Dumplings are snacks consisting of a dough filled with various ingredients. They are typical of Asian cuisine, although we find similar recipes in all countries of the world. Dumpling has the definition of: piece of dough, sometimes stuffed. But as the most popular are the Chinese, the dumplings belonging to the Dim Sum, today, we bring you their recipe. You will see that making them at home (dough included) is very simple.
Did you know that dumplings are of Cantonese origin? Although it is true that this recipe already appears in the book Apicius, an ancient Roman cookbook, the Asians (and specifically the Chinese) made this recipe their own, improving it and giving it their personal touch.
But it is true that, as we said, we can find versions of dumplings in all cultures. For example, Japanese dumplings or gyozas, as well as Italian ravioli, are also types of dumplings.
Today, however, the ones we want to show you are Chinese dumplings. Did you know how easy it is to make them at home? In addition, as soon as you master the dough, you will want to try all the fillings that this preparation allows. You can fill them with vegetables, fish, meats, fruits… You can even find sweet dumplings.
How to Make Homemade Chinese Dumplings
Although it is true that we can buy the dough already made, making it at home is very simple. We just have to get the hang of it, as with all doughs.
To make it, we only need flour, water, oil and a pinch of salt. We will mix the ingredients well, finish kneading and let it rest for ten minutes. After that time, we can divide the dough into portions, using a sharp knife.
When we shape our dough (first we will make small balls, and then flatten them with the rolling pin), we can move on to the filling.
We have chosen to make a simple filling, with minced meat and fried chives. But remember that you can fill your dumplings with the ingredients you like the most. There are a multitude of types.
Chinese Dumplings Recipe
How to Make Chinese Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 200 g Flour
- 100 ml Water (approx)
- 40 g Cornstarch
For the filling
- 400 g Minced meat (your choice)
- 1 spring onio
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauc
- Crushed pepper
- 1 clove Garlic
Instructions
For the dough
- We start with the dough. Heat the water in the microwave, until it is lukewarm. Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt (a pinch).
- Add the water and mix again. Now you can start kneading the mixture. Check the texture and, if it is too soft, add a little more flour. And if it needs more water because it is too hard, add more water. Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough has a soft and manageable texture.
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for two hours. After that time, shape the dough so that it can be cut into equal portions.
- Cut 20-25 equal pieces. Shape them round and flatten them with a rolling pin. If the dough sticks too much, add a pinch of flour.Let it rest in the refrigerator while we continue with the filling.
For the filling
- For the stuffing, chop the spring onion and garlic, and fry in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook over medium-low heat until the chives start to become transparent. Then add the minced meat and let it cook. Add the soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- With the filling ready, we are going to put a spoonful or so on each disk of dough. Close them well, folding them in half and pressing the edges, just like a patty.Now that we have them ready we can fry them, steam them or boil them. We are going to cook them.
- Put a pot with plenty of water, add the dumplings and bring to a boil. Cook for about 7-8 minutes with low heat, until the dough is well done, but not too soft. And now we have smooth dumplings.
How to cook Dumplings
These stuffed dumplings can be cooked in a multitude of ways. We can eat them boiled, steamed, fried…
In the recipe we have seen how to cook them. Just like pasta, they are ready to eat if cooked for about 10 minutes.
But if we prefer to make the dumplings fried, we have to cook them first. Therefore, once cooked, drain the water well so that they do not splash excessively and simply fry them in a frying pan with plenty of oil (enough to cover them).
Do not add them until the oil is very hot, to prevent them from absorbing too much oil. This frying, since they are already cooked, is simply to give them that golden tone (and also a different touch of flavor, of course).
Steamed dumplings. And finally, how to make steamed dumplings? Very simple too. In addition, it is the traditional way to make them. To do this, we need a steamer. We put water at the bottom, place the steamer, on it the dumplings, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
Remember that when steaming, it is very important that the water does not touch the food, otherwise we would be cooking it.
Do you dare to prepare this great dumpling recipe? Remember to leave us your comments, ideas, opinions… We love to read them!
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