Dumplings are a novelty when you're used to ordering them from your fave Chinese takeout. But what if we told you they're actually really simple to make? You could have them everyday if you wanted! We love this recipe for chicken dumplings, but you can substitute the filling with anything you like. This recipe will make about 8 dumplings
Ingredients
- 700g baby bok choi
- 450g chicken mince
- 150ml shaoxing wine
- 60ml olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 pinch of white pepper
- 80ml water
- 8 dumpling or gyoza wrappers
Method
- Wash the bok choi then blanch them in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Put them in an ice bath to cool, then ring out all the water from the bok choi and dice finely.
- In a large bowl, mix together the bok choi, chicken mince, wine, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, pepper and water. Mix until well combined.
- Dampen the edge of each circular wrapper with some water.
- Next, fill the wrappers by using a bit less than a tsp of filling in the middle. Fold the circle in half and pinch the wrapper together at the top. Make two folds on each side, until the dumplings look like the correct shape. Make sure the dumpling is completely sealed before moving onto the next one. Place the dumplings on a tray with baking paper, so they don't stick to each other or the container. Repeat this process for all the dumplings.
- To cook, you can boil them or pan-fry them. To boil, drop the dumplings in a large pan of boiling water and leave them until they float to the top and the wrappers are cooked, but still a bit al-dente.
- To fry them, heat a tbsp of olive oil on a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Place the dumplings in the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Next, pour a thin layer pf water into the pan, cover with a lid and reduce to a low heat. Steam the dumplings until the water has evaporated, then remove the lid, increase the heat to high and fry for a few more minutes. Remove the dumplings when the bottoms are golden brown and crispy.