These thick-skinned beauties are perfect on a winter’s day.

At the end of the day momos are just beef dumplings and I will never ever get as excited about them as folks from the Himalayan diaspora do. There are now more than a dozen restaurants and four food trucks in Jackson Heights that serve them. Momos are to Tibetans and Nepalese as hamburgers are to Americans—a national dish that evokes gatherings with family and friends. “What’s the big deal about a hamburger?” I imagine a Tibetan saying. “It’s just two pieces of bread with ground beef in between.”  But enough momo musing. I’m here to tell you I’ve discovered a momo that is the very essence of winter comfort food: the kothe momo.

They’re even better with housemade hot sauce.

A friend tipped me off to these marvelous momos at Woodside Cafe. An octet of kothe momo will set you back $6.50. The thick-skinned dumplings are steamed, pan-fried, and then finally anointed with vegetable broth. Normally a thick skin is less than desirable, but in this case it works. Filled with ground beef and veggies scented with garam masala, kothe momo make for a comforting mid-February meal. These are momo worth getting excited over, especially during this endless winter.I foresee a steaming plate of them in my very near future.

Woodside Cafe, 64-23 Broadway, Woodside, 347-642-3445