Momos Chutney Recipe | Momo Sauce

Streets bustling with momo carts and hawkers in almost each and every corner of the country is a common sight today. While there’s a galore of momos to choose from, the whole ‘momo eating spree’ is still incomplete if a plate arrives without the firecracker Momos Chutney a.k.a Momo Sauce in it. This Momos Chutney recipe is made with tomatoes, red chilies and garlic. Is vegan and gluten-free too.

Momos Chutney

Momos Chutney is a spicy, fiery chutney condiment that is served as a dip with momos – which are Tibetan style dumplings. In India, momos is a famous street food snack. There are a variety of momos made and these are mostly served with this spicy chutney.

Wherever I am, even if at home, it is non-negotiable for me to let go of the Momos Chutney or Momo Sauce and only have the momos. Because this is a special combination of flavors, textures and taste that is awesome.

I mean nothing can beat the happiness and contentment that one gets by consuming a momo laced with the fiery tomato chili chutney. And what better than to cook this uber essential chutney at home. So, a post solely dedicated to this Momos Chutney recipe was paramount for me.

Also, because after posting the Veg Momos Recipe, I had started getting a lot of requests for the Momos Chutney recipe too. For obvious reasons! Somehow, it kept getting delayed. But the day I made the Wheat Momos, I decided to make this Momos Sauce too and post it.

This particular Momos Chutney recipe is inspired from a cookbook that I have on Nepali cuisine. I have made some changes in the original recipe, that is, subtracted a few ingredients and added a few other.

About This Recipe

One of the very typical ingredients of this Momos Chutney recipe, that I want to shed some light on is the Sichuan pepper. This is what imparts a certain kind of pungency and a distinct taste that’s needed in this particular chutney.

Since it can be quite a task to source this unique pepper type everywhere, you may skip using it. Yes, there’s bound to be some loss in the flavor in the Momos Chutney because of that, but it still will be really good and palatable. If you’re in Maharashtra or Goa, the alternative to this pepper can be ‘triphal’ or ‘teppal.’

The bright red hue of this Momos Chutney depends on the variety of red chilies that you’re going to use. And it may vary accordingly. The two most common types that you can consider for this chutney are Kashmiri red chilies or Byadgi red chilies.

These red chilies will also make a difference in the heat quotient of this Momos Chutney recipe. I used medium spicy red chilies. You may use spicier ones, less or more in number, to get just the right level of fieriness suiting your palate.

How to make Momos Chutney

Cook Tomatoes and Chillies

1. First rinse 2 medium to large tomatoes (145 grams) in water a few times. Break or chop 3 to 4 dried red chilies and remove the seeds with a small spoon.

Heat 3 cups water in a pan and let it come to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add the tomatoes and red chilies in it.

2. Begin to boil the tomatoes and dried red chilies on medium heat.

3. Cook them for a total of about 8 to 9 minutes. You will see that the peels on the tomatoes have shrunk, got cracked and separated.

4. Then, carefully drain the water using a strainer and allow the tomatoes and red chilies to cool at room temperature.

Make Momos Chutney

5. When the tomatoes warm or cool down, slice off the top eye part. Peel the skins. Roughly chop or crush them and add in a blender jar along with its juices.

Or you can just crush them with your hands while adding in the blender jar. Also, add the red chilies along with 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 1 Sichuan pepper (optional).

6. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar and salt as per taste.

7. Without adding water, blend to a fine and smooth consistency. After blending, you can strain the chutney if you prefer.

8. Remove the Momos Chutney in a bowl and serve with momos. You can even refrigerate the chutney and it stays good for about 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions

This Momo Sauce is absolutely smashing with first, all momos. Next, you can serve it with fritters, pakoda, tikki or patties and even dosa, appam and idli. Or make spicy sandwiches, wraps and rolls with it.

Expert Tips

1. Want that extra spicy kick from the chutney? Add more red chilies. If you can’t handle too much heat or making the chutney for kids, reduce the quantity accordingly and also deseed the chilies.
2. The tomatoes and dried red chilies are boiled for a smoother blending process. If you don’t want to boil, you can soak them too in hot water, for a good amount of time.
3. Ensure to use ripe tomatoes and fresh, tender garlic cloves to make this Momo Sauce. You can even roast the garlic slightly to give a smoky flavor to the chutney.
4. Want a thicker chutney? Add a few blanched almonds while blending. This will alter the taste a bit, but it is going to be a nice, nutty flavor in the chutney. Make sure the nuts are not rancid or old.
5. If the tomatoes are too tart, adjust the quantity of sugar accordingly. Alternatively, you can skip adding sugar too.
6. For leftover Momos Chutney, put it in an airtight container/box and refrigerate. Just make sure to consume within 1 to 2 days.

FAQs

This Momos Chutney recipe from the blog archives first published in September 2016 has been republished and updated on 5 June 2022.