Cabbage Dumplings (Easy Steamed Cabbage Momos)

Cabbage Dumplings (Easy Steamed Cabbage Momos): The Comfort Food I Can’t Shut Up About#

So, um, let me just say this right away: I have absolutely no chill when it comes to momos. Especially cabbage dumplings. Those soft, steamy little pillows stuffed with garlicky cabbage and bits of whatever veg I’ve got lying around in the fridge… I mean, I’ve cancelled plans for these. More than once. Don’t judge.¶

And yeah, I know, cabbage sounds boring if you grew up with that sad over‑boiled stuff. Same. My first relationship with cabbage was basically school canteen trauma. But then I met cabbage inside dumplings – the light, crunchy, juicy kinda cabbage – and suddenly this humble vegetable turned into, like, the main character.¶

The recipe I’m sharing today is my lazy‑weeknight version: Easy Steamed Cabbage Momos. No fancy equipment, no 4‑hour kneading nonsense, no hard-to-find ingredients. Just some pantry stuff, fresh cabbage, and a steamer set‑up that is… let’s be honest… usually my old kadhai balanced with a steel plate and some mild chaos.¶

How I Fell in Love With Cabbage Momos (It Was Not Love at First Sight)#

I still remember the first time I had proper cabbage momos. Not the frozen bag ones that taste like sadness. I was in Delhi in late 2023, somewhere near Majnu ka Tila, you know that Tibetan colony where every second shop smells like soup dumplings and butter tea. It was freezing, my fingers were half numb, and my friend was like, “You HAVE to try the veg momos, they do this amazing cabbage filling.”¶

Honestly I rolled my eyes. I’m very much a mushroom-momo kinda person. But we went into this tiny joint – four tables, plastic stools, steam fogging up the windows. The menu was half handwritten, half just word-of-mouth. We ordered a plate of steamed cabbage momos with this bright red chutney that looked almost illegal. First bite… and it was game over.¶

The filling was all finely shredded cabbage with bits of carrot and onion, but somehow it tasted meaty? Like not fake-meat, just deeply savory. Lots of garlic, ginger, and this little peppery heat that kinda hits the back of your throat. The outside was thin but not breaking apart, just stretchy enough. I burned my tongue because I have zero patience, but I still finished the whole plate, plus half of my friend’s. Me and him walked out of there officially converted.¶

Why Cabbage Dumplings Are Having a Moment (Yes, in 2026, Cabbage Is Trendy Now)#

In the last couple years, dumplings have gone from “random street snack” to this whole global obsession. Like, if you scroll food TikTok or Insta in 2026 and don’t see some kind of dumpling reel in your first 20 posts, refresh, your algorithm is broken. You’ve got sourdough dumplings, rainbow dumplings, charcoal black dumplings, air‑fried dumplings, even dumpling toasts in New York now – I’m not making that up.¶

The coolest part though is how many places are leaning into vegetable‑forward fillings. Cabbage is huge because it ticks all the right boxes: cheap, super sustainable, works in vegan and vegetarian menus, and magically takes on any flavor you throw at it. A bunch of plant‑based restaurants in 2025 and 2026 started doing “zero‑waste dumpling menus” where they use cabbage cores and outer leaves in fillings instead of tossing them. I saw that at a pop‑up collab in Bengaluru last year: cabbage-stem momos with a chilli oil made from leftover chilli flakes. Completely bonkers and also stupidly good.¶

Even big city spots are catching up. Newer pan‑Asian places opening in 2025–2026 – like the ones in Mumbai’s Bandra and London’s Shoreditch – almost always have a veggie dumpling section now, not just as an afterthought. I had a “fermented cabbage & tofu momo” at this new place in Shoreditch in mid‑2025 – slightly sour like kimchi, but wrapped like a Nepali momo, with a smoky tomato achar. Honestly, I still dream about that thing.¶

What Makes a Good Cabbage Momo (According to My Very Biased Opinion)#

I’m not some certified expert or whatever, but after eating my weight in dumplings for years, I do have some strong feelings. A great cabbage momo, for me, hits three things:¶

1) The wrapper – thin but not so fragile it tears when you look at it wrong. Steamed to that slightly translucent stage, not dry. In 2026 everyone’s doing half whole-wheat or even millet flour dumpling skins now, which I kind of love for weekday dinners. I’ve tried a ragi blend once… that was, uh, interesting. Let’s just say, not doing that again without more testing.

