How to Make Dumplings
Dumplings originated in China and are a traditional food there. When I was in China, I thought dumplings were only popular in China, but in fact, they are well-loved in many countries and regions. When I wanted to eat dumplings in other countries, I found only frozen packaged ones, not fresh. So, I decided to make dumplings from scratch myself.
INGREDIENTS
- Dumpling Wrappers:
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 100g spinach
- 140ml water
DIRECTIONS
Prepare all the ingredients.
Wash 100g of spinach thoroughly and put it in a juicer. Add about 30ml of water and blend into juice.
Gradually add the spinach juice to 150g of flour, mixing to form a green dough.
Gradually add 110ml of water to another 150g of flour, mixing to form a white dough.
Cover the prepared white and green doughs with plastic wrap and let them rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare the chive and pork filling:
Clean and finely chop 200g of pork, then mix in 4g of salt, 5g of five-spice powder, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Mix well and let it marinate for 10 minutes.
Wash and chop 100g of chives into small pieces, then add them to the marinated pork.
Tip:
Do not mix immediately. Stir everything together just before wrapping to prevent the chives from releasing water.
After the dough has rested, roll the white dough into strips and roll out the green dough into a rectangular shape.
Wrap the white dough with the green dough.
Roll the wrapped dough into a log, then cut it into evenly sized pieces.
Roll the dough pieces into round dumpling wrappers that are thicker in the center and thinner around the edges.
Tip:
For detailed instructions on making perfect dumpling wrappers, refer to the earlier sections of the article. Please read them carefully and follow the steps accordingly.
Take a dumpling wrapper, form a bowl shape with your left hand, and place the prepared filling inside.
Fold the dumpling wrapper in half.
Pinch the edges of the wrapper together with the thumb and index finger of both hands.
The finished dumpling will look like this. This technique helps avoid lumps in the dough and speeds up the wrapping process.
The entire batch of dough can make about 40 dumplings. If you can’t eat them all at once, you can freeze them in the refrigerator.
Tip:
If you have leftover dough after using up the filling, you can use it to make steamed buns or scallion pancakes. I have detailed recipes for these as well.
Cook the dumplings in boiling water until they are done.
Tip:
Add the dumplings to the pot only after the water has started boiling to prevent them from sticking together.
After cooking, you can dip the dumplings in soy sauce or make a dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce, chili oil, chopped scallions, a small amount of water, and sesame oil.