Momosin Harrisburg, PA.

A momo is a Himalayan dumpling: a thin wheat wrapper folded by hand around a seasoned filling, then steamed or fried. It is the national comfort food of Nepal — the thing people eat standing up on the way home, and the thing families make together in batches of a hundred.

The pleating is not decoration. Each fold traps a pocket of steam, and the filling releases its own juice as it cooks, so a properly closed momo arrives with a spoonful of hot broth still inside it. That is why they are served whole, and why you should bite carefully on the first one.

Every momo we serve is pleated in house, on the day, and comes with our own tomato-sesame achar for dipping.

Jhol momo — order this one first. Jhol means broth: the steamed momos arrive sitting in a warm, nutty sesame-tomato gravy, and when the dumplings are gone you drink what is left. It is the dish most people come back for.

Steamed — chicken, pork or veg. The original. Soft wrapper, clean flavour, nothing hiding.

Kothey — half-steamed, then pan-seared so the base goes deep gold and crackly while the top stays soft. If you cannot choose between steamed and fried, this is the answer.

Chili momo — fried, then wok-tossed Indo-Chinese style with onion, capsicum and chilli. This is the hot one, and it eats more like a main than a starter.

Fried — chicken, pork or veg. Whole-fried so every side of the wrapper crackles and the filling steams in its own juice. Comes with extra chili sauce.

6400 Derry St, Harrisburg, PA. Order on this site for pickup or delivery, or call (717) 565-1414. Momos travel well, but they are best in the first ten minutes — if you are close, pickup is worth it.

Momo is the doorway into the rest of the menu. After that, try the Nepali and Newari dishes or the Indian side of the kitchen.