Dumpling-Inspired Instant Pot Momo Meatballs
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If you have an Instant Pot, the modern pressure cooker that has spawned a generation of "Potheads," you have extra space in your culinary library for all the Instant Pot cookbooks you'll need. Authorized by the manufacturer, The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook is packed with time-tested recipes from all over the world. Try these momo meatballs, and don't forget the cilantro chutney!
This is one of my favorite recipes, inspired by a mind-blowingly delicious meal of momos (aka Nepalese pot stickers) I enjoyed one year at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco. Folding beautiful dumplings is time-consuming and takes a lot of experience, however, so I've instead taken the basic flavors and infused them into turkey meatballs, adding rice to the ground meat for a one-pot meal — less work, similar flavors, and totally satisfying. I like them on their own, on top of zucchini noodles or served with cauliflower rice on the side.
Reprinted with permission from The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil with high smoke point
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 28-ounce can jar crushed tomatoes (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pound ground turkey (93 percent lean)
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice or quick-cooking brown rice
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout spice blend
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large green onion
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- To make the sauce, select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes and water, stir to mix well, and bring to a simmer.
- To make the meatballs, in a bowl, combine the turkey, rice, ras el hanout, and salt and mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Don’t worry about overmixing, as you want the rice and spices to be evenly incorporated into the meat. When everything is well combined, shape the mixture into 12 meatballs each slightly larger than a golf ball.
- Place the meatballs in a single layer in the simmering sauce and spoon a little of the sauce over the top of each one. Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Poultry setting and set the cooking time for 15 minutes at high pressure.
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the chutney. In a mini chopper or in a mortar with a pestle, combine all of the chutney ingredients and process or grind into a rough paste.
- When the timer goes off, you can perform a quick release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting, or you can let the pressure release naturally and leave the meatballs on the Keep Warm setting for up to 10 hours.
- Serve the meatballs in their sauce with a spoonful of chutney on top of each.