Fried dumplings?

Question

id like to have a good fried dumpling recipe. i just love asian food. any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Equipment:

wok or large saucepan, with lid

metal rack, to be placed on base of wok or large saucepan

bamboo steamer, to sit on top of metal rack - when buying this, bear in mind the size of your wok/saucepan. We have two of these so that we can alternate between them - as one is steaming, the other one can be filled with more dumplings

non-stick frying pan

metal spatula for frying

pair of long cooking chopsticks

greaseproof paper

Ingredients:

dumpling wrappers - you can buy these in a Chinese supermarket, but make sure they are ‘gau gee’/'gow gee’ or ‘jiaozi’ wrappers, and not wonton wrappers. They’re usually in the fridge section and will last for up to 10 days unopened. I’ve tried frozen wrappers, but as you have to defrost them first, they require more forward planning. They also go very gooey and don’t taste nice. My mother makes the wrapper dough herself, which naturally tastes the best (see her recipe), but it really would take a lot longer. We bought 2 packs of 20 for two people (which is actually way too much!)

vegetables - buna shimeji mushrooms, baby asparagus tips, courgette, broccoli spears. But you can use anything you like

garlic

fresh ginger

soya sauce

rice vinegar (or the juice of a whole lemon)

groundnut or vegetable oil

salt, ground white pepper, ground black pepper

Preparing the Fillings:

The choice of filling is really up to you. As my husband doesn’t eat meat or seafood, we made only vegetarian ones, but the possibilities are endless. We made four different types today:

buna shimeji (brown beech) mushroom. Chop the base off the mushroom cluster and separate into individual mushrooms, leaving the stems on. Chop and cook in a bit of groundnut oil (or vegetable oil), with ground black pepper and stir in some chopped chives at the end. Chinese chives (or ‘nira’ in Japanese) would be even nicer if you can get them. Place in a small dish for later. This was our favourite filling

baby asparagus tips (or any asparagus, but it’s got to be tender), finely chopped and fried in the mushroom oil (above) with a bit of ground white pepper. Place in a small dish for later

courgette, finely chopped, fried in the same oil with one clove of garlic and ground white pepper. Place in a small dish for later

broccoli spears, finely chopped, fried in the same oil with ground black pepper. Place in a small dish for later

- wash and chop some coriander and place in small bowl, to be added to each dumpling filling (optional)

More Preparation and Wrapping:

Line the bamboo steamers with greaseproof paper. Cut into a circle to fit the base, then cut small holes into the paper to allow the steam to rise through the holes later. Dab a little vegetable oil onto the paper to prevent the dumplings from sticking later on.

Pour some water into a shallow dish, as you’ll need to dampen the edges of each wrapper before crimping the edges together. You’ll also need a small bowl of vegetable oil so that you can wipe a little onto the base of each dumpling before placing it into the bamboo steamer. Don’t open the packs of wrappers until you’re ready to wrap, because they will dry out around the edges

Lay each wrapper out on a clean surface or on a chopping board. This is where two or more sets of hands would come in really handy! Moisten the rim of a wrapper with a little water (you’ll know when you’ve used too much), then place about a teaspoon of filling onto the centre (not too much or the wrapper will tear), add a pinch of chopped coriander if you like, then seal the wrapper into a half moon shape.

Then start to make the pleats by folding the edge over and over. Sorry, it’s hard to describe, but my friend’s Tibetan momos recipe on World Foodie Guide has more detail on how to wrap dumplings. There are many different ways to seal up a dumpling and it will come with practice. Don’t rush as the wrapper is delicate and will tear. Too much water and it goes soggy. If the wrapper is too dry, the edges will start to crack. Just make sure that the filling is sealed up to start off with. The presentation can come later. Dab a little oil onto the base of the dumpling and place into the bamboo steamer. Fill up the steamer but don’t let the dumplings touch, otherwise they will stick together

Steaming and Frying:

Add a couple of inches of water to the saucepan or wok - the level has to be lower than the metal rack. This will have to be topped up later, so make sure there is always enough water for the steaming process. When the water is boiling, place the steamer onto the rack and put the wok or saucepan lid on for at least 12-15 minutes, until the wrappers become transparent - they should still be a little al dente though. If your bamboo steamer lid fits under the wok or saucepan lid, you can use that as well (ours doesn’t fit). If you just want steamed dumplings, then you can start eating now! A mixture of steamed and fried dumplings is nice though. Remove the dumplings from the greaseproof paper as soon as possible and transfer onto a plate.

If you want pan-fried dumplings, then you have to transfer the steamed dumplings to a frying pan. Add a little groundnut oil (we used a little mustard oil as well, but don’t worry if you don’t have this) and shallow fry base down for 5 minutes, using the metal spatula to squash them down a bit, before turning them onto one side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. One side of the dumpling will not be fried.