What's cooking in and around Chicago? Here's a closer look at one of the region's delicious dishes you shouldn't miss.
Bhim Rai grew up cooking with his mother in northern Nepal, about three hours from Everest. One of the things they make is thali, a staple of Nepali home cooking consisting of rice, lentils, vegetables and pickles.
He left home in 1992 and cooked in kitchens in Germany and England before coming to the United States and settling in Chicago. He sometimes cooked in restaurants that served Nepali and Tibetan cuisine, but many of those establishments relied heavily on Indian cuisine and focused on the flavors of that country.
When Rai (along with three other partners who have now moved on to other restaurants) opened Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen in Lincoln Square in 2019, he said it was time to focus on “our food.” he said, highlighting unique and less common Tibetan cuisine and Tibetan cuisine. Popular athlete from Nepal and India.
Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen's most popular dishes include cefaly, an empanada-like dish stuffed with ground chicken, slow-cooked with Himalayan spices and rubbed with ghee. Tentuk (noodle soup with chicken and vegetables), and of course dhal (yellow lentils), goat, gundruk ko achar (fermented mustard greens that manager Rai's wife Vinita drives to the market). Specify the sauce specifically in his favorite thali (Aurora) with pickles made from. More unique dishes include pumpkin he curry with mustard he seeds, fenugreek and ginger, and sweet shiratama dumplings, soon to be called “Yomali''.
The menu is full of familiar Indian dishes such as butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. According to Rai, Indian and Nepalese cuisine have many similarities and even share some ingredients, including timut (Sichuan pepper) and jimbhu (the flavor of wild onions and garlic that grows in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal). It is said that herbs such as succulent stems) are added. Let's make it distinctly Nepali.
Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen owner and chef Bhim Rai says C momos (chili momos) are a signature dish at the Lincoln Square restaurant.
The signature dish is the fiery C momo (or chili momo), a fried dumpling stuffed with chicken or vegetables and served with layers of chili sauce with bell peppers, onions and ginger. Rai said it was inspired by the popular Indo-Chinese fusion dish chicken chili. They sell at least 20 orders a day.
The wrappers are handcrafted in-house from dough made from flour and water. After resting for 30 minutes, roll into balls and fill with a mixture of ground chicken, chopped onions, ginger and garlic paste, coriander, chilli and hot oil. A bun is formed by making pleats and making a top knot. Fry the fluffy bag.
Chef Bim Rai prepares chili momos at his Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen restaurant in Chicago.
While the momos are being fried, the sauce is made together in a separate pan. The sauce starts with a base of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, fresh ginger slices, and chili sautéed in olive oil. Next, Lai adds soy sauce, ketchup, homemade tomato “secret” sauce, Sriracha sauce and vinegar to the pot. There are about 9 types of chili in total. Once the flavors have melded together, the hot thighs are tossed in and coated with the sauce, but the homemade skin remains crispy.
This dish is vibrant with complementary yet unique details. The onions and peppers in the sauce are crunchy and sweet, and the chicken is intertwined with spices and various layers of chilli, slowly blossoming before reaching a peak of spiciness. When you first eat the dumplings, they don't seem spicy until you start sweating and the heat starts to tickle your taste buds. (According to Mr. Rai, it is a popular dish that goes well with Nepali beer.)
Chef Bhim Rai adds soy sauce to chilli momos at his Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen restaurant.
You can reduce the spiciness, but it changes the taste, so I don't recommend it. However, if you don't like spice, you can try other dumplings like Himalayan Sherpa Special with sauce.
“I would recommend anyone to come. [to diners] It's very painful.if you wish [spicy], then it's okay. This is a dish we approve of. If you don't like spicy food, you should choose another dish,'' Rai said.
The small restaurant's dark wood walls are adorned with majestic, serene photographs of the Himalayas, including Lake Tilicho (one of the world's highest lakes) and Mount Everest, near Rai's home. This restaurant will celebrate his 5th anniversary in July. The team is already looking forward to bringing even more unique Nepali cuisine to Chicago, and perhaps beyond.
“I'm very happy to be able to make home-cooked meals in Chicago,” Lai said, adding, “Maybe in the future I'll be able to make them in other cities.”
himalayan sherpa kitchen2701 W. Lawrence Ave. C Momo is priced at $15.95.
