TANDOORI MOMO: HOW TIBETAN REFUGEES RESHAPED INDIAN CUISINE

TANDOORI MOMO: HOW TIBETAN REFUGEES RESHAPED INDIAN CUISINE

BY VIR SANGHVI
9 JUL 2017 / UPDATE ON 11 JUL 2017
Influenced by Chinese dim sum, the popular snack has proved controversial of late, with one legislator branding it a Chinese threat to Indian culture – and saying it’s more dangerous than alcohol or drugs

Momos, a dim sum-like dish that began to take hold in India in the 1950s, is the subject of protests in troubled Indian border states such as Jammu and Kashmir. Handout photo
Momos, a dim sum-like dish that began to take hold in India in the 1950s, is the subject of protests in troubled Indian border states such as Jammu and Kashmir. Handout photo
If you were going to protest against a dumpling, would you burn it in effigy or steam it in a tandoor?

Ramesh Arora, a legislator from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), didn’t take the time to ask. Instead, he opted to lead a protest in Jammu against the humble momo – a dim sum-like snack popular across India that he says is “more dangerous than alcohol or psychotropic drugs”.