Full Disclosure: The following blog is a paid partnership with Canola Eat Well. All content and opinions are my own and are genuine!
Making homemade dumplings, 餃子 “Jiaozi” (Mandarin) or “Gaau Ji” (Cantonese) wasn’t something I did growing up. My mom was often busy (sometimes working multiple jobs to provide for us) so all the dumplings I ate were frozen from the Chinese grocery store. It wasn’t until I got married that I learned about making dumplings together as a family.
Because I’m a dietitian (both a blessing and a curse, ha!), you may think I judge you for your food choices. Honestly, while I was trained to during my education, it’s something I’ve since unlearned. If I were to judge you for your food choices, that wouldn’t build trust.
I’ve also unlearned thinking about food as calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates. Food is beyond the nutrient breakdown. Instead of thinking, “is this food healthy?” Ask yourself,
Watch my dumpling making video for National Dumpling Day!
More of these posts on my Instagram, @nutritionartist
People have also asked about the calorie count about my dumplings. Honestly, I don’t know or care. This is a traditional recipe, made in my spouse’s family. Do many people question the nutritional quality of their great-grandmother’s pasta sauce? Food is more than nutrients!
Crispy Skirt Dumplings
Note on Above: This is not what I mean by “dumpling skirt,” but they’re so darn cute! You can browse/order them off this website. Not sponsored, I thought this was hilarious when it popped up in Google image search!
In this recipe, I add a skirt (crispy rice layer) to the bottom of the dumplings. It adds a nice texture and they often do this in Chinese dumpling restaurants. It’s makes dumplings extra special!
For this one I fry the dumplings in Canadian canola oil. It’s low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats, and the omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than most other oils. It also works for me in my kitchen because it has a high temperature tolerance – excellent for the high heat Asian cooking I do in my household.
Recipe: Pork and Shrimp Dumplings with Crispy Skirt
Note: These quantities are guidelines. Lots of Asian cooking doesn’t use measurements. But I know it’s more helpful to list the amount as tsp rather than “1 heaping spoonful” or “3 shakes of pepper.” There is a part where you will do a taste test. It helps you to determine if you need to add more flavour.
Prep Time Give yourself |COOK TIME an entire | Total Time afternoon! | serves Your Family and Friends
Ingredients
Dumpling 餃子 Ingredients
2 lbs ground pork
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined and chopped smaller
½ – ¾ cup Chinese chives*
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger, skin removed and grated/minced
2 Tbsp rice wine or Shaoxing wine
½ Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
To Fold Dumplings
3-4 packages dumpling wrappers (75-100 wrappers)
Small bowl of warm water (to help seal dumplings)
2-3 Tbsp rice flour, dusted on baking sheets
To Fry with a Dumpling Skirt
2 Tbsp rice flour
3 Tbsp tap water
½ cup boiled water
1.5 Tbsp canola oil
Instructions
How to Prepare Chinese Chives*
Wash and pat dry chives. These are very long, sold in large bunches and you often end up with more than you need for one recipe.
Cut in half and then slice finely. Set aside ½ – ¾ chopped chives in a bowl.
Freeze the rest in a zipper bag signed and dated for a future dumpling recipe.
Dumpling Filling
1. In a small bowl, add rice wine to shrimp and mix together. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, add pork, minced ginger and Chinese chives. Add seasonings: Fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, corn starch and salt. Pulse until incorporated.
3. Add shrimp. Mix in so shrimp is distributed throughout. Pulse until incorporated. After, continue to mix with a wooden to distribute the shrimp evenly. You want to maintain chunks of shrimp in the dumpling filling.
4. Time for a taste test! Boil a small pot of water. Add one spoonful of pork and shrimp mixture (dumpling filling). Boil about 8-10 mins until cooked through. Wait until cool and then taste.
- If you find the dumpling filling needs more flavour, add more of the seasonings to mixture and mix together with the wooden spoon. Repeat step 4 until you are satisfied with the flavour.
5. Remove mixture from food processor and put into a bowl. Grab dumpling wrappers and bowl of warm water to begin folding dumplings.
There are many ways to do this, but this is how I do it:
6. Scoop one spoonful of dumpling mixture (about 1 Tbsp) and place in centre of dumpling.
7. Dip your finger into warm water and run along the edge of the wrapper.
8. Pinch the two sides together. Fold over the previous part you pinched as you move along. This helps to give the dumpling a better seal.
9. Arrange completed dumplings on floured baking sheets. You will end up with about 150-200 dumplings. Freeze the extras in groups of 16-20 in zipper bags to eat later.
Fry the Dumplings
10. In a small bowl, add 2 Tbsp rice flour. Whisk in 3 Tbsp tap water until rice flour is fully dissolved into a slurry mixture. Whisk in ½ cup boiled water and set aside.
11. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add canola oil. Arrange dumplings in pan, one at a time. Put sealed side down. Try not to overcrowd the pan 8-10 dumplings is great.
12. Fry for 2-3 mins until golden brown on the bottom.
13. Hold lid over frying pan (this protects you from the oil / water splashing back at you). Pour slurry mixture. Cover with lid and let cook for 8-10 mins. Turn heat down to medium.
14. Open lid slightly to allow steam to escape, about 6-8 mins.
15. When bubbling slows down and gentle frying begins, remove lid completely. Allow water to fully evaporate (3-4 mins) and brown, crispy crust forms on the bottom.
16. Turn off the heat. Shake pan slightly to loosen crust and dumplings from bottom of the pan. Slide onto a plate or remove dumplings by quickly inverting onto a large plate. To do this, place plate on top and flip over onto plate. Serve with red vinegar or dumpling sauce.
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