BEYOND MOMOS

Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food,usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate with Chinese tea. Indians have found namy names for it — momos,wantons and dumplings. “Dim sums have a variety. Even a spring roll is a dim sum,” says Ng Shiu Wa,Dim Sum chef,JW Marriott Hong Kong. Wa,a dim sum expert for the past 40 years; he can prepare nearly 100 different kinds of dim sum. Momos or wantons have been a signature street food in many North Indian cities and Kolkata. But in Mumbai, it is usually relished as an appetiser and even as a breakfast item.

In India for a week,Wa has around 20 different varieties of dim sums to offer at Spices,JW Marriott,Juhu. Traditional dim sum includes steamed buns such as siew mais (open-faced momos),dumplings,tarts and rice noodle rolls (cheong fun),which contain a range of ingredients,including beef,chicken,pork,prawns and vegetarian options. “Many dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong also offer steamed green vegetables,roasted meats and congee porridge. Dessert dim sum such as sweet cream buns is also available. Egg tarts and tofu rolls are other popular variety,” says Wa.

The procedure of making dim sums is as varied as its variety. “Dim sum can be cooked by steaming,deep frying and pan frying,” says Wa. It’s the serving size that makes the difference. It is usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one portion. To prepare any kind of dim sum,each ingredient— including salt— needs to be measured accurately. “If you put an ingredient little extra or less,it might ruin the dish,” says Thomas Wee,Chinese chef,JW Marriott,Juhu. The ingredients need to be thoroughly mixed to attain almost a paste-like consistency. The dough can be made from various kinds of flours,ranging from rice flour to wheat and even pastry dough. “For a particular kind of dim sum, one uses the layer of cream that is generated after boiling soya milk,” says Wa. Once the filling is placed into the thinly rolled dough,the dim sums are either steamed,pan fried or deep fried depending on the dough used and on the choice of the customers. “The procedure may sound easy,but it takes at least three years to perfect the art,” says Wee.

In India,people are very selective about the fillings that go in dum sums. “Even with a specialised chef on board,we have stuck to just chicken,seafood and lamb. For those who want to try out the exotic variety,they just have to ask for it,” says Wee.

Steamed shrimps and chicken dumpling
(Siew Mai)
Ingredient
Shrimps dice: 350 gm
Chicken dice: 250gm
Black mushroom diced: 50gm
Seasoning
Potato starch: 38gm
Salt: 7.5gm
Chicken powder: 7.5gm
Sugar: 18gm
Oyster sauce: 5gm
Sesame oil: 5gm
Vegetable oil
Wonton sheet

Method of preparation
Mix the chicken,shrimps and mushroom together with potato starch and salt. Mix till sticky and add chicken powder,sugar,sesame oil,oyster sauce and vegetable oil. Cut the wonton sheet into round and wrap into open-face kind of dumpling style.

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