Judith Schrut makes friends with the mighty momo.
Raise your hand if you thought only Chinese cooks made fabulous steamed dumplings.
Yeah, me too. Until a few days ago that is, when I was introduced to momos, fresh and fragrant Indian steamed dumplings as prepared by Rajesh Parmar, head chef at West End restaurant Soho Wala. You may recall we checked out Chef Rajesh’s original and tasty Indian street food when Soho Wala first opened its doors earlier this year. Now he’s introducing London diners to the wonderful world of momos, just one of many delicious dishes featured on the restaurant’s new autumn menu.
Momos….the word alone gives off waves of warmth, comfort and tummy hugs….are a South Asian specialty, long popular in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and northern India. They’re made with fresh meat, seafood or veggies, generously seasoned with chili, cumin, coriander and other pungent spices, sealed in soft dough and steamed to fragrant perfection.
Along with some mouthwatering momo-sampling, I was invited to a tasting lunch from Soho Wala’s autumn menu. Especially yumworthy were the hot, crunchy Mirchi matchstick chicken, smokey aubergine Dhungar Baigen Bartha, the gilafi kebab with mint, coriander and homemade garam masala spices and Chef Rajesh’s glorious dessert creation, gulab jamun cheesecake.
Chef Rajesh has also created a special, sharing banquet to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light. This brilliant value (£22.50 per person) street food feast looks perfect for family and friend sharing. Or in the chef’s own words, “London loves Diwali so what better way to celebrate than over a beautiful meal with your loved ones? Our Diwali menu brings the festival inside for meal you won’t forget.”
Soho Wala is at 21 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7HL. The Diwali sharing menu is available from 27 October 2019, £22.50 per person, booking essential. Find out more at sohowala.com.
