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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes > Indian Street food Recipes

    Vegan Momos

    Posted: Apr 23, 2015 ยท Updated: Feb 26, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    These vegan Momos, traditional Tibetan dumplings that look like little purses, are stuffed with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers and onions. This is a perfect appetizer, and it makes for a great snack too. A vegan, nut-free, soy-free recipe.

    Vegan Momos in a white dish with chopsticks and red sauce

    High on the roof of the world, where they were born, Momos are fat little dumplings stuffed with yak meat and vegetables. But today, for you, I have a seasonal -- and vegan -- version with one of my most favorite flavors in the world: artichoke hearts.

    My memories of eating great Momos are tied with Ladakh, an enchanting region nestled high in the Himalayas in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is dotted -- rather paradoxically -- by Buddhist monks and the Indian military, both as a result of its strategic location: it sits smack-dab next to Tibet and, therefore, China, which has a long-running border dispute with India.

    Vegan Tibetan Momos, dumplings stuffed with stir-fry veggies

    Ladakh's beauty is overwhelming -- and does a better job of sucking the air out of your lungs than even the dizzying altitude can. The drama begins even as the tiny plane wings its way precariously between the craggy mountains to the small, rustic-looking airport. Once you touch land, thousands of feet higher than where you were just an hour ago, you are surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan peaks. The landscape, in shades of black, white and brown, is stark and barren. Here and there a lake or a river startles you with a vivid, jewel-like blue or green. Monasteries and palaces are stacked almost haphazardly along the mountainsides.

    pangong lake
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    Our hotel was in Leh, the largest town in Ladakh. During the day we'd take off in a car with a local driver who could expertly negotiate hairpin bends in the narrow, Himalayan roads, driving even higher than we already were to places like Pangong Tso, an ethereal lake that straddles India and Tibet. In the evenings, we'd walk down to the buzzing street market in Leh. We were always followed by one or more of the dozens of stray dogs who lived along the route --friendly creatures looking for some food. They'd bond with us immediately, eager for a friendly pat on the back and for anything you had to give. Once at the market, they'd try their luck with the food vendors -- many of them Tibetan exiles -- selling bread rolls, momos, lassi and salt tea.

    051308kolata0021

    Desi and I do not eat street food while traveling in India (a lesson I learned the hard way during my first trip back after we had moved to the United States-- I was determined that as a native Bombay girl, my belly could stand anything. I was wrong). But we were lucky enough to have a Tibetan cook at our hotel who made Momos and other Tibetan foods for us. The momos were delicious-- juicy and succulent -- and I was hooked.

    Vegan Tibetan Momos, dumplings stuffed with stir-fry veggies
    Vegan Tibetan Momos, dumplings stuffed with stir-fry veggies

    For my vegan Momos Stuffed with Artichoke Hearts, I followed the traditional style of making these little dumplings to the T. If you've never made these-- or any kind of dumplings -- before, don't panic. Momos are surprisingly easy to make, and chances that you will mess them up range from zero to none. The only technique you need to exercise is when you seal up the dumplings, and so long as you get an airtight seal, who cares how perfect they look? Trust me, you'll get better with practice.

    Besides the artichoke hearts, I added a number of other veggies into the mix - onions, mushrooms, green peppers, carrots and spring onion greens. The momos themselves are minimally seasoned, ceding flavor to the red sauce that usually accompanies them. There are many versions of this sauce, but mine I made with roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic. It was mindblowingly good.

    So here they are, my vegan Momos with Artichoke Hearts. You'll love 'em.

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    Vegan Tibetan Momos, dumplings stuffed with stir-fry veggies
    Vegan Momos in a white dish with chopsticks and red sauce

    Vegan Momos Recipe

    These vegan Momos, traditional Tibetan dumplings that look like little purses, are stuffed with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers and onions. This is a perfect appetizer, and it makes for a great snack too. A vegan, nut-free, soy-free recipe.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Appetiser
    Cuisine: Tibetan
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: vegan momo, Vegan vegetable momos
    Prep Time: 30 mins
    Cook Time: 1 hr
    Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
    Servings: 12 momos
    Calories: 103kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    For the momo stuffing:

    • 1 medium onion (minced)
    • 2 cups artichoke hearts (frozen, thawed and roughly chopped)
    • 1 large carrot (grated)
    • 10 cremini mushrooms (minced)
    • 6 scallions (minced)
    • 1 green bell pepper (grated or finely minced)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic (grated or crushed)
    • 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
    • 2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

    For the wrappers:

    • 1 cup all purpose flour (You can try whole wheat or a combination of whole wheat and APF. I like the all-purpose version the best because the whole wheat momos come out a little dense, but they're still tasty.)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • Water for kneading the dough

    For the red sauce:

    • 2 large tomatoes
    • 2 dry red chili peppers (peppers with moderate heat like Kashmiri or ancho peppers will do)
    • 12 cloves garlic
    • Salt to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Make the wrapper dough:

    • Make the dough for the momo wrappers, by placing the flour in a bowl with the salt and oil. Add a little water at a time and knead to make a fairly pliable dough.
    • Set the dough aside for about 30 minutes to relax.

    Make the filling:

    • Heat the oil in a saucepan.
    • Add all the vegetables except the artichokes and spring onions. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Add ginger and garlic.
    • Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until all the moisture from the vegetables have evaporated and they are tender.
    • Add the artichoke hearts and spring onions and cook until they are just tender, 2-3 minutes.
    • Add soy sauce and more salt if needed. Turn off the heat.

