the first memory i have of eating dumplings was when i was about 10 years old and i came home from school for lunch. my mom had made pan-fried dumplings for me. i took one bite and wondered how come she never made them before. there were about 30 dumplings and i ate them all… after all, i was a growing kid.
i never go by exact measurements when i cook. this is why i don’t bake. i like to wing it! so the measurements in this recipe are only estimates. use your best judgement. this recipe makes about 40 dumplings.
ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 cups chinese garlic chives, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp chinese rice wine (optional)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 pack dumpling wrappers
- red rice vinegar for dipping
method
- to make the filling, combine the pork, brown sugar, garlic chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, rice wine, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. add enough water to make mixture smooth.
- place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. fold the wrappers over to make a half-moon shape. make small pleats along the edge to seal.
- to fry the dumplings, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan (cast iron works well). lower heat to medium and add a single layer of dumplings in concentric circles, starting from the outside. cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottom of the dumplings are lightly fried (you can check by gently picking up individual dumplings with tongs). add 1/3 cup of water, cover and steam for 5 minutes, then uncover and cook until the water has evaporated. repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- serve with red rice vinegar
** if you want to spend less time watching over the dumplings as they cook, you can have them steamed. use a wok and they should be ready to be devoured in about 20 minutes. **
Those look delicious and the crisp on them are absolutely gorgeous. You hit the nail on the head with an heavy pan. I bought a cast iron dutch oven with a wide base recently for that. Yummmm….
These look fabulous. I will no doubt try this recipe. Crisp sounds great too!
Those look wicked good. I have been wanting to make something like this for some time, but haven’t had a pot/pan that I really trusted for it.