Pork Dumplings with Dipping sauce

Recipe No: 191

Dumplings are one of our favorites from Chinese restaurants… This recipe is inspired from the cook book ‘Stir Fry’ by Linda Doeser. I made Wontons many times before using store bought Wonton skins, but the homemade wrapper of this dumpling took me by surprise, that they were soft and much tastier than the Wonton skins, which are usually very thin. Anyway the dish was a huge success at ours and was proved by the  silence with occasional 'hmm's when I put this platter on the dining table...

Ingredients                                           Makes 20-22
For the Wrapper

• All Purpose Flour/ Maida…1 Cup
• Salt…………………………….….1/4 Teaspoon
• Water…………………………….1/2-2/3 Cup

For the Filling

• Minced Raw Pork…………..150 grams or 1 ¾ Cup
• Cabbage……………………..…120 Grams Blanched (Put in boiling Water for 2 minutes; drain the Water; dry them on a kitchen towel; chop into small pieces; drizzle ½ teaspoon of Sesame oil and mix. 120 grams will yield 1 heaping cup of blanched and chopped cabbage)
• Green Onion chopped……...2
• Ginger chopped fine………..1 teaspoon
• Salt……………………..…………3/4 teaspoon
• Soy Sauce……………………….1 Tablespoon
• Brown Sugar…………………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Rice Wine………………...…….1/2 Teaspoon (Can substitute with any dry Wine; If you don’t have, just avoid)
• Pepper powder…………..……1/2 Teaspoon

To cook the Dumplings

• Oil…………………………….…..1 Tablespoon
• Chicken Stock…………..…….1 Cup

To make the dipping sauce

• Soy Sauce………………………2 Tablespoons
• Chilly Garlic Sauce………….1 Tablespoon
• Vegetable Oil……………….…1 Tablespoon
• Water……………………………1/4 Cup
• Brown Sugar……………..…..1/2 Teaspoon
• Chopped spring Onion…….1 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation
To make the Wrapper

1. Mix Flour and Salt well and make a smooth dough using Water. The dough should be soft yet manageable.
2. Knead it for 5 minutes. By this time the dough will be soft and the surface will be really smooth.
3. Cover with a lightly damp cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.

To make the Filling

1. Mix all the ingredients to make the filling and keep aside till ready to be used.

To make the Dumplings

1. Divide the rested dough into 20-22 equal sized balls.
2. Roll out these into 3 inch circles. Use Flour if it is sticking.
3. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the rolled out dough and fold one half over the other. Take care to remove the air bubbles that may be trapped inside.
4. Once the edges are stuck together make pleats with the dough on the outer edge of the dumpling.
5. Place this on a lightly floured plate and repeat this process with all the other portions.

To cook the Dumplings

1. Heat Oil in a pan on medium high heat and place the dumplings with the broad side touching the pan.
2. Fry the dumplings for about two minutes or till the broad side is brown in color.
3. Pour the Chicken stock into the pan; close it; reduce the heat to medium and let it finish cooking with the steam from the stock for around 8 minutes.
4. If there is a lot of stock left, open the pan and let the excess liquid evaporate.
5. Off the heat and serve the dumplings with the dipping sauce. Pour the thick stock left in the pan (if any) over the dumplings while serving.

To make the Dipping Sauce

1. Mix all the ingredients except the Spring Onions to make the sauce and heat in the microwave or on the stove top till the sugar is dissolved thoroughly. 
2. Mix in the Spring Onions and serve with Dumplings.

Notes:

• Blanching the Cabbage leaves will get rid of the excess Water in them.Coating chopped Cabbage with Sesame Oil will prevent the mix from becoming watery.
• I found that it is easy to form Wontons if the rolled out skins rest for a while. So I’ll prefer to roll all of them and then start to form Dumplings with the first one that is rolled. As the skins are a bit sticky don’t place one on top of another.
• Do shake the pan often while frying the dumplings to avoid sticking to the bottom. In case it sticks, help it out with a spoon while transferring to the serving plate.
• Chilly Garlic Sauce is available in most of the Indian stores.
• I used Kikkoman Soy Sauce in this recipe.

 




Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…