    Assemble the momos:

    • Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then roll it out into a circle about 3 inches in diameter.
    • Place 2 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of the circle.
    • Pick up one end of the wrapper and start forming the momo by pinching the edges up to the top, pleating them as you go. Once you've gathered all of the edges, ping them together at the top to seal them. You can also just make half-moon shapes by placing the filling slightly off-center, then folding one half of the circle over the other, and crimping the edges together with a fork.
    • Heat some water in a pot fitted with a steamer. You can just use any vegetable steamer for this. Brush or spray the steamer with some oil to prevent the momos from sticking.
    • When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, arrange the momos in the steamer basket, making sure you leave at least ยฝ an inch between them.
    • Cover tightly and steam the momos for 9 minutes. The wrappers will turn translucent when they're ready.
    • Remove and serve hot with the red sauce.

    Make the red sauce:

    • Place the tomatoes in a foil-lined baking sheet. Cut off the top of the garlic bulb so the tops of the cloves are exposed, wrap the bulb in foil, and place next to the tomatoes.
    • Roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.
    • In a skillet, dry-roast the red chilies until they darken a shade or two.
    • Place the roasted tomatoes, garlic (discard the skins) and chilies in a blender. Zap until you have a fairly smooth sauce.
    • Remove to a bowl and serve with the momos.

    Recipe notes

    • Nutrition info is for one momo.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1momo | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1685IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alicia

      February 26, 2021 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      These momos are a great hit with my family. The artichoke filling is especially good and it works really well for the meat eating folks in my family too. Your recipes are always hits. I did use less garlic in the sauce and it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 26, 2021 at 4:24 pm

        So happy to hear, Alicia! Glad you enjoyed the momos. โค๏ธ

        Reply
    2. Chhaya Yadav

      September 18, 2020 at 2:23 am

      Vaishali have you been to Spiti Valley ? I have a feeling we have met i guess, there was a kind girl who helped with her driver and others to push our car when it got stuck on the ground / road as the stones under the tire just moved about. Was it you, well then thank you once again. We made it !

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        September 18, 2020 at 12:08 pm

        Hi Chhaya, it wasnโ€™t me, but happy youโ€™re safe and that I reminded you of someone nice. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Mary-Ann

      March 01, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      Made these tonight! First time making dumplings. Found the filling and the sauce easy to follow but struggled with the dough. I don't think I got the right consistency and when I came to roll them out the dough just kept contracting. I chickened out and as a fall back put the filling into heated tortillas. It was still delicious even if it lacked the wow factor of the little dumplings.

      Any tips on how to improve my dough. I didn't put all the water in but stopped when it was already sticky and pliable. Also left it to rest before rolling.

      Reply
    4. Sheela

      April 28, 2015 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      Hey Vaishali, Hope all is well on your side.
      Momo pics looks so yummy!! Veg Momo's in Indo-Nepal restaurant is my favorite on their menu.
      Although, the recipe listed looks tedious still looks like a doable project in the kitchen. Something to try in the coming weekend ๐Ÿ™‚ Because it is steamed, guess we can afford to eat few more bites lol I am all about portion control for the past one year as I have been working out religiously and also noticing it is so hard to shed pounds once you are on the right side of 3 "0" :)))
      Nevertheless, I baked your good old banana cake last week as I wanted to carry some sweet treat for all my little friends who had come to work last Thursday as it was "bring your daughter/son to work". My colleagues who sit right beside my work station came with their kids, so adorable. Especially the one with three kids, twin boys and a sister. Good lord! They covered my wall with their art work and one art piece said "I am watching you, don't eat my banana cake" lol

      More recipes bookmarked from your site...work in progress!
      A big hug.
      Sheela

      Reply
      • Vaishali Honawar

        April 29, 2015 at 4:41 pm

        Hi Sheela, that's so great about the banana cake-- thanks for the nice note. ๐Ÿ™‚ So glad your little friends liked it. And kudos to you for staying on track with your workouts. With a child at home now, I find it harder and harder to keep up with mine, although I try to get some long walks in. Hugs back to you. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. lillian

      April 27, 2015 at 11:19 am

      They look so wonderful that I want to eat one now! I will definitely try to make these, as I love artichokes, too. I loved reading about Lada , as well.

      Reply
      • lillian

        April 27, 2015 at 11:20 am

        Darn auto correct! I meant Ladakh, not Lada.

        Reply
        • Vaishali Honawar

          April 27, 2015 at 12:57 pm

          Thanks, Lillian. Glad you enjoyed reading about Ladakh. Hope you try the momos! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
    6. Rosalie Livingstone

      April 24, 2015 at 9:54 pm

      I am bookmarking these to make! 1. I never met a dumpling that I didn't like. 2. I love artichokes.
      Perfect.

      Reply
      • Vaishali Honawar

        April 27, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks, Rosalie. Hope you try 'em! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Rusty M

      April 24, 2015 at 1:01 pm

      For the momos, at the bottom of the list of ingredients you have 1 tsp salt and then 1 tsp vegetable. Is that supposed to be vegetable oil? I can't wait to try these!

      Reply
      • Vaishali Honawar

        April 24, 2015 at 1:09 pm

        Hi Rusty, yes, vegetable oil. Thanks for pointing out the slip!

        Reply
    8. Heather Duross

      April 23, 2015 at 2:03 pm

      These look great, I've seen a few recipes with artichokes lately so I'm curious to try them out!

      One quick question - for the red sauce, what do you mean by 2 dry red peppers?

      thanks!

      Reply
      • Vaishali Honawar

        April 23, 2015 at 2:05 pm

        Hi Heather, two dry red chili peppers. I'll clarify. Thanks!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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