Introducing Eudiya

Eudiya Gurung was born and raised in Kalimpong, West Bengal in India. She grew up in the hills nestled within the mountains, where the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak, is clearly visible from Eudiya’s village.

Cooking has been a big part of Eudiya’s life, as being the eldest daughter, most of the meal preparation is her responsibility. Her cooking skills are impressive; she makes everything from Indian favourites like parathas and curries, to Western dishes like breaded lemon chicken and lots of fresh salads.  

When not cooking, you can find Eudiya running in the hills of Lamma Island, often training for a race. She is also a keen volunteer at Hans Andersen Club on Lamma Island, where she visits local elderly residents, giving them haircuts, helping them tidy up their houses, or handing out donations. 

“My employer and all my friends who have tried my cooking know that I give care and attention to the dishes I make. I love cooking and my dream when I retire is to be able to cook for a living and share joy through my food,” Eudiya says.

A brief history of momo

Momo is a type of steamed filled dumpling popular in Kalimpong, which originates from their Himalayan neighbours. There are many variations of momo fillings which include meat, vegetables, or cheese. They are traditionally steamed, but can be fried, or served in soup.

In Eudiya’s recipe, she uses minced pork and chhurpi, a traditional Nepalese cheese with a soft consistency, similar to ricotta. She serves it with a tomato, chilli, and chhurpi dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Filling:

• 700g minced pork
• 1 ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 5 sprigs coriander, roughly chopped
• 3 inches ginger, chopped and blended
• a pinch of salt

Wrapper:

• 700g all-purpose flour
• 2 cups water

Dipping sauce:

• 2pcs large tomatoes, blanched
• 5pcs birds-eye chillies, roughly chopped
• 250g soft chhurpi

You will also need a rolling pin and a steamer, plus a small amount of vegetable oil to grease the base of the steamer (if you do not own a steamer, a big heat-resistant plate on a metal trivet with legs, placed in a wok or large shallow pan with about 5cm of water, also works well).

Method

Filling:

1. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients well, either with a spatula or by hand. Eudiya suggests mixing it by hand to get the proper consistency. Set aside while you make the wrapper and the dipping sauce

Wrapper:

1. Place the all-purpose flour in a bowl and slowly add water while mixing until you get a bouncy consistency. Make sure that the mixture is not wet or too soft, the dough must be able to hold its shape; you may need more or less water depending on the flour 
2. Once it comes together, start kneading the dough. Knead with the knuckles of your finger, applying pressure 
3. Keep kneading until the dough feels soft and pliable. If it feels hard/tight, add a little water and knead again. If it feels too sticky/soft, add some dry flour and mix
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or paper towel for around 20 minutes. Make the dipping sauce in the meantime
5. Make 3-4cm dough balls with the palms of your hands
6. Using a rolling pin, shape the balls into circles, around 10cm in diameter 

Dipping sauce:

1. Place the blanched tomatoes, chillies and chhurpi in a blender and give it a quick blitz until the mixture is smooth

Making the dumplings:

1. Take about a teaspoon full of the filling and place in the centre of the circular wrapper
2. Fold the circle in half, making sure the filling stays inside and in the middle
3. Seal the dumpling by pressing the edges gently to make 4-5 pleats
4. Grease the bottom of the steamer with some vegetable oil to prevent the dumplings from sticking to it
5. Make sure the water at the bottom of the steamer is on a rolling boil. Place the dumplings in the steamer pot around 1-2 cm apart
6. Steam for 8-10 minutes, checking often to ensure they are not overcooked, which can make the wrappers disintegrate
7. Serve hot with dipping sauce