Homemade Chinese Pork Dumplings and Dough
The Chinese New Year is upon us and it's the year of the Rabbit. The rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese Culture, so 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope (fingers crossed!). Dumplings are a popular food to eat during the Chinese New Year (and all year 'round, because let's face it, they're delicious) because the dumplings themselves resemble ancient Chinese money pouches, and are said to represent fortune and prosperity in the coming year. They are said to be stuffed with "humble" ingredients like pork and cabbage. I like to make homemade dough because store bought wrappers have sodium benzoate (a preservative) in them and I try to avoid preservatives whenever possible. I also like the texture of the homemade dough, chewy and crunchy, unlike store bought that have a waxy mouth feel. I use organic ground pork because pork just has great flavor and if you buy high quality pork, it's healthy! Of course, you can sub for ground chicken. Garlic chives are available at Asian grocery stores, but if you can't find them just use more scallions. Because this is all homemade it is a labor of love. In Chinese households, it's tradition for dumpling making to be a family affair. When I told my husband that he said, "since we're not Chinese I guess I'm off the hook." What makes this recipe "just right" are the additions of all the alliums along with the ginger. Don't forget the dipping sauce, it completes the dish!
Equipment
- medium bowl
- large bowl
- small bowl
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- plastic wrap
- food processor
- clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth
- baking sheet
- saute pan with lid
Ingredients
Dumpling Dough
- 6 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
- 2 1/4 cup water boiled
- 1 tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal
Filling
- 1 lb organic ground pork (or chicken)
- 1/2 head of Napa cabbage (~16oz) rough chop
- 1 bunch organic scallions cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 cup garlic chives cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 tsp ginger cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 tbs coconut aminos
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 1/2 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper
- organic avocado oil for pan frying
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 4 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sambal oelek optional
- 1/2 tsp toasted seseame seeds
- 1 tsp Fresh craked black pepper
Instructions
Dumpling Dough
- In a medium bowl place the flour and salt. Whisk to combine. Then slowly add the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon. Once it's combined, place on the counter and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is a soft, smooth ball. Place back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a 1 inch thick log. Cut the log into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball. Place them back into the bowl and cover with the plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
Filling
- Meanwhile chop the Napa cabbage into large chunks. Place it in the food processor and process until it's pea size. Take it out and place on a clean kitchen towel (or cheese cloth) and sprinkle with a little salt and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out the moisture. After 10 minutes, ring out the cabbage in the towel. Get as much liquid out as possible. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl.
- Place the scallions, garlic chives, ginger and garlic into the processor and process until fine.
- Add this to the bowl with the cabbage and add the pork, coconut aminos, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Combine gently. Do not over mix as that causes the pork to be tough.
- One at a time, roll out a dough ball into a ~3 inch circle. Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough. Fold the dumpling in half, pressing out as much air as possible, seal. You can pleat the dumplings (I'm still working on this skill), use the back of a fork or just pinch with your fingers. If the dough is sticky, put a little bit of flour on your fingers. Place on a baking sheet until ready to cook. Continue with remaining dough and filling.
- At this point, you can cook some and freeze the rest, unless you want to eat them all now, not judging! For freezing, place on a sheet pan and flash freeze for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, you can place them all in a zip lock bag and cook whenever you want homemade dumplings.
To Cook:
- I like to pan fry dumplings. Heat 2 tbs of avocado oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, place as many dumplings that can fit flat side down. Let it fry uncovered for 4 minutes. With a lid ajar, carefully place 1/4 cup of water into the pan and immediately cover it and let it cook for 5 more minutes, until the water has fully evaporated. Note, if cooking from frozen, add an additional 4-5 minutes. If you have a little leftover filling (like I did) after making all of the dumplings, save it, and add it to eggs in the morning for breakfast!
Dipping Sauce
- While the dumplings are frying, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.