Garlic and ginger
लहसुन · अदरकلہسن · ادرک
lahsun · adrak
Lots of fresh garlic, finely chopped, and a little ginger.
Its job: The heart of the sauce.
Science-backed recipe
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished
Chili Garlic Momos: Glossy, Garlicky and Hot
Also called Chilli Garlic Chicken Momos · चिली गार्लिक मोमोज़ · چلی گارلک مومو
Steamed chicken momos crisped in a pan, then tossed in a glossy chili garlic sauce of sizzled garlic, chili, soy sauce and vinegar, finished with spring onion greens.
In short
Chili garlic momos are steamed momos crisped in a pan and tossed in a glossy sauce of garlic, chili garlic sauce, ketchup, soy and vinegar: Indo-Chinese street food in 15 minutes.
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished - Active
- 22 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Serves
- 24 momos (4)
Why this recipe works
- ✓FastMade from steamed momos in about 15 minutes.
- ✓Crisp then saucyA quick pan-crisp gives the sauce something to cling to.
- ✓Garlic that tastes sweet, not bitterSizzled over medium heat, never browned too far.
- ✓Glossy coatingA little cornstarch turns the sauce into a shiny glaze.
What are chili garlic momos?
Chili garlic momos are an Indo-Chinese street-food favorite: steamed momos tossed in a hot, tangy, garlicky sauce built on the same flavors as chili chicken.
This recipe starts with our steamed chicken momos. Crisp them lightly, make the sauce in the same pan (or in the Instant Pot on Sauté) and toss.
Meet the ingredients
The sauce ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names. The momos come from the steamed chicken momos recipe.
Red chili flakes or dried red chilies
कुटी लाल मिर्चکٹی لال مرچ
kuṭī lāl mirch
Crushed red chili flakes, or dried red chilies soaked and ground.
Its job: The heat.
Soy sauce
सोया सॉसسویا ساس
soyā sôs
Regular or light soy sauce.
Its job: Salt and savory depth.
Vinegar
सिरकाسرکہ
sirkā
White or rice vinegar.
Its job: Tang that balances the heat and sugar.
Spring onions
हरा प्याज़ہری پیاز
harā pyāz
Whites chopped for the sauce, greens sliced for garnish.
Its job: Fresh onion flavor and color.
Grow it yourself: Spring onions, Garlic, Ginger
The lab notes
The science behind every step
Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.
Lab note01
Garlic burns fast
Sizzle the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, just until pale golden.
Chopped garlic is full of sugars and sulfur compounds. In hot oil it turns sweet and nutty within a minute, but past light gold those sugars scorch and the garlic turns bitter. Medium heat gives you a wider window.
Lab note02
Chili in oil
Add the chili flakes to the hot oil with the garlic.
Capsaicin and the red pigments in chili dissolve in fat, so blooming the flakes in oil spreads heat and color through the whole sauce instead of leaving hot specks.
Lab note03
How cornstarch makes it glossy
Stir in a cornstarch slurry and boil for 30–60 seconds.
Cornstarch granules swell and burst when heated in liquid, releasing starch molecules that thicken the sauce into a glossy, clear glaze. Mixing the cornstarch with cold water first keeps it from forming lumps, and it needs to come to a boil to thicken fully.
Lab note04
Balancing hot, sour, salty and sweet
Taste and adjust with a little more vinegar, sugar or soy sauce.
Indo-Chinese sauces work by balance: vinegar’s acid and a little sugar soften the chili’s burn, while soy sauce brings salt and savory glutamates. If it tastes flat, add a splash of vinegar; if too sharp, a pinch of sugar.
Lab note05
Reheat to 165°F
Toss until the momos are coated and hot through.
The momos were cooked earlier, so food-safety guidance is to reheat them to 165°F (74°C). Pan-crisping and tossing in the bubbling sauce does that.
How to make it, at a glance
- Crisp the momosSelect Sauté (More/High). Heat 1 tbsp oil and add the momos in a single layer (in batches if needed). Cook, turning, for 3–4 minutes until golden in spots. Remove to a plate.
- Sizzle the aromaticsSwitch to Sauté (Normal/Medium). Add 2 tbsp oil, then the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites. Stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant and pale golden. Add the chili flakes for 10 seconds.
- Build the sauceStir in the chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water and bring to a boil.
- ThickenStir the cornstarch slurry, pour it in and stir for 30–60 seconds until glossy and thickened.
- Toss and serveReturn the momos and toss until coated and hot through (165°F / 74°C). Press Cancel, top with spring onion greens and sesame seeds, and serve right away.
Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.
Health benefits, honestly rated
What this dish brings to the table, with an honest rating of how strong the evidence is.
Macros per 6 momos High protein
Calories570
Protein28 g
Carbs59 g
Fat25 g
Fiber3 g
Sodium1520 mg
4.9 g protein per 100 calories. Estimated from the ingredients with USDA FoodData Central values.
