Spiced Lamb Dumplings - Nepalese Momos

The recipe for these spiced lamb dumplings is inspired from Nepal and combines many of the spices of India and Tibet. 

If you love Asian-style dumplings, you will enjoy making these. They are filled with a spicy lamb and onion mixture that also includes chiles and lots of spices. These are typically served with a tomato dipping sauce. 

While I used ground lamb for these dumplings, you can also use ground mutton, pork, beef, or chicken. 

While the filling for these momos is spicy, it is not overwhelmingly hot from the chile. In fact, if you have leftover filling, you can actually use it to make lamb burgers! 

Ingredients in These Lamb Momos:

For the Filling:

Ground Lamb. 

Vegetables: Yellow onion, scallions, and medium-hot chile such as a Fresno chile. 

Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics: cilantro, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, garam masala, Sichuan peppercorns, and salt.

For the Dumpling Dough:

Flour, Water, and Salt (optional). 

For the Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce:

Ripe Tomatoes: I used Campari tomatoes.

Fresh Chile: Such as jalapeño or Fresno. 

Spices and Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, cumin, ground Sechuan peppercorns, and salt. 

Herbs: Cilantro or fresh mint.

Lime Juice. 

To Make These Spiced Lamb Momos:

First, combine all of the filling ingredients together and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. You can also prepare it a day in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. 

Next, prepare the wrapper dough. Mix just boiled water and flour together in a food processor and pulse until you have a cohesive dough, just about 10 seconds. While not traditional, you can also add salt to the dough for flavor. 

After that, divide the dough into 32 pieces, roll each out into a 3 1/2 inch circle, and fill each with a scant tablespoon of filling and then wrap up the filling by pleating the dough in the center like a "purse," twisting the top into a circle. My wrapping skills need a little work, but I am pretty happy with how these turned out. 

If they're perfect, they have a little circle on top and the pleats are pretty symetrical. 

Line tiers of a bamboo steamer with parchment rounds and slit the parchment with a knife through the gaps in the steamer. Spray the parchment lightly with spray oil. 

Place the momos in the steamer trays, about an inch apart. 

Place the bamboo steamer into a wok with boiling water and then steam for about 8 to 10 minutes. The momos should look shiny and slightly translucent. 

You can serve these momos directly from the bamboo trays or transfer them to a serving platter. 

To prepare the tomato sauce, first cook the tomatoes and chiles by broiling them on a foil lined baking sheet. 

Place the baking sheet about 4 to 6 inches below the broiler and broil the vegetables for about six minutes, until blackened as pictured. Cover the baking sheet with a dish cloth and let sit for about 15 minutes to steam.

The steam generated will make it super easy to remove the skins with your fingers. 

Equipment You May Need:

Bamboo Steamer: I like having a couple of these for making enough dumplings for a party. 

Mini Rolling Pins: These are great for rolling out the wrappers for these dumplings. 

Food Processor: You can assemble the wrapper dough in just seconds. 

Tips for Success:

Instead of this "satchel" shape, which can be a challenge (I'm still working on it), you can shape the dumplings into half moons (simply fold the dough in half around the filling) or pleated crescents, like pot stickers. 

If you have leftover dumplings, you can pan fry them the next day. 

When rolling out the dough wrappers, use the rolling pin to make the outer edge of the dough thinner. This makes it easier to wrap up the filling. 

Lightly spray the parchment paper with spray oil while it’s in the steamer and slit holes through the paper with a knife to allow the steam to penetrate. 

Sunday Funday:

This week, the Sunday Funday Group is making Momos. Momos are dumpings from Nepal or Tibet and typically made with ground meat, steamed, and made with a dipping sauce. 

• Easy Veg Momos from Cook with Renu (our host)
• Fried Cabbage Momos from Sneha’s Recipe
• Kothey Momo - Himalayan Dumplings from Food Lust People Love
• Spiced Lamb Dumplings - Nepalese Momo from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Spiced Lamb Dumplings - Nepalese Momos

Yield: 32 Dumplings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 2 HourCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 2 H & 20 M

The recipe for these spiced lamb dumplings is originally from Nepal and combines many of the spices of India and Tibet. 

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 12 ounced ground lamb
• 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 Fresno or Jalapeño chile, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 6 tablespoons water

Dumpling Dough

• 10 ounces (2 cups) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup just boiled water

Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

• 3/4 pound ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium-hot chile, such as jalapeño
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped mint leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

To Make the Filling

1. Combine the ingredients together in a large bowl. Use a fork or your hands to mix the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

To Make the Dough

1. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Bring the water to a boil and then set it aside for 1 minute.
2. With the food processor running, drizzle in the water. Continue to process until the dough gathers around the food processor blade.
3. Hand knead the dough for about 30 seconds.
4. Place the dough in a plastic bag and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 32 equal pieces and place them back into a plastic bag.

To Make the Sauce

1. Cut the tomatoes and chile in half and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Place them 6 inches below the broiler element and broil for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a dish towel. After 15 minutes, remove the skins from the tomatoes and chili. 
2. Combine the ingredients with the garlic, ginger, salt, water, juice, and mint leaves.
3. Add the ground cumin and Sichuan peppers.
4. Briefly chop in a mini food processor.

To Make the Momos

1. Line bamboo steamer layers with parchment paper and cut slits so that the steam will rise through the layers of the steamer. Spray the parchment lightly with spray oil. 
2. Roll a dough piece into a 3 1/2 inch circle, making sure the edges are thinner than the middle.
3. Dollop about a scant tablespoon of the lamb mixture in the middle and then gather up the edges in the middle, forming pleats. Place the shaped dumpling onto the parchment lined steamer trays, about 1 to 2 inches apart.
4. Bring water to a boil in a wok and place the covered bamboo steamer over the water so that the water is just high enough but is not touching the dumplings and steam for about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Serve the dumplings in each steamer tray on plates or transfer to a serving dish.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

78

Fat (grams)

4 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

1 g

Carbs (grams)

8 g

Fiber (grams)

0 g

Net carbs

7 g

Sugar (grams)

0 g

Protein (grams)

3 g

Cholesterol (grams)

8 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2026/06/spiced-lamb-dumplings-nepalese-momos.html

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Recipe adapted from  Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyōza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More by Andrea Nguyen.  I have every one of her cookbooks.