This story might sound all too familiar to
you, a fine day with sparse isolated drizzles around the city, the usual
humdrum of Kolkata traffic, the regular voices of loud debating neighbours, and
the smell of tea from a neighbouring stall whiffed into the room.
A picturesque sight similar to that of an
artsy movie credit scene... when all of a sudden you feel the lusty craving for
hot, steaming, soft, and chunky momos! You immediately call your friend and put
on proper pants to rush out to the nearby momo-wala
and although it’s 42 degrees outside, you gorge on to steaming hot momos with
its staple clear soup companion, while standing in the busy road surrounded by
other fellow momo-fanatics.
Big droplets of sweat trickle down from
your rushed forehead and form an embarrassing sweat moustache above your lips.
But you hardly have the time to care; you took this journey by choice and you
mustn’t stop unless you have your shirt tightened by the turgidity of your
momo-filled stomach.
While this may be the tale of your
occasional journey to the momo stall, but have you ever imagined how far this
soft, plump smoky dumpling has travelled for you?!
You may feel that the momo looks quite at
home in this dusty, Kolkata street-side stall in the torturous humid weather
being pushed further into its own inferno while patiently seated in those
stacked hotpots. But the truth is that momos are probably one of those foods
that have travelled the farthest distance. They have also evolved a great deal
over the years, from its usual pork stuffing to customized chicken recipes to
the vegetarians’ choice of assorted greens or cottage cheese. But India is not
even the place of its origin yet has gone on to adopt it as its own, obviously
with its own set of tasty twists.
Long ago, Indians from regions apart from
Sikkim and the Northeast would consider momos an exotic delight. It was not a
part of their traditional cuisine and a recent addition to their adventurous.
But now the story is different. Food entrepreneurs prepare momos in bulk and
serve to local kiosks and food stalls to be steamed and served hot with a
strange chilli sauce that burns the tongue yet people cannot get enough of it.
In reality the momo has its residence in
multiple states of the Northeast in India, each with their own twists added to
it. Shilong is a state where momo can be obtained very easily and it does feel
right at home. The state offers delicious dumplings which you can expect to be
full of meaty fillings, with light shells and goes with spicy chutney. But do
not confuse yourself imagining it is a part of the local khasi cuisine. Instead
credit must be given to the Chinese community who reside in Shilong and have
made it their home, thereby introducing Chinese delicacies like momo which is
traditionally Tibetan.
But traditionally it is among the tribes of
Arunachal Pradesh like Monpa and Sherduka who share a border with Tibet and
momos are a staple in their diet. Instead of our vegetarian versions, their
versions usually house consist of stuffed minced pork coupled with green
veggies and a bite of mustard leaves. Like our momo servings they also
accompany these dumplings with chilli sauce.
The closest cousin of a Tibetan momo can
however be obtained in Sikkim. The native communities of Lepchas, Bhutias and
Nepalese have it on the daily menu as a comfort food. It is very much a part of
their diet and the aluminium momo steamer present in every native Sikkimese
home is constantly in use. So, much so that this immigrant momo has pushed the
traditional state dish of hyontoen off the plate. In fancy restaurants of
Sikkim the momo is served with some radish or cucumber salad. The usual
stuffing in them is either pork or beef, but slowly vegetables, cottage cheese
and chicken momos are gaining grounds.
The Tibet of the 1960s seems to have
scattered their cuisine across India where most of their authentic counterparts
took home in Sikkim, Meghalaya, and the hill towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong
with other planar cities like Kolkata and Delhi joining in the food parade.
So, here was the tale of momos of their
travel from the hilly terrain of Tibet to on your very plain plate in Kolkata.
But the bottom line remains that wherever momos may come from, they will
forever be the food for satiating souls.
If you are a momo-lover as well, then the
words Momo I Am discount offers will
be music to your ears. And that is exactly what you can expect to hear from
your YUP Card subscription. For more details on other discount offers subscribe
to YUP Card and enjoy the best foods around Kolkata at pocket-friendly prices.