Gym-friendly tip: Already high in protein. For a leaner plate, serve with salad and roti instead of rice, and use skinless thighs or breast.
Protein from the momos
The steamed chicken momos supply roughly 28–30 g of protein per serving (estimated).
Garlic and chili
Lots of fresh garlic and chili bring big flavor. Research on their health effects mostly involves supplements or large observational studies; see the ingredient health guide.
Keep in mind
- Soy sauce, chili sauce and ketchup make this the saltiest of the momo recipes. Use low-sodium soy sauce and taste before adding salt.
- Contains wheat (gluten) and soy.
General nutrition information, not medical advice. Numbers marked “estimated” are calculated from the recipe’s ingredients and vary with brands and portions. If you have diabetes, heart or kidney disease, a food allergy, or are pregnant, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how this dish fits your diet.
Health sources: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
See the full ingredient health guide: benefits, traditional roots and the science →
Questions, answered
Do I have to crisp the momos?
No. You can toss steamed momos straight into the sauce; crisping just gives a better texture.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days and reheat until bubbling before tossing; add a splash of water if it’s too thick.
Is this the same as momo chutney?
No. Momo chutney is a blended tomato-chili dipping sauce; this is a cooked, glossy sauce the momos are tossed in.
About MedRise Food Science
Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.
Recipe card
Chili Garlic Momos
Steamed chicken momos, lightly pan-crisped and tossed in a glossy Indo-Chinese chili garlic sauce with soy, vinegar and spring onion. Ready in 15 minutes from steamed momos, with the food science of the sauce.
Prep10 minCook12 minTotal22 minServes24 momos (4 servings)
Ingredients
Momos
Chili garlic sauce
Instructions (Instant Pot)
- Crisp the momosSelect Sauté (More/High). Heat 1 tbsp oil and add the momos in a single layer (in batches if needed). Cook, turning, for 3–4 minutes until golden in spots. Remove to a plate.
- Sizzle the aromaticsSwitch to Sauté (Normal/Medium). Add 2 tbsp oil, then the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites. Stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant and pale golden. Add the chili flakes for 10 seconds.
- Build the sauceStir in the chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water and bring to a boil.
- ThickenStir the cornstarch slurry, pour it in and stir for 30–60 seconds until glossy and thickened.
- Toss and serveReturn the momos and toss until coated and hot through (165°F / 74°C). Press Cancel, top with spring onion greens and sesame seeds, and serve right away.
Stovetop method
Use a wok or large skillet and follow the same steps over the stove.
- CrispCrisp the momos in 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat, then remove.
- Sauce and tossMake the sauce in the same pan over medium heat, thicken with the slurry and toss the momos until hot through.
Notes
- Less heat
- Use 1 tsp chili flakes and Kashmiri chili for color without much burn.
- Shortcut
- Use 1 tbsp store-bought ginger-garlic paste in place of the fresh garlic and ginger, though fresh garlic gives the best flavor here.
- Storage
- Best eaten right away, while the momos are crisp. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3–4 days.
Equipment
- Instant Pot (6-quart) or a wok
- Small bowl for the slurry
Meal prep: feeding 4 for the week
How much to make, based on 4 people eating it once a day. One batch of this recipe makes 24 momos (4 servings).
Tonight1× the recipe4 servingsOne batch is enough.
Days 1–44× the recipe16 servings, kept in the fridge
Days 1–7, the whole week7× the recipe28 servings: fridge for the first days, freezer for the rest
- Cook onceOn prep day, make the recipe at 7× (use the button above to scale every amount). Big pots take longer to come to a boil and to reduce, so allow extra time; an Instant Pot should be filled no more than halfway for beans and lentils, or two-thirds for other dishes, so cook in rounds if needed.
- Cool it fastDivide the food into shallow containers so it cools quickly, and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
- Split fridge and freezerKeep days 1–4 in the fridge. Freeze the rest in single-meal portions labeled with the date.
- Thaw the night beforeMove the next day’s portion from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through (165°F / 74°C).
- Fridge
- Up to 4 days
- Freezer
- Freeze the plain momos uncooked (see the steamed momos recipe); the sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge.
- Keep separate or add fresh
- Make the sauce ahead and toss with freshly steamed or crisped momos when serving.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a pan with a splash of water until bubbling and hot through (165°F / 74°C).
Why only a few days in the fridge? Refrigeration slows bacteria but doesn’t stop them; some, like Listeria, can still grow at fridge temperatures, which is why food-safety agencies set cooked leftovers at 3–4 days. Freezing at 0°F stops growth completely, so frozen portions stay safe indefinitely; the freezer times above are for best taste and texture.
Food-safety guidance: USDA, Leftovers and Food Safety · FoodSafety.gov storage chart