Quick And Easy Spicy Momos Chutney Recipe

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Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · tomato and red chili sauce, toasted nuts, balanced heat

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Momos are one of the most popular street-food items in India! They’re an Indo-Chinese fusion snack, originating from Nepal, that are little bundles of delight! Momos are typically served with a hot and spicy chili and tomato-based chutney, which is what we’ll be making today! Momos were one of my favorite snacks growing up, and that creamy red chutney packed with heat was totally iconic! It’s super fast and easy to make, and you’ll love the smooth and creamy texture of it!

As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, having a theme can help you with inspiration to try out new recipes! If you’ve wanted to make momos as part of a fusion theme, then this momo sauce recipe is the perfect pair to have a complete street-side experience! If you’ve wanted to explore more Indo-Chinese cooking, then you definitely must make this street-style momo chutney recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! I list plenty of other snack ideas to pair with this chutney, so you will certainly be well on your way to trying out lots of delicious new recipes!

Be sure to watch the video to follow along with the process from start to finish of how to make this smooth and spicy chutney for momos! I’d love it if you’d subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to hit the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get blending!

Dietary Information for Spicy Momos Chutney

This Nepali spicy momo chutney recipe is…

• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Gluten-free

Tools Needed to Make This Momo Sauce Recipe

• Blender
• Saucepan
• Tongs
• Cutting board
• Paring knife
• Ramekins
• Non-stick pan
• Spatula

Ingredients for the Best Spicy Momos Chutney

All ingredients and their quantities can be found by scrolling at the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card, or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can save the recipe for later and scale the recipe based on how much spicy momo chutney you want to make so that you’ve got the perfect amount of all ingredients, no mental math required!

• Tomatoes
• Water
• Dried red chilies
• Cumin seeds
• Garlic
• Cashews: Alternatively, you can use peanuts.
• Rice vinegar
• Coriander seeds
• Sugar
• Salt

How to Make Easy Spicy Momos Chutney

Fill a saucepan halfway with water and add the tomato halves and dried red chilies.

Cook until the tomatoes and chilies have softened and the tomato skin is starting to peel off.

In the meantime, add the cashews, cumin seeds and coriander seeds to a pan and roast for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.

Transfer the roasted cashews, cumin seeds and coriander seeds to a food processor or high powered blender, along with the tomatoes and red chilies. Don't add any water.

Add garlic cloves, sugar, salt and rice vinegar. Blend until smooth, alternatively you can blend until the texture is coarse.

Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Tips for Perfect Spicy Momos Chutney

• Boil the red chilies and tomatoes until the tomatoes are softened and the tomato skin starts to peel off. This will allow the tomatoes to release flavor, become sweeter and give a bright red color to the chutney.
• Instead of cashew nuts, you can also use peanuts or almonds soaked in water and with their skin peeled. The nuts helps add richness to the chutney and give a smooth creamy texture.
• The coriander and cumin seeds are optional, they add a ton of fragrance and a unique flavor to the chutney. Try experimenting with and without the whole spices and let me know which version you prefer.
• The chutney tastes the best when it is not chilled in the fridge. Before serving, warm slightly or let it come up to room temperature and enjoy pairing it with your favorite variety of momos.

Serving Suggestions for Momos Chutney

As the name suggests, this chutney is most commonly served with momos! I’ll be serving this with my Chicken Momos recipe, and it’s also amazing with vegetarian momos of course! However, there’s no need to limit serving this delicious chutney with momos! There are plenty of other dishes you can use your chutney for dipping!

• Breads: Rotis or parathas, or even stuffed parathas like Aloo Paratha, Paneer Paratha, Broccoli-Cheese Paratha, Gobhi Paratha, or Chicken Keema Paratha.
• Snacks: Mushroom Puff Patty, Paneer Jalfrezi Samoas, Indo-Chinese Chicken Lollipops, Air Fryer Aloo Chaat, Aloo Cutlets.
• Rice: Plain Basmati Rice, Jeera Rice, Pudina-Dhanya (Mint-Cilantro) Pulao, Turmeric Rice, Vegetable Pulao.

What Is Momo Chutney?

Momo chutney is the fiery red dipping sauce served alongside momos, the steamed dumplings that came to India by way of Nepal and Tibet and became one of the country’s favorite street foods. This version leans on the classic combination: tomatoes and dried red chilies simmered together until soft, then blended with roasted cashews, cumin and coriander seeds, garlic, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. No water goes into the blender, so the chutney stays thick and clings to a dumpling instead of running off it.

How to Control the Spice Level

The heat here comes entirely from dried Kashmiri red chilies, which is exactly why they are worth seeking out — they give a deep, glowing red color with far gentler heat than most dried chilies, so the chutney looks fierier than it tastes. Everything below is a lever you can pull to suit your own preference:

• Use fewer chilies for a milder sauce, or more if you want it properly hot — the color holds either way.
• Ripe tomatoes matter. Boiling them until they soften and the skin of the tomatoes starts to peel away draws out their sweetness, which is what balances the chilies.
• The teaspoon of sugar is not there to make the chutney sweet — it rounds off the sharp edges of the chili and vinegar.
• Blend all the way to a smooth paste for a creamy dipping sauce, or stop early and leave it coarse if you like some texture. Both are correct.

What to Serve With Momo Chutney

Momos are the obvious partner, but a good chutney earns its place next to a lot more than dumplings. A few ways to use it:

• Any momos you like — chicken momos, veg momos, paneer momos, or plain wheat momos. The chutney works with all of them.
• As a dipping sauce for fried snacks: pakoras, samosas, spring rolls, or a plate of hot fries.
• Alongside aloo tikki or a chaat plate, where its heat cuts through anything rich or fried.
• As a side dish condiment — spread it thinly in a wrap, a roll, or a grilled sandwich instead of ketchup.

Easy Swaps and Variations

This chutney is forgiving, and a few swaps let you make it with what you already have:

• No cashews? Peanuts, or almonds soaked and peeled, both work — the nuts are what give the sauce its nutty flavor and creamy body.
• No rice vinegar? A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brings the same brightness.
• The cumin and coriander seeds are optional. They add real fragrance, so try it both ways and see which you prefer.
• For a warmer, gingery edge, blend in a small piece of fresh ginger with the garlic.
• A pinch of black pepper at the end sharpens the finish if you want a little more bite.
• For a more Indo-Chinese take, a small splash of soy sauce adds savory depth — go easy, and cut back on the salt if you do.