“Nepal is beautiful, don’t you think?” Kanak asked, as he gestured towards the Himalayas in the distance. “They would seem much closer, these mountains, if it hadn’t been such a cloudy day, ” he tut-ted, as he surveyed the skies from his office balcony that overlooked the world’s tallest mountain range. “But it’s good weather for some Momos. Chicken Momos.”
That is how Kanak began rather hearty welcome. There was genuine excitement in his tone, despite him being a man I was meeting for only the second time. I had only arrived in Kathmandu about an hour ago, to meet my girlfriend, who in turn had dragged me to work (a reputed regional magazine) to meet her editor, Kanak, and the rest of the team. As a journalist, it was exciting to meet the team. As an individual, Kanak simply floored me with his knowledge and his humility.
And then there were Momos.
“How long are you here for?” he asked.
“About 3 months,” I answered.
“Well, I may not have space to hire a journalist, but you could weigh in on the business side of things? Do you have experience is business management?”
“No, sir.”
The silence that followed wasn’t long enough to become awkward – a plate of steaming Momos and a side of red garlic chili sauce arrived just at the right time for us to begin talking about food instead. There were 12 Momos – we split the plate halfway.
“They are steamed, that is what makes all the difference,” Kanak remarked. “Make sure you have the sauce, I love that sauce.”
And he was write. With my first bite-, I understood what Momos were. They weren’t quite dumplings, even though Kanak said they were like dumplings, but they were the steamed cousins of samosas. The outer covering is prepared with flour, similar to samosas, and a filling added, also like samosas. But unlike samosoas, they were not fried. Momos were steamed, which gave them a doughy texture. Surprisingly, they weren’t sticky. As I later also found out, well-made Momos never folded or tore. They were a lovely snack.
“Three months is a long time,” Kanak said, as he munched on his Momos. “Let’s hope we can find space for you.”
I couldn’t stay for the entire three months in Kathmandu but I did love interning at Kanak’s organization. My main attraction at work? Momos.
