What Is Jhol Momo? Nepal's Momos in Spiced Broth

Jhol momo is steamed momos served in a bowl of warm, thin, spiced sauce called jhol achar. Plain momos come with achar on the side for dipping. Here the momos sit in it. The jhol is made from tomato, roasted sesame, chilli, garlic and timmur, and it's tangy, nutty and spicy, somewhere between a sauce and a soup.

Jhol means a thin gravy or broth in Nepali, so the name is just momos in broth. It's a Kathmandu momo-shop specialty that has spread with the Nepali diaspora, which is why more people in New Zealand are searching for it. Here's what's in it, how it's made, and how it compares to the other kinds of momo.

What's in the jhol?

Every kitchen's jhol is different, but most are built from the same few things.

• Roasted sesame seeds, sometimes with soybeans or peanuts. This gives jhol its nutty body and its slightly cloudy, orange colour.
• Tomato, charred or cooked down, for the base and the tang.
• Dried or fresh chilli, garlic and ginger for the heat.
• Timmur, the Nepali cousin of Sichuan pepper, for a faint numbing tingle.
• Something sour, traditionally lapsi, a Nepali hog plum. Outside Nepal it's usually lemon or lime.
• Water or momo stock to thin it down to a pourable, soupy consistency.

How jhol momo is made

It's the momos you already know plus one extra step, so it's very doable at home.

1. Dry-roast the sesame seeds until golden and fragrant.
2. Fry cumin, dried chilli, garlic and ginger in a little oil, then add tomato and cook it down.
3. Blend it all with the sesame, timmur, salt and lemon into a smooth paste.
4. Thin it with water or stock, then simmer for a few minutes and taste for salt, sour and heat.
5. Steam the momos, put them straight into a deep bowl, and ladle the hot jhol over them. Finish with coriander and spring onion.

The usual mistake is a jhol that's too thick. It should run off a spoon like a soup, not cling like a dip.

How to eat jhol momo

With a spoon, not chopsticks. Scoop up a momo with some jhol, eat it in one or two bites, and go carefully with the first because the filling holds hot juice. When the momos are gone, drink the jhol that's left. Many people think that's the best part.

Is jhol momo spicy?

Usually spicier than plain momos. With steamed momos, you decide how much achar goes on each one. With jhol momo the chilli is already in the sauce. The sesame rounds it off, so it's more of a warm build than a sharp burn, and most momo shops will make it milder if you ask.

Jhol momo vs other kinds of momo

• Steamed momo: the original. Soft wrappers, juicy filling, achar on the side for dipping. Start here if you've never had momos.
• Jhol momo: steamed momos in a soupy sesame and tomato sauce. Wetter, tangier and spicier.
• Kothey momo: pan-fried on one side, like a potsticker, so you get a crisp base and a soft top.
• Fried momo: deep-fried until crisp all over.
• C-momo: chilli momo. Steamed or fried momos tossed in a sticky Indo-Chinese chilli sauce with onion and capsicum.

The fillings are the same across all of them: chicken, buff (water buffalo) or vegetable. If you're wondering how momos differ from other dumplings, we cover that in momo vs dumpling.

Where to get momos in Auckland

A straight answer: we don't serve jhol momo at Snax right now. Our momos are steamed and come with a tomato and chilli achar for dipping, in chicken, buff and vegetarian. If what you're really after is momos with something warm and brothy, order a plate alongside a bowl of thukpa, our Himalayan noodle soup. Dip, then chase it with broth.

You'll find both on the menu, and you can order for pickup or delivery from our shop on Commerce Street in Auckland CBD. For what to look for in a good momo wherever you eat it, read how to tell the best momos in Auckland.