Table of content

1.History

2.Momos

3.Recipe

4.Is momos healthy?

5.Momos side effects

• Diabetes and pancreas damage
• The use of meat from diseased animals may cause many diseases
• Infections
• Piles or bleeding hemorrhoids
• Nervous disorder
• Source of dangerous tapeworm
• Constipation
• Choking
• Weaken the immunity system
• Many infectious diseases

6.Conclusion

We all must have heard about the famous street food called “Momos”. They are probably the first thing that comes to our mind when we are hungry. Don’t we all just love them? Momos come in a great variety be it fried, steamed, veg, non-veg, or the tandoor. Furthermore, the intense flavor of momos makes them even tastier. So have you ever “Is momos healthy?” Or What could be momos’ side effects?

Momos

It is a bite-size dumpling made with a spoonful of stuffing wrapped in dough. The momos can either be steam fried, or steam fried. The origin of the momos traces back to China. Having dumplings on the first of the new year was a very popular custom. The stuffing of the momos can be vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. Every shape of the momos has a different shape. Traditionally, the momos are steamed. Furthermore, momos have become very popular in some places such as Nepal, Bhutan, and many parts of India. It is now among the most famous street foods in India. Momos are similar to Afghan mantu, Mongolian buuz, Japanese gyoza, Dimsum in Mauritius, Korean mandu, and Chinese baozi.

In Vietnam, a distant cousin of the momos is available: a filled doughnut. China and Khmer dishes have influenced the food in Vietnam a lot through the centuries. In Tibet, momo soup is also available. 

Nowadays, Momos are prepared by many combinations in their stuffing:-

• Vegetables: Finely chopped carrot, potato, flat bean, soy granules, or cabbage have been used as fillings in India and Nepal.
• Meat: The momos are stuffed with different types of meat. Sometimes the meat is with some vegetables like onions, garlic, ginger, and coriander. Some people even add soy sauce and tomatoes.
• Cheese: The traditional chhurpi or fresh cheese is used. This variety of cheese momos is very common in Nepal and India.
•  Khoa: Momos are served as desserts in the Kathmandu valley. 

But do you ever question “ Is momos healthy?”, “what will be the momos side effects?”, “Is momos good for health?”  So here we will discuss the answers to all these questions.

Read more: The intriguing tale of Momos immigration to India

Recipe

Momos are not something to be eaten daily. If you follow a balanced diet and have fiber in it then you can occasionally have momos. However, ensure that the place you buy them from is hygienic and can be trusted. Rather than buying the momos from the streets you should try and make some at your house. As the street vendors mostly do not take care of hygiene and may cause diseases. There are many traditional recipes for momos so here’s a simple recipe for you to make momos at your home:-

 Vegetarian momos:

•  Ingredients required:     

Oil, garlic, onion cabbage, capsicum, salt black pepper,  spring onions, salt, and soy sauce for the stuffing. For the outer cover- Water, salt, and all-purpose flour(maida).

• Procedure: 

Firstly, heat the oil on a medium-high flame. Fry garlic and ginger for a few seconds. Stir fry the chopped vegetables by stirring continuously for 3-4 mins. Next, add salt and pepper and stir again for about 2mins. Now, mix the soy sauce and spring onion greens then turn the stove off. Leave the stuffing for a while to cool down. Next, we will make the outer covering. Mix the all-purpose flour with salt now add a little water at a time to make a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for about 20 mins. Next, make small equal balls from the dough. The balls should be about 4-inch in diameter. After you put the stuffing in the center make the shape of the momos. Steam cook the momos for 6-8 mins and then serve them.

Non-vegetarian momos:

• Ingredients required:

Oil, garlic, onion cabbage, capsicum, salt black pepper, meat, spring onions, salt, and soy sauce for the stuffing. For the outer cover- Water, salt, and all-purpose flour(maida).

• Procedure:

Grind the meat into a paste and add the chopped vegetables to it. Now add the spices and oil into the mixture. Spread the mixture of meat, onion, garlic, and spices. Pour the water into the flour and knead the dough into a smooth paste. Next, spread the mixture on the dough and fold it into a half-moon shape. Then steam the momos. Now, you can serve them hot or warm along with the dip.

Make sure that the vegetables are properly cooked and the momos should be properly steamed. Furthermore, nothing should remain raw as it may have a bad impact on your health. Moreover, while eating them make sure that you chew them properly. 

Corriander leaf is a restaurant that believes in providing tasty food without compromising the taste of the food. For cooking, we use the best quality material. We have a dine-in restaurant and we also provide catering services.

Is momos healthy?

Momos have no specific health benefits in them. Momos are not at all an option if you are looking to eat something healthy. The fries are even worse than the steamed momos. They contain oil and lead to an increase in cholesterol in the person. 

Although, vegetables are used in the stuffing of the momos. However, the vendors tend to use spoiled and rotten ones which are bad for the digestive system. Hence it answers the question “ Is momos healthy?” 

Momos side effects

Momos have become very popular in many places. Moreover, they have been the king of street food in India for over a decade. The momos are easily available and are very cheap.