2) The filling – cabbage should still have a tiny bit of crunch. Not raw, not mush. It needs salt, heat, and fat. I do a little oil + sometimes a spoon of sesame oil, or I’ll toss in some crumbled paneer or tofu. A lot of the trending recipes this year use gochujang or doubanjiang to give that deep umami kick without meat.

3) The chutney / dipping sauce – non‑negotiable. The momo is the canvas, the sauce is the drama. Right now chilli crisp is everywhere. I swear, people are putting chilli crisp on ice cream. I roll my eyes but also I have 3 jars of different chilli crisps in my fridge, so I can’t talk.¶

CopyIf I had to choose: I’d actually take a perfectly balanced cabbage momo over a badly made chicken momo any day. There, I said it.

My Easy Steamed Cabbage Momos: The Lazy, Weeknight Version#

Ok, so let’s get into how I actually make these at home. This isn’t the only way, it’s just my way. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bunch based on what I see trending and what my fridge looks like on a Tuesday when I’m too tired to even order in.¶

### The dough

I keep it stupid simple:
- all‑purpose flour (maida)
- a pinch of salt
- warm water

Sometimes I replace 25–30% of the maida with atta (whole wheat) if I want it a bit more wholesome. 2026 has this whole “comfort food but make it slightly healthier” trend going on, so there are a lot of recipes online doing half‑half flours, and honestly most of them work pretty well. I tried 100% whole wheat once and the wrapper turned kinda dense and sulky, like it didn’t want to be there.¶

I mix until it comes together, knead just until smoothish – not perfect, because who has time – then cover and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. That rest makes a huge difference, the dough relaxes and suddenly it stops fighting you when you roll it out.¶

### The filling

This is the fun part. My basic base is:
- finely shredded cabbage (green or napa – napa gives you that fancy restaurant vibe)
- finely chopped onion or spring onion
- grated carrot, if I have it
- lots of minced garlic
- a bit of ginger
- salt, pepper or white pepper
- a spoon of oil

Now, because I’m me and can’t leave things alone, I usually add one or two of these 2025–2026 trendy extras:
- a spoon of chilli crisp or any crunchy chilli oil
- a lil soy sauce or tamari
- a tiny blob of gochujang for that deep savoury kick
- chopped coriander or chives

Sometimes I just do a basic Indo‑Tibetan flavor profile – soy, chilli, vinegar – and other days I experiment. I saw a creator on Reels using miso in cabbage dumplings for extra umami and it was shockingly good. Don’t overdo it though or it gets weirdly salty.¶

One thing: cabbage releases water like crazy. So either salt it lightly and squeeze out the water first, or just be okay with a little juiciness but don’t let it turn into soup inside the wrapper. I usually toss everything together right before wrapping, so it doesn’t sit and leak all over the bowl.¶

Shaping & Steaming Without Fancy Gear#

I promise you don’t need a bamboo steamer that you saw on that aesthetic Korean vlog. Would I like one? Yes. Do I have one? No. I use a regular deep pan with a little stand and a steel plate on top. My mom used to steam idlis like that before we bought a actual stand, so it kinda feels nostalgic anyway.¶

I break the dough into small balls, roll each one out into a thin circle, put a spoonful of filling in the center and then pleat. Or attempt to pleat. Some days I do the classic half-moon fold, some days I go for the round pouch style. Some days they look like vaguely offended clouds. Doesn’t matter, they all taste good.¶

Lightly oil the plate or use parchment if my brain remembers, arrange the momos with a bit of space so they don’t stick together, then steam over boiling water for around 7–10 minutes. You’ll see the wrappers turn slightly shiny and translucent. The smell at that moment… like warm garlic, dough, and chilli. Instant mood lift.¶

