Delhi Momos come to Jersey City

During my time in India, I saw how momos became a craze in Delhi. Originally a Tibetan delicacy, there are various theories on how momos came to Delhi. One of them suggests Tibetan migrants introduced them to the capital city in the 1960s. Vendors in the city took the traditional steamed, meat-stuffed dumplings and made them more appealing to locals by adding garlic mayonnaise, tangy chutneys and flavorful marinades.

Now, Delhi momos are also available here in New Jersey, thanks to Fomo Momo, a food truck that has five different varieties of momos fusions, such as Afghani momos, as well as traditional steamed and fried momos. In addition to a food truck that travels to various events and locations, they operate a kitchen for pickups and deliveries in Jersey City.

“We have tried a lot of food in Jersey and never missed home in a way, but momos were one thing that constantly made me miss Delhi. And that’s when the thought came that we should definitely try this out,” Ankita Nagpal, who co-founded the food truck in 2021 with Impreet Sodhi.

Today, the food truck has grown to be successful, with more than 4,500 followers on Instagram and crowds of people waiting to try these Indian dumplings.

Tasting Delhi Momos in New Jersey

On a recent visit, the Fomo Momo truck was easy to spot with its unapologetic pink color and Desi pop art. While waiting for my assorted platter, I enjoyed a riverfront view of New York and watched people hurry off with their momos to sit by the water. The line of mostly Desis ordering momos kept growing. I watched as two Desi customers exchanged business cards and networked while waiting for their order, a sign of the community building around the momo truck.

The momos I tried had a chicken filling, but a vegetarian option was also available. The platter had Schezwan (the Indo-Chinese version of Sichuan cuisine) momos, Afghani momos, and Tandoori momos with pickled onions and a red and green dip. The Indo-Chinese Schezwan momos were spicy, and the Tandoori momos were charred and smoky, but the Afghani momos with their rich creaminess stood out for me.

They also serve soya chaap, a stick made from soy products that mimics kebabs—another Delhi staple accompanied by similar sauces.

The Origins of Fomo Momo

Nagpal and Sodhi met through their husbands and bonded over their love for food and desire to start a business. They both work in tech during the day; Nagpal is a product owner, and Sodhi is a technology product manager.

Nagpal's brother owns a restaurant in Delhi.

“Even though I know a bit about the food industry business, the challenges in the US are altogether different when you compare it with India or any other country,” she said.

They made a bold move by starting their business during the pandemic in 2021. After hand-making momos till they perfected their recipes, they bought a food truck.

Social media updates keep the customers informed about the truck's location. There are days when they also receive customers from beyond Jersey City.

“There are a lot of people who say we have traveled from Long Island or Atlantic City just for the momos,” Sodhi said.

They gained fame through Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn summer food festival that came to Jersey City for the first time in 2021. Their momos were a hit.

“It was surprisingly a mixed crowd and a lot of people wanted to know about momos. We have never used the term dumplings in our marketing, but people were able to understand what we were trying to sell,” Nagpal said.

Fomo Momo has thrived since then, warmly embraced by Jersey City residents.

“We definitely are exploring a proper storefront,” Sodhi added.

You can find the Fomo Momo truck by following them on Instagram @fomomousa.

Tehsin Pala is the associate editor of Central Desi.

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