I have been fond of momos ever since my younger days. Those days the dumplings from Tibet and Nepal were not as popular in the cities as they are today. Availability of momos in Kolkata where I grew up were restricted to a small hole in the wall place called “Hamro Momo” (if I remember correctly) between Elgin Road and Exide Crossing (known as “Chloride” those days). The momos there came with a fiery chilli chutney and a thin meat soup which was divine.
As I started travelling to the mountains, I had more chances to try out momos, with different shapes and tastes. Ladakh to Himachal, Nepal to Sikkim and North Bengal, you have these beauties everywhere each with its own twist. As time passed, they travelled downhill to the plains with even small towns having their own momo places. Initially in Hyderabad, there was this small place Anne’s Kitchen in a lane next to Paradise. Now of course, there are many more choices.
Enough of rumblings and rememberances of this old man. What I want to talk about today is readymade momos at the convenience of your homes. If you are not adept at making momos yourself do not sweat, now there are options available where you can just give last touches to momos already prepared for you. Prasuma a company with a few decades of experience in meat products has come out with its own range which can be prepared in a jiffy and enjoyed or served to your guests. The momos are easy to “finish” – you can either heat in microwave for two minutes, steam them or pan fry with a little oil.
One thing I liked about these momos are their thin wrappers. Often when you try out the momos outside you find the dough cover quite thick. Here the wrappers are lightweight, and made using some Japanese technology as stated by Prasuma. The fillings are of moderate but adequate quantity. Each packet is accompanied by a Momo Sauce, a nice chilli based dip, though I would have liked it to be a bit fierier, as you get in the hills.
Coming to the flavours, they have the original plain vanilla versions as some adapted ones closer to the palate of people in the plains. My favourite was the Cheesy Spicy Veg, with the melted cheese, corn and veggies giving it a special taste. The Original Chicken version is again very good, much resembling the chicken momos you get in the hills. Then there is a Spicy Chicken version with a bit more zing than the earlier one. Somehow I did not quite dig the Chilli Prawn momos, maybe my expectation was a bit different.
Prasuma also has Classic Mutton and Original Pork versions which I have not tasted so far. At a friend’s house they did the momos in an air-fryer and the taste really turned out to be brilliant. If you want to prepare some dishes from the momos, you have some recipes available at their site (www.prasuma.com). The momos are available at major outlets as well as through food delivery apps.
