Pork and cabbage dumplings
These delicious Chinese pork and cabbage dumplings are often eaten at Lunar New Year. Cooking them this way makes them nice and crisp on the bottom.
Ingredients
For the dumplings
- 8 whole dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
- 3 large leaves Chinese cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 250g/9oz pork mince
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 25–30 round dumpling wrappers, defrosted if frozen see Recipe Tip
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
For the dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp crispy chilli oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- chopped fresh coriander, to taste
- chopped spring onion, to taste
Method
To make the filling, in a bowl, rehydrate the dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for at least 15 minutes, then squeeze out the water from mushrooms before finely chopping the mushrooms. Reserve the mushroom water for later.
Place the chopped cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and leave for 15 minutes.
Squeeze using your hands and drain any excess water from cabbage.
Add the reserved mushrooms, pork, spring onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chopped coriander, ginger, garlic and sesame oil to a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the reserved mushroom water. Mix until sticky and the pork absorbs all the sauce.
Add a spoonful of filling to each wrapper and rub a little water on the edges with your finger. Fold over, and pinch in the middle, then fold 3 small pleats from the middle to one edge, sealing as you go. Then start at the middle again and make 3 small pleats all the way to the end, sealing as you go.
To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the dumplings with the dumpling dipping sauce.
Heat the vegetable oil in a lidded pan. On medium high heat, add the dumplings and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the bottom starts to turn golden-brown.
Add 2 tablespoons water, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the water evaporates and the dumplings turn crisp.
Recipe Tips
You can find ready-made dumpling wrappers in the freezer or refrigerator section in Chinese supermarkets. However, if you don't have access to one, you can make your own.
For the dumpling wrappers, mix 200g/7oz plain flour with a pinch salt in a bowl, pour in 100g/3½oz of water gradually as you mix to bring together as a dough. Cover the bowl and rest the dough for 15 minutes. Knead again until smooth and then cover and rest 30 minutes or until dough is soft.
Roll out the dough into a log and cut 12-15 sections. Flatten the pieces and roll out into thin circular discs.