The Chutney: Where All the Drama Happens#

I honestly think a momo is only as good as the sauce you dunk it in. At home I usually do an easy version of that classic Nepali‑style tomato chilli chutney:

- tomatoes (blistered on open flame or roasted in the air fryer – yes, I joined the 2025 air fryer cult)
- dry red chillies soaked in hot water
- garlic, salt
- a splash of vinegar or lemon

Blend it all together. That’s it. Sometimes I add sesame seeds or a touch of soy sauce. Lately there’s this trend of adding a spoon of chilli crisp on top for texture – I fought it, then I tried it, and now I basically do it every time. Don’t double judge me.¶

If I’m feeling extra lazy, I mix ready‑made chilli crisp with a bit of soy sauce and black vinegar and call it a day. Totally fine. We’re not running a restaurant here.¶

Restaurant vs Home: Two Very Different Cabbage Momo Personalities#

Okay, mini rant. I love restaurant momos, especially from those tiny places where the steamer is literally at the entrance so you walk through a cloud of steam. But there’s something about home‑made cabbage momos that just hits different. Restaurants often add a bit of MSG or stock powder, and the filling is very uniformly chopped. At home my cabbage is sometimes uneven, there’ll be a chunk of ginger somewhere, one momo will have more filling than the others… and somehow that chaos makes it more comforting.¶

Last winter I went to this super hyped pan‑Asian spot that opened in early 2025 in Mumbai. Interiors like a neon cyberpunk movie, very Instagrammy, playlist full of K‑R&B, gorgeous cocktails in silly glasses. Their “truffle cabbage dumplings” were talked about everywhere. I tried them, and yeah, they were good – delicate wrappers, hint of truffle oil, pretty microgreens on top. But low‑key? I missed the aggressive chilli and ginger of the street‑style ones. Sometimes you just want your sinus cleared, not a polite hint of flavor.¶

That One Night I Over‑Complicated Everything#

I should also confess: not every cabbage momo experiment is a success. Once in mid‑2024, when everyone online was doing fusion food, I decided to make “kimchi grilled cheese momos.” Don’t laugh. I mixed cabbage, kimchi, and mozzarella, then pan‑fried the steamed momos like those viral crispy dumplings. First bite was… kinda good? Second bite, the cheese completely escaped, the bottom burnt, and my smoke alarm started screaming. My kitchen smelled like confused Seoul‑meets‑Delhi disaster for hours.¶

Moral of the story: keep the base recipe simple, then add one twist at a time. Not five.¶

How Cabbage Momos Sneaked Into My Weekly Meal Rotation#

You know how people do “taco Tuesdays” or “pasta Fridays”? In 2025 I accidentally started doing “momo Mondays” at home. It started because Mondays are rough, and I wanted something cozy but not super heavy. Cabbage momos turned out to be perfect: light enough that I don’t feel like hibernating on the couch forever, but satisfying because, hello, dumplings.¶

I usually:
- chop the cabbage and veg in the morning if I have time (or the night before)
- make the dough after work, rest it while I answer emails I’ve been avoiding
- assemble and steam while watching some random drama on Netflix

There’s something really soothing about the repetitive folding. On stressful days it’s almost like therapy. Cheap therapy that you can eat afterwards.¶

Little Tips That Made My Cabbage Dumplings Way Better#

These are tiny things I picked up between online recipes, restaurant watching, and my own trial-and-error:

- Don’t overstuff. I always think “a bit more filling won’t hurt” and then the wrapper tears and I end up rage‑eating the broken ones.
- Keep a damp cloth over the rolled wrappers so they don’t dry out while you fold the rest.
- If you’re using regular green cabbage, slice it really fine so it cooks fast.
- A teeny pinch of sugar in the filling makes the cabbage taste sweeter and more rounded, trust me.
- If you want that slight bouncy texture in the filling like meat momos, mix in a bit of very finely chopped soaked soy granules or crumbled extra‑firm tofu.

