Video summary

Momo Achar | Jhol Achar Recipe | Momo ko achar | Jhol momo acha | माेमाे झाेल अचार

Main summary

Key takeaways

Cooking

Presenter / Source

Recipe and narration from “Before You Try” (YouTube channel). No other sources are referenced in the subtitles.

What the recipe is (jhol / white pickled momo “achar”)

A white “almond” style pickle for momos—flavoring is primarily from roasted almonds + white sesame seeds (unlike some thicker pickles that also use soybeans).

Ingredients (with quantities as given)

Core nuts

  • Almonds: quantity not specified (roasted and skin removed)
  • White sesame seeds: quantity not specified, used with almonds
    • Ratio guidance: sesame seeds : almonds = 2 : 1 (i.e., double sesame, half almonds)

Vegetables / flavor base

  • Onion: medium to small, roughly chopped (fine not required)
  • Garlic: 3–4 cloves, roasted whole then cut in half
    • ½-inch garlic is mentioned as optional/unclear (could mean extra garlic or a slice)

Spices / aromatics

  • Dried chilies: 1–2
  • Whole tomatoes: 5–7
  • Chopped coriander: a little
  • Lemon juice: “enough to cover the soup” (then later salt/lemon can be adjusted)
  • Salt solution: used during cooking (exact amount not specified)
  • Water: added in stages (exact amount not specified)

Optional / variation mentioned

  • Sesame color: can use black or brown sesame if color doesn’t matter
  • Soybeans: not used in this recipe
  • Oil: garlic/onion can be cooked with oil or without oil
    • Oil adds sweetness; may omit for healthier cooking

Equipment / preparation

  • Pan for roasting nuts and seeds
  • Cover/lid for roasting sesame seeds (they may “spill”)
  • Mixie/grinder jar (to blend the cooked base and nuts)
  • Pestle (mentioned for grinding; then straining after re-grinding)
  • Strainer
  • Jar/container for storing (mentions “jar of the mixer grinder” during processing)

No specific preheating is mentioned, but pan roasting is done on controlled heat.

Step-by-step method (technique + key timings/temps)

1) Roast almonds (medium heat)

  1. Roast almonds in a pan on medium heat.
    • Tip: Don’t use high heat; almonds “won’t cook all the way through.”
  2. Remove almond skins after roasting.
    • Tip: For thick pickle, peeling isn’t mandatory, but in brine it’s better because peel can float on top.

2) Roast sesame seeds

  1. In the same pan, roast white sesame seeds.
    • Sesame seeds may “spill”—use a cover/lid.
    • Sesame roasting is on a pan heated by the maja (exact heat source not clarified).

3) Cook the onion–garlic–tomato base (brown once)

  1. Rough chop the onion (fine not required).
  2. Roast garlic cloves whole, then cut into halves.
  3. In a pan, add garlic first.
  4. After the garlic turns light red/browned and becomes sweet, add onion.
  5. Add salt solution (or keep it aside—subtitles mention both approaches).
  6. Add 1–2 dried chilies and 5–7 whole tomatoes.
  7. Cook only once: - If fried/browned, pickle color may deteriorate.
  8. If using a thin iron pot and it seems not enough steam: - Add a little water, cover, and cook with a lid.

4) Blend with nuts + lemon/coriander

  1. Transfer cooked mixture to a mixer grinder jar.
  2. Add roasted almonds and sesame seeds. - Ratio guidance: use sesame double almonds (2× sesame, 1× almonds) - Why: Too many almonds makes it too thick; thinning later with more water can cause loss of flavor.
  3. Add a little chopped coriander.
  4. Add enough lemon juice to cover the soup. - Lemon and salt can be adjusted later as well.
  5. Add tons of water and grind (subtitles mention pestle/grinding steps too). - Note: The jar blade is “a little high,” so it didn’t become a very fine paste.
  6. Grind again with a little water, then strain.

5) Taste/adjust and finish

  1. Taste to decide whether it’s salty or sour.
  2. The momo soup/pickle base is ready.

Chef tips / pitfalls mentioned

  • Roast almonds on medium heat; avoid high heat so they cook through.
  • Remove almond peel for brine (it can float).
  • Don’t over-brown/fry the tomato/chili mixture; color can worsen.
  • Sesame vs. almond ratio is critical:
    • Use double sesame, half almonds to avoid overly thick texture and flavor-loss from thinning.
  • If the pickle base turns out wrong:
    • Grind later again (subtitles note you can adjust by re-grinding).
  • Use a lid when roasting sesame seeds (they spill).

Serving / plating notes

  • Subtitles describe it as a momo pickle / jhol achar style and compare it to “bottle store” pickles, but no explicit plating instructions are given.

Variations discussed (concise)

  • Sesame color: white (used) or black/brown (if color doesn’t matter)
  • Soybeans: commonly used in thick pickles, but omitted in this almond version
  • Oil: garlic/onion can be fried with oil (sweeter) or without oil (healthier)
  • Texture correction: if too thin or needs adjustment, grind later

Original video