🇳🇵 Nepal · Sauces
Tomato & Coriander Momo Achar
A fresh green-flecked Nepali tomato achar with cooked and raw coriander, chilli, cumin, garlic and lemon.
Behind the plate
This achar leaves out the sesame and soybeans found in the site’s other momo sauces. Coriander is the defining ingredient, cooked into the tomato base for depth and optionally blended in fresh at the end for a brighter finish.
The result is smooth, light and sharp enough to cut through a rich momo filling. Publishing it separately gives readers a seed-free alternative while the collection links directly to the other achar styles.
Why this recipe works
Cooking most of the coriander with tomato mellows its grassy edge, while adding a smaller fresh portion at the end restores aroma and colour. Lemon sharpens the reduced tomato without the thickening effect of ground seeds or nuts.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground red chilli
- 2 bird’s-eye chillies or similar, chopped
- Fine salt, to taste
- ½ cup fresh coriander, chopped
- ¼ cup additional fresh coriander, optional for finishing
- Juice of 1 large lemon
Method
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant without browning.
- Add the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, red chilli, bird’s-eye chillies, salt and ½ cup chopped coriander.
- Cook gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the tomatoes and coriander are soft and concentrated. Cool slightly.
- Blend for 2–3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- Add the lemon juice and optional ¼ cup fresh coriander, then blend briefly once more.
- Taste, adjust the salt and chilli, and refrigerate until needed.
Chef’s notes
- The original onion line read ‘1.2 cup’; it has been interpreted as ½ cup because the method and recipe scale match that quantity. Confirm before formal production use.
- Use both coriander leaves and tender stems for flavour, but remove tough lower stalks.
- Cool the tomato mixture before adding the optional fresh coriander so the colour stays brighter.
- This version contains no sesame or soy in the supplied formula, but cross-contact controls still matter in a momo kitchen.
At the table
Serve with chicken or vegetable momo, or offer beside the linked sesame, hog-plum and jhol achar variations.