momos in each.
20. Finish with chopped coriander and serve while the wrappers are still glossy.