Etymology From Tibetan མོག་མོག (mog mog), from Mandarin 饃饃／馍馍 (mómo).
1
A type of dumpling from Nepal, Ladakh or Tibet made with a simple flour and water dough and filled with meat, vegetables or cheese.
Many dishes show a direct influence of China or India; for example, momos, or Tibetan dumplings, look like Chinese pot-stickers.2007 July 1, “Far East of the U.N.”, in New York Times:
She heated handpies and tofu in her off-campus apartment, and at her home in India, she heats momos, dehydrates mangoes and cooks whole, shelled peanuts.2022 January 25, Christina Morales, “How the Air Fryer Crisped Its Way Into America’s Heart”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Since I come from the North-eastern part of India myself and belong to a minority race, I too have suffered from racism, at least in its milder forms. I’ve been called "chinky", "momo", "chowmein", and more.2017 May 23, Alana Golmei, “Let’s talk about racism”, in Hindustan Times, Delhi:
Now, it is a well-known fact that many Northeast Indians are derogatorily called 'momos' after the dish by mainland Indians for their round-ish features.2021 June 9, “Northeast Indians DISRESPECTED once again with 'momo' slur”, in India Today Northeast:
The probability on one-four-reel machine is a million and a half to one. On three machines in a row, it's in the billions. It cannot happen… would not happen, you fuckin' momo!1995, Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese, Casino, spoken by Ace (Robert De Niro):