How to Make Dumplings

How can you not love dumplings? When done right, they're pretty little purses filled with juicy, savory goodness. I've always been intimidated to make them at home though.

Until now. Meet my friend Katie.

Besides being a serious world traveler and SCUBA dive master, Katie is also an amazing cook (and she's gorgeous...kind of not fair, right?). She kindly offered to teach me how to make her pork and shrimp dumplings with soy ginger sauce, which are on par with our favorites at Din Tai Fung (maybe even better!).

With Chinese New Year coming up, dumplings are a dish made for a party. I invited a couple friends over and we stood around and chatted as we folded dumplings. Then we chatted some more--mostly about about how amazing the dumplings were--as we ate basket after basket.



Keep reading for step-by-step instructions and Katie's amazing recipe.
The process is simple and the ingredients not particularly exotic. I picked up all the ingredients, including the condiments, for $31.17 at a local Asian grocery store, but you could probably find most of them at any well-stocked supermarket.

You will need a couple special tools:
A bamboo steamer (get one at World Market for about $10)
Parchment paper cut into circles to line your steamer, or steamer liners (which you can get at any Asian market or on Amazon)

Step 1: Prep the Filling
Chop all your ingredients nice and small so they can meld together easily.

1. Start with the shrimp. Break off their tails (always get deveined shrimp...so much easier). Rinse them in cold water and pat dry, then mince finely until they are the texture of ground meat.

2. Then finely mince the green onions and water chestnuts.

Step 2: Make the Filling
1. Put the pork, minced shrimp, green onions, and water chestnuts in a large bowl.
2. Add one spoonful of sugar and one spoonful of corn starch.

3. Then add a few healthy splashes of low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

4. Mix everything together until well combined. (It doesn't look pretty yet...but it will).

The filling can sit in the fridge for a few hours before you make the dumplings, but it should be used the day its made since it contains raw shrimp. Letting the filling sit will make your dumplings juicier.

Step 3: Make the Dumplings
This isn't as tricky as their pretty appearance would make you think

1. Take a dumpling wrapper.

2. Add a spoonful of filling. You want about a scant tablespoon. You'll be tempted to stuff in more, but resist the urge to overfill the wrapper.

3. Fold the wrapper in half like a taco.

4. Then pinch in the sides and crimp them together. They don't have to be perfectly orderly, and you want the filling to peek out the top.

5. Place the dumplings in your lined steamer (if you don't have steamer liners, trace your steamer on parchment paper and cut out).

6. This is really important: don't overcrowd the steamer. If the dumplings touch, the wrappers will stick together and the dumplings will tear.

Step 4: Cook the Dumplings
At this point, you can refrigerate the dumplings for a few hours until you're ready to eat, or even freeze them (just up the cooking time by a few minutes). But if you're like me, you won't be able to wait, so here's how to cook them up just right.



1. Put a few inches of water in a large pan or wok. The water should come up a little on the sides of your steamer basket, but should not touch the bottom.

2. Bring the water up to a low boil and carefully place the covered steamer basket inside.

3. Cook the dumplings for about 7 minutes. To check if they're done, make sure any shrimp pieces you can see are pink and then pinch the largest dumpling. If it's firm but bouncy, you're good to go.

Step 5: Make the Sauce
As any dumpling connoisseur knows, the sauce is an integral part of the dumpling experience. Katie keeps hers deliciously simple. She whipped it up while the dumplings were cooking.

1. Peel and julienne a good size piece of ginger.
2. Place the ginger in a little ramekin.
3. Add one part rice vinegar and two parts soy sauce.

Step 6: Eat!



Congratulate yourself on mastering the art of dumpling making as you enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings with Soy Ginger Sauce
You can expect these to take between 30 and 45 minutes to prep, plus 7 minutes to cook. The recipe makes about 4 steamer trays, which is enough to feed 4-6 people.

Ingredients
Dumplings
2 lbs ground pork
1 lb raw shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
1 bunch green onions
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pack goyza/siu mei wrappers (we like Rose Brand)

Sauce
Thinly sliced ginger (one large piece)
Low sodium soy sauce
Rice vinegar

Directions
Make the filling
Place ground pork in a large bowl. Remove shrimp tails and discard.
Rinse shrimp in cold water and pat dry. Mince shrimp into small pieces and add to the bowl with the pork.
Finely chop the green onions and drained water chestnuts and add to bowl.
Add the sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, and oil. Mix the filling until well combined.

Fill the dumplings
Prepare the bamboo steamer by lining bottom with parchment steamer liner (or cut a circle out of parchment paper).
Take one wrapper at a time, add a spoonful of filling, and bring edges to a close at the top of the wrapper. It's okay if the wrapper doesn't close at the top, but don't overfill.
Place dumplings in the steamer, being careful not to overcrowd (don't let them touch).

Cook the dumplings
When you're done filling the dumplings, bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large wok or frying pan. Cover the steamer and place it carefully in the pan. Let steam for about 7 minutes. To check for doneness, make sure shrimp pieces are pink and then pinch the largest dumpling. If it's firm but bouncy, you're good to go.

Make the sauce
While the dumplings are cooking, make the dipping sauce. Peel the ginger and cut into thin strips. Divide between small dishes or ramekins (one for each person). Add 1 part rice vinegar and 2 parts soy sauce to each dish.

Get the printable recipe.