The Chinese take-out dumpling delicacy has now been transformed to an at-home, make it yourself delicacy with 8 ingredients!
Chinese New Year came with a bang this year. Picture this epic celebration…
In white demographic St George, on Jude’s Zoom call, also watching Mickey Mouse adventures-[in English] and making our Chinese Dumplings. We did make them in a traditional[ish] steamer basket so that’s more Chinese New Year. Right??
Jude got the bee in his bonnet to make Dumplings from his lovely school teacher Elisa. She even sent them a recipe! We adapted that recipe and made our own. It turned out great and we had a really, fun and festive time making them.
INGREDIENTS:
- Ground pork
- this was tricky to find. You usually have to ask the butcher behind the counter. It is rarely already packaged.
- Ginger
- THE BEST flavor- in my opinion. I like to use fresh ginger but you can also use powder ginger variety if that is all you have. OR better yet, you can buy the fresh and then use the rest of it for some Golden Turmeric Milk! You won’t regret it.
- It is easiest to grate it with a hand potato peeler. Or you can chop it really fine.
- Soy Sauce
- Can also used soy free Coconut Aminos
- Just make sure whatever it is you use that it is LOWER SODIUM. Soy Sauce is known for its high sodium content so…beware blood pressure.
- Carrots
- shredded
- Mushrooms
- finely chopped
- Cabbage
Some important DON’Ts:
- You CAN cut your Wonton wrappers to the size and shape of your choosing. Depending on the look of your dumpling, you may want round or square.
- Don’t OVERFILL your dumplings. If you overfill, the wontons will pop and your will have a soggy dumpling.
- Keep the wonton wrappers you are not using covered so they don’t dry out. If they do dry out, cover them with a damp rag and wait until they become soft again. You will soon find out that if you use it when its dry, you won’t be as successful at sealing the wonton properly.
- Don’t overlap the wonton’s. They will stick together and then when you try and pull them apart, they will tear open. So, be sure to space them out.
COOKING your dumplings:
STEAMING: If you are using a steamer basket, place filled basket over pan of boiling water. Don’t lift the lid off and steam for approx 10 min. [If you lift the lid to take a peak, it will let the steam out and that will be bad!]
PAN FRYING: Place dumplings in a saute pan over medium heat with a few tablespoons of oil. Cook until wontons are crispy and brown on the outside. Then pour 1/3 cup water in saute pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook until the water has boiled out. Uncover and continue to cook for another 2 min.
And then a flashback of last year in New York…right before Covid hit we enjoyed a nice Chinese New Year in East Village.
8 Ingredient Homemade Dumplings
- Prep Time: 35 minn
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 24 wontons 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
The Chinese take-out delicacy of a dumpling has been transformed to at an home, make it yourself with 8 simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 package Wonton wrappers [preferrably round]
- 1/2 ground pork
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger [shaved and chopped]
- 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1/3 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup red cabbage [shredded]
- 1/3 cup mushrooms [chopped]
Instructions
MAKING WONTONS:
1. Mix ground pork + ginger + Reduced Sodium soy sauce in a bowl.
2. Add mushrooms + shredded carrots + shredded cabbage + green onions to ground pork mixture.
3. Place a cup of water nearby your ‘preparing wonton’ station. You will need water to dab/wipe/swipe on the edge of each wonton wrapper. [The water is what makes the seal for your wonton.]
4. Arrange a few wonton wrappers on a plate, keeping the rest in the package so they don’t dry out. [If they dry out, they will crack and not seal properly.]
5. Dump approx. 1 Tablespoon of pork filling onto the center of each wrapper. Be careful not to overfill, as this will cause your wonton pouch to be too big and it won’t seal properly leaving you with an open, soggy wonton.
6. When you have the correct amount of filling, dab water on one edge of the wonton wrapper and fold the other edge over, making pleats as you press one side to the other. Or simply make a half moon.
COOKING
Steaming:
1. DO NOT overlap the wontons. They will stick together and it will be tricky unsticking them
2. Place steamer basket over a sauce pan of boiling water and steam for 10 min. -Don’t remove the lid which will release the steam and interrupt the cooking.
3. Once done, remove from the steamer basket and serve with soy sauce.
Pan Fry:–
1. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
2. Place dumplings in an even layer and fry for a few minutes until both sides are golden brown.
3. Add 1/3 cup water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Continue to cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium.
4. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 or 3 min and then remove from heat and serve with soy sauce.
Notes
* FREEZE: These work great to freeze! Place in single layer in freezer until frozrn, then transfer to an airtight container.
* VEGETARIAN: Substitute vegetables for the meat.
Keywords: Wontons, dumplings, Chinese New Year, healthy, vegetarian
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