I know that reading this list makes it sound like a lot, but once you do it once or twice, your hands kinda remember the motions for you.¶

Cabbage Dumplings and the Whole “Healthy Comfort Food” Trend#

There’s definitely been this big shift the last couple of years – people want comfort food, but also they’re trying to be a bit kinder to their bodies and the planet. So you’ve got cloud kitchens and new restaurants in 2026 doing baked momos, millet momos, probiotic fillings, all that stuff. Some of it feels a bit like marketing, but some of it is genuinely delicious.¶

One pop‑up I went to earlier this year literally did a “gut‑friendly dumpling menu” with fermented cabbage fillings, low‑oil steaming, and bone broth on the side if you wanted. Sounds very wellness-influencer, but honestly, it tasted like good, honest food. And cabbage is naturally full of fiber and vitamins, so you kinda win either way.¶

At home, I don’t obsess about macros, but I like that these cabbage momos are lighter than the usual heavy paneer or deep‑fried stuff. Three or four with a big bowl of soup or some stir‑fried greens and I’m good. No food coma, just that satisfying “I ate something warm and happy” feeling.¶

Freezing & Reheating: Future‑You Will Thank Present‑You#

One of my favorite discoveries in 2025 was how well these freeze. When I have a bit of extra time on weekends, I’ll do a big batch of cabbage filling, fold like 40–50 momos while listening to a podcast, and freeze them in a single layer on a tray. Once they’re solid, I toss them into a box. Future‑me, stumbling into the kitchen after a long day, is always very grateful.¶

To cook from frozen, I don’t thaw them. I just steam a few extra minutes. Sometimes I pan‑fry the bottom with a splash of water and a lid on top to get that trendy “crispy skirt” effect that went viral on Reels in 2024. It feels like takeaway, except I know exactly what’s inside.¶

Serving Ideas: Making a Whole Meal Out of Cabbage Momos#

If you’re like me and think about menus way too much, here’s what I usually do when I wanna make it into a proper dinner and not just a snack situation:¶

- Starter: A small bowl of clear soup – maybe a simple ginger‑garlic veg broth, or miso soup if I’m feeling fancy.
- Main: A big plate of steamed cabbage momos with extra chutney, chilli crisp, and maybe some soy vinegar on the side.
- Side: Quick stir‑fried greens or a smashed cucumber salad (so easy, so crunchy, very 2025‑inspired).
- Dessert: Honestly… usually just fruit, or if I’m in full goblin mode, leftover chocolate straight from the fridge.¶

If you’re hosting, you can even do a “momo bar” – set out the fillings, dough circles, and let everyone fold their own. The shapes will all be different, some will look cursed, but everyone always has so much fun. Last time I did this, one friend made a momo that looked like a tiny, very confused pumpkin. We still talk about that thing.¶

Why I Keep Coming Back to These Simple Cabbage Dumplings#

I’ve cooked more complicated stuff at home – slow‑cooked curries, giant lasagnas, proper ramen with broth simmering all day. But cabbage momos are the dish I circle back to when I just want to feel… okay. Grounded. There’s something about that process of chopping, mixing, folding, and steaming that makes everything else feel a little less loud for a while.¶

They remind me of random evenings in Majnu ka Tila, of late‑night momo runs with friends during college, of new restaurants popping up in 2025 and 2026 trying wild fillings, of quiet Monday nights at home when I’m just cooking for myself. Same dish, different versions of me, you know?¶

So yeah, if you’ve never tried making Cabbage Dumplings (Easy Steamed Cabbage Momos) at home, this is your sign. Don’t stress about perfect pleats or exact measurements. Let a few wrappers tear, eat the ugly ones in the kitchen, dip everything in way too much chilli sauce, and just enjoy it.¶

And if you want to go down more food rabbit holes – recipes, stories, random experiments that half-work – there’s a ton of stuff people are sharing over on AllBlogs.in lately. I keep finding new ideas there and then absolutely wrecking my kitchen trying them out, so, you’ve been warned.¶