How to make dumplings in 10 easy steps

How to make dumplings in 10 easy steps

Yesterday Elisa and I had a real treat. My friend, Vera, and her three-year-old daughter, Sarah, came over and gave us a lesson in how to make dumplings and noodles. It was surprisingly easy, and of course, the reward was an extremely tasty meal. One of the things I love about Hong Kong is the culture around food. For example, Vera mentioned that generally we should consume the dumplings with a vegetable so our helper, Desiree, volunteered to make a salad. An audible gasp was heard as Vera exclaimed, “No! It wouldn’t go. Only Chinese greens would be appropriate.” Basically, it was better to go without than to upset the balance of the meal. She also told me that our chili oil was really, well, unacceptable and I needed to buy local (mine was from the neighboring Chinese province of Guangzhou!). Besides the culture around food, another thing I love about Hong Kong is eating scruptious Chinese meals, so for those interested, here’s how it went.

Vera and Sarah showing us how its done

Serves 4+
Ingredients:
3-4 bunches baby bok choi
1 liter Chicken broth
Half pound Fresh noodles
Fresh dumpling wraps (50)
1 pound ground pork
3 Japanese cabbages
Hot chili oil
Red vinegar
Soy sauce
Spring onion – chopped
Cilantro – chopped
“Paste:”
One quarter cup water and 1 Tblsp corn starch
Marinade:
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 and a half tbsp corn starch
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
1. Go to your local noodle shop to purchase dumpling wrappers. Dumpling wrappers are not, under any circumstances to be confused with wonton wrappers. They are thicker and will not tear as easily. However, when pressed, Vera did condede you could use wonton wrappers, but then of course you would be making wontons, not dumplings. I am wondering if I will be able to “go to my local noodle shop” when I return to Seattle, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
2. Go to the butcher and buy 500 grams (1 pound) of pork. Vera recommended Moi Toh – to then be put in a meat grinder at home. However, since she didn’t know the English name for this particular cut, and as far as a meat grinder, well, I have never owned one, I negotiated ground pork as a substitute.
3. Marinate pork in sesame oil, soy sauce, corn starch, sugar and salt and pepper for 10 minutes
4. While pork is in marinade, shred cabbages. Mix pork and cabbage thoroughly.
5. Make paste per the above.
6. Put about two tspns of meat in wrapper and use your finger to apply paste to one side. Fold wrapper in half covering meat and cabbage and seal sides with paste.

The corn starch and water “paste”

A small scoop of pork and cabbage

7. Dip finger in paste and use to seal sides of wrapper.

Folding the dumpling wrapper in half

Sealing it with the paste

Sealing the sides

8. Fold excess wrapper up and pinch ends together. Put on cookie sheet and cover with damp towel.

Folding the wrapper up 

pinching the ends together with paste

Dumplings to go!

9. To cook noodles:
Boil noodles and bok choi in chicken broth (add soy sauce if more salty taste desired)
10. To cook dumplings:
Place in boiling water and cook for 7 minutes (dumplings will float when they are done). Spoon broth with cooked noodles and bok choi into bowl. Place dumplings on top and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and spring onions. For additional spice, put desired amount of chili oil in Chinese spoon and cover it with red vinegar. Here’s the tricky part, to eat like a local, you keep the chili/vinegar in your spoon and dip your dumplings and noodles in it as you go. Delicious! This is a recipe that will be in our family for years to come!

Voila! Delicious dumpling soup

http://blog.seattlepi.com/redlantern/2008/01/26/how-to-make-dumplings-in-10-easy-steps/