Momo (i.e. Nepali Dumplings)

Mmmmm....I want some mo' momo!  At least that is what my husband always says.  He's so punny!

I once spent a summer in San Francisco.  It was the summer after my freshman year of college.  And it was amazing!  I credit that summer with making me much of who I am today.  I spent a lot of time wandering the city and soul searching.  Spending most of my free time alone or with my 6 month old niece (who I was a nanny too).  I think I wrote lots of poetry sitting on the beach.  You know, being artsy and all that.

But you know what was the most life changing part of that summer?

Learning how to make momo!

My brother-in-law is from Nepal.  Much of the food we ate that summer was rice and dahl (lentils).  He also had an amazing ability to make the most delicious vegetable pasta dishes--I'm not sure where that come from.  But one day we went to some friends' house for momo.  I had no idea what a treat I was in for.

Greened Asian Steamed Buns with two dipping sauces

I love steamed buns. When I was living in San Francisco one summer I rarely missed an opportunity to step into a little shop with display cases loaded with these warm buns filled with some exotic (to me) ingredients.  They were a cheap and filling food.  A dollar could buy me 2 or more steamed buns which would last me a couple of hours exploring the city. 

Among the many things I miss about San Francisco, these buns are high on my list.  I never thought about making them at home until I saw a few bun recipes online.  They had seemed so shrouded in mystery before then.  I guess I assumed it took years of training with some guru of steamed buns to produce good results.  And of course, being of Asian decent or having immersed yourself in the culture for several years would also be a requirement.  Sadly, on both counts, I was out of luck.