The Jhol Momo Guide: What Makes It Different?
If you've ordered momos in Vancouver and the menu had two listings — "steamed" and "jhol" — you've probably wondered what jhol means and whether it's worth the extra two dollars. Short answer: yes. Longer answer below.
What "jhol" actually means
In Nepali, jhol translates to broth or gravy. A jhol momo is therefore a momo bathed in broth — specifically, a warm, spiced tomato-sesame broth that's poured over freshly steamed dumplings. You eat the momos by hand or with a spoon, and you sip the broth alongside.
Steamed momo vs jhol momo
Steamed momos arrive dry, with a small bowl of chutney for dipping. The chutney can be tomato, sesame, fermented green, or any number of regional variations — but it stays separate from the dumpling.
Jhol momos take that chutney logic and turn it into a soup. The broth is built from toasted sesame paste, simmered tomato, garlic, ginger, cumin and a chilli base, then thinned just enough to pour. The momos sit in it. The wrapper soaks up flavour. The broth becomes the dish.
If steamed momos are the dim sum analog, jhol momos are the soup dumpling without the trick — warmth all the way through.
How we make jhol momo at IndoCave
- Wrappers: rolled fresh in our kitchen each shift. No pre-bought wrappers.
- Filling: seasoned chicken or vegetables, with onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro and house spice.
- Pleat: each momo is hand-pleated — usually 16 pleats per dumpling. By the time you've eaten ten, that's 160 pleats per order.
- Steam: to order, never reheated.
- Broth: toasted sesame paste, simmered tomato, garlic, ginger, cumin, chilli — ladled hot over the steamed momos.
- Pack: for delivery, the broth goes in a sealed container and the momos travel beside it. We assemble at home.
Who orders jhol momo
It's a cold-weather order. It's a "had a long day" order. It's the order to make when you want something dumpling-shaped but you also want soup. On rainy Vancouver evenings, jhol momos move faster than steamed.
Where to order in Vancouver
We make jhol momos at IndoCave on East Broadway and deliver them across Renfrew-Collingwood, Commercial Drive, Hastings-Sunrise and the broader East Vancouver and Burnaby ring. Order online — pickup or delivery, until midnight on weekdays and 2 AM on weekends.