Pork Dumplings

The crispy bottom part is actually super easy to make and I think homemade wrappers have a superior texture compared to the store bought ones!

A tip my aunt taught me to make sure your filling is seasoned correctly is to cook a bit of the filling in the microwave for 30-50 seconds, so you can taste it when you still have the chance to adjust the seasoning.

Ingredients:

(Dumpling Wrappers)
250g all-purpose flour
130 mL water

(Pork Filling)
1 lb ground pork
4 green onions
1/3 head of cabbage
1/8 cup water / chicken stock
soy sauce
oyster sauce
sugar
white pepper
salt

(Crispy Bottom)
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
vegetable oil

(Dipping Sauce)
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

(Dumpling Wrappers) - from Red House Spice

Add water to the flour gradually. Gently mix with a pair of chopsticks / spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Then combine and knead with your hand. Leave to rest covered for 10-15 minutes then knead it into a smooth dough.
Cover and rest the dough again for 30-60 minutes until it becomes soft.
Make a loop with the dough then divide it into four parts. Roll one part (cover the rest to prevent them from drying out) into a rope then cut into 7-8 equal sections.
Press each piece into a small disc with the palm of your hand. Then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thin disc.

(Filling)

Slice the green onions into small pieces. Finely chop the cabbage and sprinkle it with salt to draw out some of the water. Dry it off with a paper towel.

Mix all of the filling ingredients with the ground pork. Add a little of the water/ chicken stock at a time until the filling becomes tacky. Microwave a teaspoon of the filling for 30-50 seconds until it is fully cooked through so you can taste it and adjust the seasoning.

(Assembly)

Use a kitchen scale to weigh dough pieces that are 18 grams each. Roll each dough ball into a rough circle, making the edges thinner. Add a scoop of filling and fold it in half, pinching the top together. Starting from the top, fold the edges in one direction to make the pleats and repeat with the other side. (or watch a dumpling folding video, haha) Cover the excess dough with a damp paper towel so it does not dry out.

(Cook)

Heat a large pan on medium with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Add the dumplings to the pan and wait 2-3 minutes until the bottoms become golden. I arrange the dumplings so that none of them are in the center of the burner, so it doesn't burn if the others that are closer to the edge are still cooking. Add 1/2 cup of water and quickly cover the pan with a lid to start steaming the dumplings. Cook with the lid on for 8-10 minutes to make sure the pork is fully cooked through. (you may need to add more water throughout the steaming process to ensure they do not burn if all of the water evaporates)

In the meantime, mix the cornstarch and flour with water to form a slurry.

Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, a dash of sugar, and water together for a quick dipping sauce.

Uncover the pan and let the excess water evaporate. Turn the heat to high and drizzle more vegetable oil into the pan. Pour in the cornstarch/flour slurry into the pan and swirl it around until there is a thin layer on the bottom. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the slurry becomes crispy and almost translucent.

Invert a big plate over the pan and wear a long oven mitt to make sure you don't burn yourself if there is any excess oil when you invert the pan.