Pasta, Noodle, and Dumpling Recipes

© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA

Subscribe in a reader

|

Share |

Jiaozi (Chinese Pork Dumplings) 餃子

Recipe from: cindywh
Servings: 4

Slightly time intensive but definitely worth the effort. Our sons gobble these up!

1½ cup Napa cabbage finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound lean ground pork
3 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon dry sherry (may substitute water)
1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
1½ tablespoon white pepper, optional
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pinch sugar
1 tablespoon green onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg white

Place cabbage in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together salt, pork, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, sugar, green onion, cornstarch and egg white. (Some Chinese cooks advise stirring the filling only in one direction.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while cabbage finishes draining.

Squeeze excess water from cabbage by hand. Add to pork and mix well.

To assemble dumplings, pour a little water in a bowl. Hold a dumpling skin in the palm of your hand and spoon over 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Moisten the edges of the dumpling skin, and fold into a crescent shape. Make sure the dumplings are well sealed or they will lose their filling while they cook!

Fill a large stockpot about halfway with water, and bring to a rolling boil

Add the dumplings (you may need to cook in batches.)

When water boils again, add a little cold water to lower the temperature. Repeat. When dumplings boil, for the third time, they are done. (They will float to the surface and the skins will look translucent.)

You can also fry the dumplings up with canola oil. We usually boil some dumplings and fry a bunch of other dumplings.

Serve with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce.

Note:
Round dumpling wrappers are available in the refrigerated section of the Chinese market. Use these instead of square wonton wrappers, which have a different thickness and texture.

Clay's Note:
Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) may be divided into various types depending on how they are cooked:

• Boiled dumplings (shuijiao) 水餃 — literally "water dumplings"
• Steamed dumplings (zhengjiao) 蒸餃 — literally "steam dumpling"
• Shallow fried dumplings (guotie) 鍋貼 — literally "pan stick", known as "potstickers" in the US. Also referred to as "Dry-fried dumplings" (jianjiao) 煎餃.