The first thing I noticed about Prarthana Pandey Upadhyay was her smile. Despite the steady line forming in front of her booth at Pepper Place Market, she greets every customer with the same warmth and kindness, scooping samosas into paper bags and describing each sauce that pairs with momo, or Nepali dumplings. The momo are her most popular dish, and what her business, Dalle Momo, is known for. The name carries a special meaning.

“Dalle is my 15-year-old dog, and in Nepali, ‘dalle’ also means spicy pepper,” she says. “I chose the name because he was our first baby—we’ve had him since he was just three months old. Momo, or dumplings, are a comforting, home-style dish in our culture, which makes everything feel even more personal.”

I started with her ginger pork momo, one of Dalle Momo’s most popular dishes. The dumplings are soft and delicate, filled with perfectly seasoned pork layered with ginger and warm spices. Then came the samosas—golden, crisp, and deeply flavorful—but it was the spicy veggie version that stood out most, packed with bold seasoning and just the right amount of heat.

Behind every item on the menu is intention, tradition, and a connection to both Nepal and Birmingham. Prarthana moved to Alabama from Colorado in 2014 and quickly realized that an important piece of home, and who she is, was missing.

“When I moved here, I did not find any ethnic Nepali food, so that kind of inspired me,” she said. “I have always enjoyed cooking since I was 12 years old.” What began as a personal longing for the flavors she grew up with slowly evolved into Dalle Momo, her pop-up business centered around handmade Nepali dumplings, traditional spices, and deeply personal recipes.

For Prarthana, Nepali food is impossible to separate from memory and comfort. “Nepali food is a beautiful fusion of flavors from Southeast Asia, Tibet, and beyond,” she said. “Think comforting dal bhat, savory momos, and vibrant spices. It’s food that really feels like home.”

At the center of her cooking are the spices she prepares herself. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and fresh ginger appear throughout her food, creating layers of flavor that are both rich and balanced. Rather than relying on pre-made blends, she roasts and grinds many of the spices by hand. “What makes my momos different is that I use local meat from farmers, I roast and grind my own spices, and it’s made with love,” she said.

That emphasis on local ingredients has also connected her closely to Birmingham’s food community. Much of what she cooks with comes directly from fellow vendors and farmers at Pepper Place Market, something she says is deeply important to the way she operates.

“I cook everything myself, using fresh, traditional ingredients,” she said. “One hundred percent all traditional.”

Though Dalle Momo is still operating primarily through pop-ups, Prarthana has already built a loyal following across Birmingham. She estimates that 80 to 90 percent of her customers are repeat visitors, many of whom track her schedule from market to market and pop-up to pop-up.

“It has been amazing,” she said. “This year, I have met many new people. I am really enjoying it very much.”

Recently, she collaborated with Cala Coffee in Cahaba Heights alongside Alex Correa and also hosted a pop-up at Golden Age Wine Garden downtown—both experiences she described as memorable and energizing.

“I am definitely doing more pop-ups soon,” she said. “You will see me all over Birmingham.”

For now, Prarthana runs nearly every part of the operation herself, balancing motherhood alongside long prep days, handmade dumplings, and early mornings at the market.

“Sometimes we sell out very fast,” she said. “But I have made up my mind—it’s always quality over quantity.”

That philosophy shows up clearly in the food. Nothing feels rushed: every dumpling is carefully folded and sealed by hand, every spice intentional, and every interaction personal. In a food landscape increasingly built around speed and scale, Dalle Momo feels refreshingly human and soulful.

And while Prarthana says she’s currently happy focusing on pop-ups and family life, she hasn’t ruled out something bigger down the road. “Definitely in the future, maybe own a cozy-style restaurant in Birmingham,” she said. “Or sooner if there is anyone in Birmingham who wants to partner.”

Until then, customers can continue finding her the same way many already have: through word of mouth, crowded pop-ups, and the unmistakable aroma of freshly roasted spices drifting through Pepper Place on a Saturday morning.

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