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There are few things humanity agrees on, and in that very short list is dumplings. In China the most popular type is called Jiaozi (饺子) or water dumplings (水饺), meaning traditionally they are boiled in water, as opposed to their many well-known and equally delicious steamed cousins.
Once you learn how to make dumplings from scratch, not only will you be able to try all the hundreds of varieties eaten around the world, you can come up with your own recipes and traditions as well. Steamed, boiled, fried, at any hour of the day, this skill will open up a universe of bite-sized blessings. So why not start making dumplings by following our traditional Chinese dumpling recipe?
There are three main parts to making a dumpling: The Dough, The Fillings, and The Sauce. Then you need to put them all together and cook!
Makes 20 Dumplings
Prep Time: 60+ mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 80+ mins
Ingredients
300g flour
100-125 ml cold water
1 tsp salt
Directions
There’s a lot of room for you to personalize your dumplings. Add some garlic, sesame oil, or take a nod from other cultures and add dried spices. There’s no wrong way to do it, just remember to keep seasonings simple. If you’re working with vegetables or any other ingredients with high water content, the moisture needs to be removed before you put the filling into the dumplings. You can do this by cooking out the moisture or letting it rest with salt for half an hour and then squeezing out the excess water. Don’t use anything super watery, like tomatoes, because they will ruin your dumplings.
Simple Meat Filling
300g ground chicken, pork, or pork and shrimp, etc
100g spring onion
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt + Pepper to Taste
Mix all ingredients together well.
Simple Vegetarian Filling
200g cabbage
200g spring onion
100g mushroom or carrots
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt +pepper to taste
Stir-fry all ingredients together to release excess moisture before stuffing.
Sweet & Sour
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely sliced green onion
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
Mix together well.
Chili
As you head west to places like Chengdu and Xian, it’s very common to dip dumplings into a chili sauce. Most restaurants all specialize in making their own sauce. At home, you can use your favorite store-brand sauce, or following the chili sauce recipe that we use to make our dan dan noodles.
5. Never take your eyes off the pan! Put 20 dumplings into the boiling water, one by one to prevent sticking. (put fewer in the water if the dumplings are big or there isn’t enough room). You want to keep the lid on as much as possible so that trapped steam will cook the top of any floating dumplings.
6. The addition of dumplings will reduce the water temperature, but eventually, it will reach boiling again. At this point, add a small cup of cold water in the pot to stop the boiling. Put the lid back on until the water reaches a boil again.
7. If you are making dumplings without a raw meat filling, then proceed to the next step. If you are using raw meat, add another cup of water and bring it to boil one more time.
8. Finally, when the dumplings are all floating on the surface, you know they’re done. Turn off the heat, and drain. If you’re cooking another batch, run the hot dumplings under some cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from sticking as you are cooking.
9. Grab your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
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