"Tibetan" momos

(I say "Tibetan," because these are fairly adapted from the traditional version).

These recipes are not my original creation, although I did make some alterations from my sources.  Sources are listed at the end.

I realize I called this blog "Easy" and this post isn't really easy.  Oh well.  I was thrilled to figure out a way to eat momos again, so I am making an exception.  I rarely put this much effort into food... but... momos!!

Night before:

Put 2 c. dry adzuki beans and 8 c. water in the slow cooker and look on Low for 8 hours.  Drain off the extra water when you start cooking the next day.

Start off easy and make two dipping sauces:

1. Tahini sauce (particularly good if you only want to make one)

With a wineglass, cut out 4" circles of dough and as you go, add about 1T+ filling to the center.  Then fold the dough circle in half and pinch shut to make crescent momos or pull the dough together in a "top-knot" to make the other kind.  (I think the crescents are ideal for soup, the other kind are nicer for dipping, but harder to make.  I actually gave up on making the other kind.)

At this point, you can finish the momos in several different ways:

If you're making soup, leave the momos be for a minute, make the soup, and then come back and deal with this.

1.  Freeze them as they are for later cooking (boil 3 minutes).

2.  Fry them in safflower oil until brown and crispy on the outside (I think you could also steam them to save, refrigerate, and reheat via frying).

3.  Steam them in batches for about 15 minutes.

At this point, you should take a break and have a snack.  Why else make all this if you don't get to snack on it?

Make the soup:

In a big pot over medium heat, add:

2 boxes no-chicken stock (8 c.)

2-3 T. oil (peanut and sesame?)

2 T. chile bean paste

2 c. sliced shitake tops (and their stems, left whole)

And whatever extra beans and fillings you had left after making the momos

Plus 1 c. or so cabbage/carrot mix

Scallions for garnish 

Bring to a boil and then simmer until you like it.  Remove mushroom stems (or pick them out later if you want).  

If you have momos left to cook, you could turn the heat off the soup and let it sit covered.  Add salt if you want.

For these recipes, except the momo dough, I referred to Beyond the Great Wall:  recipes and travels in the other China (2008) by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.   The soup is very close to their Yi Market Noodles, p. 126.  The tahini sauce is from their Noodles with Sesame Sauce, p. 149.  And the Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce is found on p. 151.

The filling recipe I made up.

For the momo dough, I adapted the egg noodle recipe from Simply Gluten Free, a website that can be found here:  http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/01/gluten-free-fresh-pasta.html.