From Kathmandu to Kolkata, momo is considered as one of the most pocket savvy street food items. Nowadays, it has become one of India's default office lunch options. As well as all over the country it is the preferred breakfast dish for every momo lover. But today I don't want to talk about this trendy Northeastern dish.

This is the story of a Sikkimese woman who makes mouth-watering, finger-licking momos. In the recent past, she has also been appreciated by food connoisseur. She brought the flavours of Sikkim to the streets of Kolkata with an initiative familiar the culture to everyone.

Diki Sherpa, a 5 ft tall image comes slowly towards Patuli and opens her food cart like every other day. Over the past two years, she has served her famous meat filled yummy Chicken momos. Her momos are more than just delicious. Food lovers are also delighted with Diki Di's mesmerizing skills.

Momo has been her favourite dish. In her childhood, she was awestruck by her mother’s skill that how she put that delightful filling in that dumpling which she carried through her own. Whenever it comes down to the lunch menu, the momo prepared by Diki di’s mother is the ultimate choice which was the topmost in the bucket list in Diki di’s desire. She always wanted to make people happy like her mother through these tempting momos, which became her passion later on. But her dream was not as easy as she thought it would be.

She was affected by kidney disease. She came to Kolkata from Sikkim for treatment which led her to a Kidney transplant. Later Diki di's mother donated a kidney to her. After transplantation, she moved to her native village and started landscaping and gardening. She was very much fond of music and keeps on practising that. She released her first solo music album named "Kalpana Maruda" which means "crying" in the regional language of Sikkim. The album did not work well. So-called luck betrayed her again as she needed a kidney transplant for the second time. This time her brother's friend reached out for help. He gave her a good tonic to build up her strength after her kidney transplant and she went on to marry him later. Then they finally settled in Kolkata. She thought let’s start to convert her dream into reality. Established the stall of momos. Childhood passion of her became reality and get her fate back in track again. She is not only selling her momos but also winning hearts of the town. All that, she earned through selling momos, went towards her treatment.

I have had this opportunity to know this person personally, beyond her role as a momo seller. She told, ‘‘there were times when my life felt incomplete. I was filled with negativity from all sides. I was no longer the joyful, enthusiastic person I used to be. I always thought, what have I done so wrong to be in this situation and my passion will ever be meet the reality? I realized that I had to gather myself up and strive to be the same person I was. My equation with my parents also took a bitter turn. They didn't keep any relation with me. Times were painful. But I still have to continue living my life. I can't give up. Difficulties will be there, but I need to overcome them. Gradually I restored my energy. I went to Kolkata started with the basics all over again. Teenage years I surprisingly saw the process of prepping the momos every day. My mother made these momos using her hands. She kneaded her own dough, filled in her own stuffing and shaped them by hands only. I always wanted to make people happy through these tempting yummy momos. My passion leads me to the place where dreams and reality meet. I became a momo seller. Now, these dumplings have taken the city by storm. All that I earned and saved went towards my treatment. Although I pleasured knowing and living with new people in my life, I still missed my family'. Tears burned her eyes, her lower lip trembled.

After a stressful day, this traditional delicacy of Tibet will blow you away for sure. Served with crystal clear soup and Sikkim’s special "Dalle Chilly"s Chutney. I bet you can't control yourself after eating one plate of this delicacy. The momos she makes are so tasty and mouth-watering that you might even end up eating momos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Diki di's momos can give a tough competition to all the Momo giants in the business. She proudly says "momo is in our blood'. Its originality & the hilly touch makes it more delicious. It is free from all the spices and is healthy too. Her fans throng to her stall from all corners of Kolkata, not just to taste the momos but also for her warm hospitality. She started earning 1000 now 5000 rupees per day by selling momos. Alongside momos, she also prepares and sells “taaipo” and “thupka”. These are the all-time favourites of the younger generations.

With the original taste of Sikkim, Arijit Chowdhury, a regular customer of her says, “this momo is original, hygienic and is of the best quality”. One of her admirers Tamasree Ganguly says, “it is an inner-call. Without having the taste of Diki di's momos you can't pass by this place.'

Her taste of Sikkim is the amalgamation of hope, dreams, and vision. Her delicious momos transport you to the streets of Sikkim immediately. Last but not the least this half-moon sized momos will leave you delightfully happy. Well after talking about it I am hungry for momos again.

Price for a plate of MOMO- 60 rupees, TAAIPO- 30 rupees, THUKPA- 70 rupees

Address: It takes 7 minutes to travel from Patuli to Tollygunge Metro station. An approximate driving distance between Patuli and Tollygunge Metro station is 6 km or 3.7 miles. You can also take a bus to reach Patuli.