Being steamed doesn’t make this street food healthy at all. The ingredients used to cook the momos as well as the condiments the momos are served with are not healthy. There is nothing healthy about the dish except giving pleasure to our taste buds. The reason is that the benefits of momos are very less in comparison to the damage they can cause to our bodies. Hence, before you have them the next time ask yourself if momos are good for your health. Is momos healthy? What will be the momos’ side effects? 

Here we will discuss the top 10 major health issues after eating momos regularly:-

Diabetes and pancreas damage

The momos are made up of chemical-laced dough. The vendors use refined flour, treated with harmful chemicals. Azodicarbonamide, Benzoyl Peroxide, Chlorine gas, and other bleaches. The chemicals used can cause diabetes. Moreover, these chemicals may also damage the pancreas.

The use of meat from diseased animals may cause many diseases

In order to get meat at cheap rates, some vendors buy dead animals. It is possible to contract the disease from eating meat from these diseased animals. Especially, the momos you get in the cheap roadside stalls are made of already dead and diseased animals.

Infections

Some vendors use uncooked and unwashed vegetables. The uncooked vegetables contain many bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms. The use of these uncooked and unwashed vegetables puts us at great risk of being infected. Bacteria like E. coli can cause severe infections.

Corriander leaf believes in having a long-term relationship with its customers. We at Corriander leaf are concerned about the health of our customers. Furthermore, all the food in the restaurant is properly washed and cooked. 

Piles or bleeding hemorrhoids

The dip which is offered along with the momos is too spicy. Although, red chilies are good for your health. However, the only condition is that it should not be processed. However, we cannot trust the local momo-vendors about the quality. Moreover, the overconsumption of spicy food may cause piles or bleeding hemorrhoids.

Nervous disorder

The momos are not healthy and neither have any health benefits. The momos cause sweating, palpitations, chest pain nausea, and nervous disorders. They contain monosodium glutamate(MSG). MSG is a flavor enhancer. Furthermore, it is known to cause the following symptoms: 

• Flushing 
• Sweating
• Headache 
• Numbness 
• Chest pain 
• Weakness etc

Symptoms are usually mild and hence, do not require treatment. However, to prevent a reaction one should not eat foods that have MSG in them.

Source of dangerous tapeworm

The most common vegetable used for stuffing momos is cabbage. If the cabbage is not cooked properly, it can have spores of tapeworm which may reach the brain. Furthermore, the tapeworm will eventually grow and may cause a life-threatening condition.

Constipation

Momos are prepared using all-purpose flour(maida) and the texture is very slippery. Hence, it may get stuck in the windpipe aperture. Furthermore, it may also cause constipation. The consumption of lots of momos can be harmful to health in various ways. Eating unhealthy and partially cooked momos can also lead to diarrhea.

Choking

The momos are made from all-purpose flour(maida). It is very slippery in texture. Therefore, the momos may get stuck in the windpipe. Hence, it may also lead to choking if not properly chewed. 

There has been a case where a man died choking on momos. Therefore, healthcare professionals have directed that one must chew them properly before swallowing them.

Weaken the immunity system

The use of maida along with such spicy dip makes our digestive system weak. Eating them regularly can cause constipation which in turn has an adverse effect on our immune system. Hence, a person with a weakened immune system is prone to many diseases.

Many infectious diseases

Eating momos on a daily basis will damage your digestive system. Having momos from street vendors is not safe as there are many houseflies in the open. These house flies act as a vector to many diseases like amoebiasis, ascariasis, etc. 

At Corriander leaf, we take complete care of hygiene. The chefs use only quality products such as oil, meat, vegetables, etc in cooking. Furthermore, the health of the customers is of utmost importance to the restaurant. 

Although momos have a great taste and there might be cravings for them, eating them on a regular basis can severely affect your health. If you have a balanced diet and there is enough fiber in your diet then you can manage to have momos occasionally. However,  make sure the place you buy them from is hygienic. Moreover, try and prepare momos using some healthy vegetables in the hygiene of our kitchen. Moreover, try to reduce the consumption of momos in your diet.

Conclusion

In the blog, we read a lot about momos, their origin, history, recipe, and effects that they can have on our health. As we all know that the excess of everything is harmful. Therefore, having momos on a regular basis can cause severe health problems. The regular eating of the momos can cause many diseases. One should always prioritize health over taste. However, if you want to have momos, buy them from a clean and trusted place or try to make them on your own. You should still not have them on a regular basis, only occasionally. Furthermore, make sure that the vegetables are cooked properly while making them.  

In the blog, we have answered the questions such as

• Is momos healthy?
• What are momos’ side effects? 
• Is momos good for health? 

At Corriander leaf, we commit to all the customers. The restaurant can organize a large event as well as an intimate dinner party. The restaurant has a team of professionals to cater to every need of the customer. Furthermore, at coriander leaf, we believe that the way to our customer’s hearts is not just through their stomach. It is through their soul. Therefore, we make sure that our services become the soul of each and every event irrespective of how big or small they are.