This peanut-tomato-based Jhol Momo Soup recipe is the perfect dip for your hot momo. It’s easy to make and bursting with flavor, and it tastes great with hot momo.
I absolutely love Momo! It is one of the most popular foods in Nepal. Some of the common varieties popular in Nepal are chili momo, sadeko momo, and steam momo.
Momo is a steamed dough filled with meat or veggies, seasoned with many spices, and served with a dipping sauce.
Dipping sauce—or achar, as we call it—is what makes momo even more delicious. Many achars are tomato-based and have many spices. One of my favorites is the soup-based achar.
Jhol Momo
The term “jhol” refers to a thin gravy or sauce that is used in Nepali cuisine. Jhol Momo is a Nepali dumpling dish consisting of steamed momo (dumplings) served in a spicy tomato-based soup with peanuts or soybeans.
The most common jhol achar is made with soybeans or peanuts. I love both, but in this blog post, I am sharing my favorite tomato soup base with peanuts.
It’s perfect for dipping your momo, especially on chilly winter days, adding just the right amount of warmth and spice. Putting the sauce inside the dumpling is great to eat with.
Ingredients For Jhol Momo Soup Recipe
Main Ingredients
- Tomato: Tomato is the key ingredient of this sauce. Use plum tomatoes. Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
- Onion: The type of onion you choose is entirely up to you, but I recommend using white or yellow onion.
- Ginger/Garlic: Garlic cloves and ginger. Also, you can use ginger garlic paste.
- Chilli: Green or red chilies and adjust the spice level according to your taste.
- Cilantro to add flavor.
Seasoning
- Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds need to be toasted and powdered, which you can do in a coffee grinder or a food processor. Either white or brown would work.
- Lemon juice, salt to taste, black pepper, and sichuan pepper (Timmur) – optional
Peanuts: Unsalted roasted peanuts: You can easily buy them from the grocery store.
Spices: Red chili powder (kashmiri), cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and masala powder or curry powder. Momo masala can be used as a substitute for masala powder.
Oil: Any vegetable oil – Sunflower oil, Olive oil.
Water
Instructions
- To begin, heat the oil over medium heat until it’s hot. Once hot, add the cumin seeds.
- Add green chili and saute it for a min. Then, add ginger and garlic to the pan.
- After that, add onion and saute it for 2-3 min on high heat until softened.
- Add all spices, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and masala powder, and mix it well.
- Next, add chopped tomatoes and mix all ingredients.
- Add black pepper and salt to taste and cook it for 5 minutes.
- Cover the lid for 2-3 mins and cook it until it’s mushy and cooked.
- Once cooked, let the sauce cool down for 5-7 mins.
- Transfer the sauce to the blender.
- Add toasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
- Add water and blend it until you have a fine paste, roughly 30-40 seconds.
- Transfer the sauce to the pan and add water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes on high heat.
- Turn off the heat once bubbles rise.
- Finally, add lemon juice and sichuan pepper and stir it well. Season with salt if needed.
- Let it cool down jhol before serving it with hot momo.
Check Out Our Vegetarian And Chicken Momo Recipes To Serve With Jhol Achar.
Serving Suggestion
You can serve your jhol momo in a variety of ways, depending on your preference.
- Arrange the momo in a bowl or on a plate. Pour the jhol over the momo, ensuring they’re fully covered. You can sprinkle some sichuan pepper for extra spice or add chili paste.
- You can also pour the jhol first into a bowl and then add the momo on top. Either way, it tastes fantastic!
Storage Suggestion
To store your jhol momo achar (sauce), transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. It stays fresh for up to a week, ready to enhance your momo whenever you crave it!
For longer storage, freezing is the best option. Allow the soup to fully cool before pouring it into the freezer bag. Label the bag and leave space at the top for expansion. Place in the freezer and enjoy within a few months!
Don’t forget to thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Also, avoid overheating. It’s best enjoyed slightly chilled or gently warmed, and it complements the hot momo perfectly for a delicious combination!
Other Momo Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes (13-14 oz)
- 2 gm ginger (Roughly ½ tsp minced ginger)
- 2 Cloves garlic ( 10gm)
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 2-3 leaves cilantro
- 2 green chili
Oil
- 1 tbsp oil (any vegetable cooking oil)
Spices
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp red chili powder (Kashmiri)
- ½ tsp masala powder (Curry powder)
Seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt(to taste)
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp roasted powdered sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp sichuan pepper (optional)
Peanuts
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
Water
- 1 cup water
- 2 cup water
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium heat. Once hot, add oil.1 tbsp oil (any vegetable cooking oil)
- Then add cumin seed, and let it cook for a min.½ tsp cumin seeds
- Add green chili and ginger garlic. Saute for a min.2 gm ginger (Roughly ½ tsp minced ginger), 2 green chili, 2 Cloves garlic ( 10gm)
- Add onion and cook it until it's softened.⅓ cup chopped onion
- Once the onion is softened, add all spices. Mix it well.¼ tsp red chili powder (Kashmiri), ½ tsp masala powder, ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- Add chopped tomatoes to the pan, and mix it well.3 medium tomatoes (13-14 oz)
- Add salt and black pepper. Cover the lid and cook it for 5 mins until tomatoes get mushy and cooked.¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt(to taste)
- Once the sauce cools down, transfer the sauce to the blender. Add roasted peanuts, sesame powder, cilantro and water and blend it for 20-40 sec until fine paste.2-3 leaves cilantro, 2 tbsp roasted powdered sesame seeds, 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, 1 cup water
- Transfer the sauce to the pot. Add water to the pot, and cook it for 5-6 mins on high heat.2 cup water
- Finally, add lemon juice and sichuan pepper and mix it well. Add salt if needed. Let the coup cool down before serving.¼ tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp sichuan pepper (optional)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. If you liked it, remember to rate the recipe. Your feedback helps other readers decide if they want to make this recipe. Thank you!
This is our favorite recipe! We make it often these days. Could you create a jhol soup recipe without using tomatoes? Thank you
Hi Anup, thank you for the comment. Sure, It’s definitey on my plan 🙂