Dumplings and eggrolls are two food items that brings me closer to home. It feels like a right of passage growing up. All family gathers had dumplings, eggrolls or both and as a child, it's a requirement for you to sit at the dining room table and help wrap them and cook them. You don't know to appreciate those moments until you get older. And I can't wait for some day to pass down this family tradition to my children.
But my sharing this with my readers is just as memorable and I hope you enjoy my recipe. I used premade vegetable wrappers because I'm honestly not great with dough work and the premade wrappers tastes just as good to me. I used vegetable ones just because I like the color but you can use regular ones.
There are so many different ways to shape dumplings but the most common way is the crescent which symbolizes wealth because it looks similar to a Chinese gold ingot.
Dust your workspace lightly with flour to keep the wrappers from sticking to the surface.
Add dollop of filling to the middle of your dumpling. You don't want to over stuff your dumplings or they will be hard to wrap and will fall apart during the cooking process.
Dab your finger with warm water and run it along the edge of the wrapper all the way around. This creates the "glue" that will hold the wrapper together.
Fold the wrapper in half.
Pinch the middle first and work your way over from either sides to meet in the middle by folding the front of the wrap ¼ inch towards the middle and once more ¼ inch towards the first fold and pinch the end closed. Repeat on the other side.
Pinch all of the edges closed tightly. Add more water to seal if necessary.
Dumplings is one of those dishes that is most commonly eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations to bring in wealth to the new lunar year. Other dishes include noodles for longevity, glutinous rice for career success, sweet rice balls for family togetherness and fish for prosperity to name a few.
Wishing all of my readers health, wealth and prosperity in the year of the earth ox!
Happy Chinese New Years!
恭喜發財 [Gung Hay Fat Choy]
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới
새해 복 많이 받으세요 [saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo]
旧正月、明けましておめでとうございます [Kyū shōgatsu, akemashiteomedetōgozaimasu]
Yields Approx 24 dumplings, Approx. 45 mins
What You'll Need
¼ All purpose flour, for dusting
24 Round dumpling wrappers
½ lb Medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced
¼ Cup Shitake mushrooms, finely diced
¼ Cup Shallot, finely diced
3 Tbsp Vegetable oil, divided
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp Ginger, finely grated
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 tsp Sesame oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
All You Need To Do
Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a small pan and cook your onions and mushrooms on medium high heat until tender. Set it aside and let it cool for about 10 mins.
In a large bowl, combine all of your remaining ingredients except the vegetable oil and dumpling wrappers.
Add your mushroom and onion mix to the bowl and mix until evenly combined.
Wrap your dumplings (instructions above).
Place your completed dumplings on a pan lined with wax or parchment paper lighly dusted with flour.
Heat 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place your dumplings in the pan about an inch a part from each other flat on it's bottom. NOTE: You don't want the heat to be too high it'll burn the outside of the dumplings and not cook the middle enough. Make sure that you do not overcrowd the pan or the dumplings will stick to each other. Work in batches if necessary.
Cook the dumplings until the bottom is a nice golden, crisp brown.
Add about ¼ cup of water, enough to cover the bottom of the pan and cover to steam until the liquid is full absorbed. Approx. 5 mins.
Serve with hot chili oil or a soy vinegar sauce. (recipes coming soon)
Enjoy!
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