My first time making dumplings started out with a minor glitch as I burned the first batch of nine. However, once I got the hang of it, making home-made dumplings is a breeze. For me, the tricky part was frying the dumplings. It really depends on how hot your stove/pan gets;
and the type of oil you choose–should you deviate from the recipe. Needless to say, the first batch completely burned- and to be honest it was my fault for I was watching a TV show that pulled me away from paying attention-my bad! From that point on I stayed in the kitchen lovingly frying each dumpling and getting in sync with the heat of my pan. I do need to work on getting a beautifully even golden fried look. Next time I would like to experiment with steaming the dumplings; perhaps even steaming and then frying the bottoms for soft and crunchy bite. All in all, we really enjoyed my first try at Asian Dumplings. I made two batches, Fried Shrimp Dumplings and Fried Mushroom Dumplings (my next post).
Shrimp Dumplings & Dipping Sauce
While it may appear as a long list of ingredients, once you have everything in place, measured, cut, minced and mixed, it is a very easy recipe to manage.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of peeled shrimp, deveined
- water and ice-cubes
- 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives
- 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, finely chopped
- 1 package of Round Dumpling Wrappers or Wonton Skins
- Sesame oil for cooking
- 3 stalks of scallions, cut into thin rings
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup Light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped or minced
- 1 teaspoon Asian Chili sauce
- 3 scallions, cut into thin rings
Mix together all ingredients, except scallions. Set aside. Just before serving add scallions.
Prepping Shrimp Filling
- Clean shrimp and rinse. Place shrimp in a large bowl and cover with very cold water. Add a tray full of ice cubes. Add baking soda and message/work into shrimp. Let stand for 1/2 hour.
- Drain the shrimp, coarsely chop and Set aside
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, rice wine, ginger and cornstarch. Stir in the water chestnuts and chives.
- Add shrimp and place in refrigerator, marinate for 30 – 60 minutes.
Making Dumplings
- Place a small bowl of water next to your assembly spot.
- Place a dumpling wrapper or wonton skin on a flat surface.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture in the center.
- Dip your fingers in the water bowl and run it along the outer edges of the dumpling wrapper.
- Fold over the two edges of the round dumpling to create a 1/2 circle. Pinch the center together, sealing together. Continue to seal the edges of the entire dumpling by making small pleated folds from the outer edges to the center – two on each side.
- The sealed edges are the top of the dumpling the bottom will be flat.
- Continue to prep all dumplings and cover with a lightly damp cloth or saran wrap to prevent from drying.
Cooking the Dumplings
- Over medium-high heat, add sesame oil to a large non-stick pan or wok and get pan nice and hot. Reduce to medium heat.
- Add the dumplings flat side down and fry for 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are a golden brown. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce
