Is there anything better than homemade dumplings? I’m still a beginner by all means, but I’ve found that dumplings taste so much better homemade than bought at a store or restaurant (with the exception of soup dumplings, which I will never be able to make!). Dumpling-making is even easier if you use premade wrappers, which can be found at most Asian grocery stores like H Mart. I like to use a basic pork and veggie filling, but the world is really your oyster – what kind of flavors do you like best?
Homemade Dumplings with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 lb ground pork (I recommend 85% lean)
- 2 cups finely chopped Napa cabbage
- 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
- 2 tbsp carrot, coarsely shredded
- 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3/4 + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 30 gyoza wrappers
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp freshly minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Add Napa cabbage and 3/4 tsp salt to a large bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes. This will help draw moisture from the cabbage that we don't want in our dumplings. While it rests, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- After 30 minutes have passed, transfer the cabbage to a cheesecloth, gather the ends together, and squeeze to remove as much of the water in the cabbage as you can. Wipe out any leftover cabbage from the bowl before returning the wrung-out cabbage. Add the ground pork, ginger, carrot, green onion, and garlic, and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until well combined.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg, then add to the pork mix. Add the pepper and remaining 1/8 tsp salt, and mix until fully combined.
Fill the Dumplings
- While working on a dumpling, you will want to keep the rest of the wrappers covered under a lightly damp cloth or paper towel. You will also need a small dish of water while you work. Take one wrapper in the palm of your hand. With the other hand, scoop ~1 1/2 tsp of the pork filling into the center of the wrapper, making sure it's well balled together in the middle. Still holding the wrapper, wet the tip of your finger on your free hand and use it to wet the edge of the wrapper half way around the wrapper. Now seal the wrapper by folding the two halves together, forming 6 small pleats on the side you didn't wet with your finger and pressing them tightly into the wet side. The dumpling should naturally curve into the side with the pleats. Cover the completed dumplings with a damp towel while you work. Repeat for the remaining dumplings.This process will probably not look great your first few tries, but stick with it! I also recommend looking for some video guides on Youtube if you're having a lot of trouble, there are tons available.
- In a large non-stick skillet (make sure it has a lid!), heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the dumplings to the skillet (you may need to do this in batches, but try to fit as many as you can so long as they're all making good contact with the pan) standing with the pleated seam facing up. Cook the dumplings uncovered for 2-3 minutes; the bottoms should be a light golden brown. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and quickly cover with a lid – this will steam the dumplings to cook them the rest of the way. Let them steam for 7-10 minutes, until the bottoms are crisp and golden. Remove the lid and cook for 1-2 more minutes, letting the steam out and lightly shaking the pan to loosen up the dumplings in case they'd stuck to each other. Remove from heat and using tongs carefully remove the dumplings. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Dipping Sauce
- Whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. For better flavor, allow the sauce to sit for ~15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Leftover sauce can keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.
