Apart from Veg-Chicken-Mutton, there are many more flavored momos available in the market. Even chocolate momos went viral at one point. But a momo that has become popular recently, the filling inside the jar is not a wonder, but a very common vegetable!
Limbu Kitchen in Delhi's Chittaranjan Park has been getting crowded lately. Behind the scenes is a special term here—Squash Momo. Delhiites' love for momos is not new. The many Tibetan and Nepalese momo shops in the city's Oligli are proof of that. But at a small eatery in South Delhi, people wait for hours for a particular momo. The filling of which is made with squash.
Squash is actually a gourd or gourd-like vegetable, known in many places as iskus or iskusho. Bengalis also often cook and eat squash curry with potatoes. In terms of taste, squash is a bit like turnip or cauliflower. Squash is widely used in the home cooking of various communities in the Himalayan region. 'Iskuse ko momo' is a well-known regional term, especially in Nepali and Darjeeling-Kalimpong cuisine. But the never before seen momo has become popular in India's capital city. Rather, the demand for non-vegetarian food has always been high there.
To make this momo, squash is first harvested. Due to the high water content of the vegetable, Kurono squash is salted and kept for a while, then the water is squeezed out well. Then onion, ginger and coriander leaves are mixed with it. A little hot oil is also added to make the pura tastier. This is then filled into a thin coating of dough, shaped into momos and steamed. According to sources, Limbu Kitchen's Squash Momo tastes slightly sweet and juicy inside.
As the discussion about this post is increasing on social media too, the curiosity of the general public has also increased. Many people come from far away to Chittaranjan Park and stand in line. Will the taste of the squash momo really outstrip the traditional veg-chicken purr momo? Tamam momo lovers may not agree, but the fact that Limbu Kitchen's 'Iskus Ko Momo' has given a new taste to a traditional mountain cuisine to the plains can't be ignored.