Making Chinese Dumplings at Home – Twin Cities

When it comes to Chinese comfort food, nothing beats a really good bowl of hand-pulled noodles or a steaming, silky bowl of mapo tofu. Yet our love for Chinese food often revolves around dumplings.

Whether boiled, steamed or fried, it’s so easy to eat five, six or even a dozen of the thick and juicy dough bundles filled with ground beef and/or vegetables. And you don’t even have to go to your favorite Chinese restaurant or order takeout to enjoy it.

With a little practice, most home cooks will find jiaozi quite easy (and fun!) to make, especially if you go for the assembly line and opt for pre-made wrappers.

Because they are shaped like ancient Chinese logs, dumplings are often a festive dish in China, enjoyed during holidays such as Lunar New Year, when they symbolize wealth and prosperity for the coming year. But that is not always the case. Former Pittsburgher Hannah Che, who wrote the 2022 James Beard Award-winning “The Vegan Chinese Kitchen,” grew up eating it whenever the family got together.

Dumplings take quite a few forms in China, depending on the province and region, Che says. Since both parents are from Northern China, her family usually ate boiled dumplings. Dumpling making was also a collaborative effort, with her father rolling the homemade dough wrappers while almost everyone else filled and folded them and her mother doing the cooking.

It would have been quicker and easier to use the cheap frozen packs you can find at any Asian market, and she is quick to point out that there is no shame in going the convenience route. This is basically how many Chinese home cooks make dumplings.

“We have always made the dough from scratch,” Che said during an early morning phone call from Dali in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, where she is working on a second cookbook that will focus on tofu.

The do’s and don’ts of dumplings

Dumplings from scratch are better for one simple reason: texture.

“Homemade dumplings always have a more satisfying mouthfeel,” says Che.

Additionally, scratch packs only require mixing all-purpose flour and water, then allowing the dough to rest a little bit to become smooth and silky before kneading and rolling out. “You don’t need any leavening agent.”

That said, she still has some tips to make rolling, filling and pinching homemade dumplings a little easier for beginners.

To start, when you cook the dumplings, it is important to use cold water when mixing the dough as this will give you a thicker skin. Otherwise they will fall apart in boiling water. (If you are pan frying the dumplings, use hot water for a more delicate casing.)

You have to get the ratio of water to flour just right; if it is too soft, it will fall apart under the weight of the filling. This is the only time you might consider using a scale to weigh both water and flour.

“It should be very elastic, but still stiff,” says Che.

Take some rest

It’s also essential to let the dough rest on the counter (so it relaxes and is easier to roll out) and aim for consistently sized portions when pinching or cutting the dough after rolling or twisting it into ropes.

Rolling out the dough between two pieces of baking paper makes the process easier. You might also consider using a tortilla press if you have one on hand, especially if you’re intimidated by the thought of all that rolling.

“It’s a clear time saver!” she says.

The wrappers don’t have to be a perfect circle, just round.

When it comes to preparing a meat filling, the combinations are endless, but Che says it’s important to add some chives, green onions or chopped cabbage “so there’s something juicy (but not watery) in there in addition to the meat.” ”

If you prefer to go vegetarian, you’ll need similar aromatics, along with “something meaty” like tofu or tofu skin to give the dumpling some firmness.

“You can also add vermicelli or glass noodles because you can chop it very finely, and it adds this richness and texture to the filling that is really satisfying,” she says.

Be sure to squeeze out any veggie filling to remove excess water. And you’ll also want to go heavier on the salt than normal with either variety, as the dough wrapping will suppress the seasonings.

Mix and fill

Another time saver: use a food processor instead of mixing all the ingredients by hand.

“It really saves a lot of time, and you want something pasty,” says Che.

Now you are ready to stuff and pleat the bundles.

Since the primary purpose is to keep the filling in, and complicated tricks take a lot of practice, it’s best to settle for a basic half-moon shape unless you really want to make it look nice. This is especially true if you’re just going to cook them, says Che. Fancy edges are more for steamed dumplings served for dim sum, where the presentation is more refined.

Make sure the finished dumplings lie flat on the bottom. It makes them easier to pick up with a pair of chopsticks.

Che’s final advice: Find a partner or, better yet, several.

“Making dumplings is definitely more fun when it’s a communal activity,” she says.

All those bodies working together actually make dumplings a party food in Chinese culture.

“It takes so long, you might as well have many hands,” she says, laughing.

Homemade jiaozi (dumplings)

This dough comes together, rolls out easily, and can be used regardless of filling or cooking method. Since I was making them myself, I halved the recipe for a smaller batch of about 50 dumplings filled with a classic cabbage-and-pork filling.

If you are going to freeze the dumplings, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until hard before storing in a plastic bag.

For an easy dipping sauce, stir together 2 tablespoons black vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and a generous teaspoon (or more) of chili pepper, chili oil or sriracha.

INGREDIENTS

For dough:

• 4 cups (560 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (280 grams) of cold water

For filling:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced ​​green onion
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 cup finely chopped Chinese cabbage

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare dough. Place the flour in a large bowl and add all the water. Mix everything together with a pair of chopsticks until all the flakes come together into a shaggy ball. Start kneading the dough with your hands and adding the remaining flour. Let rest for 5 minutes, then knead again until tight, smooth and firm, about 7 minutes.
2. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. The dough should feel slightly sticky, but not soggy.
3. While the dough rests, prepare the filling. Mix pork, ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cabbage in a large bowl. Stir until well mixed.
4. Once rested, divide the dough in half. Form one portion into a ball, punch a hole in the center and shape it like a donut. Lift the dough so that gravity causes the bottom to stretch and gently shape it with your hands as it thins, creating an O-shaped rope.
5. When the rope is 3/4 inch in diameter, break the donut into a long rope and tear off 3/4 inch pieces with a sharp, quick snap of your wrist. (They should weigh about 10 grams.) You can also use a knife or dough scraper. Dust the pieces with flour and repeat with the remaining dough.
6. Roll each piece into a small ball and flatten it between the palms of your hands, creating a disk that resembles a wafer cookie. Press your thumb into the dough, creating a “belly” in the center.
7. Roll out the dough ball into a circle about 3 inches in diameter. (The edges should be thinner than the center.) Don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it just needs to be round. The key is to keep the size consistent so dumplings cook consistently.
8. Place 2 teaspoons of filling on each dumpling round. If you don’t want to fold the dumplings, the easiest way to close them is to fold the wrapper over the filling in a crescent shape. Match the edges and press as if you were closing an envelope. There is no need to seal homemade wrappers with water. (There is enough moisture in the dough to seal it.)
9. Hold the sealed edge of the dumpling between your fingers and press the bottom of the dumpling into a plate so that it stands upright. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dumplings.
10. Bringing to the boil: Bring 4 liters of water to the boil. Add 10-12 dumplings and stir gently. When the water boils again, add 1 cup of cold water and bring the water back to a boil. The dumplings are done when they are puffed up and floating on the surface, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot to the plate with a large slotted spoon or sieve.
11. To steam: Line the steamer basket with steaming paper and place the prepared dumplings in a single layer in the basket, spacing them 1 inch apart. Place the basket on the pan and steam, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the wrappers puff up. (Meat fillings require more time.)
12. To fry: Heat a 9-inch skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom, then carefully place the dumplings in a single layer, flat side down. Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and cover immediately. Cook for 7-9 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown.

Makes approximately 48 dumplings.

– adapted from “The Vegan Chinese Kitchen” by Hannah Che (Clarkson Potter, $35)