Dumplings (jiao zi) are my favorite Chinese food and luckily my mother makes the best dumplings in town! My family and I came from Beijing, China and growing up my families would make dumplings around holidays and for special occasions. I will always remember making dumplings time is also family bonding time. Today, I had my mother to show me how she makes authentic Chinese dumplings from scratch! From dough to filling.
Unlike dumplings you buy from the store or made dumplings with wonton wrapper, my mother makes the thinnest dumpling wrapper and loaded with fresh filling. If you are busy and don't have time to make your own wrapper, you can use wonton wrapper from stores to make dumplings.
Even though making dumplings is a long process but its fairly easy to make and its super tasty! No fancy machine or tool is needed.
What is dumpling?
Dumpling consist of small pieces of dough that is often wrapped around a filling. Like ravioli or wontons. Traditional homemade dumplings and dumplings from Chinese restaurants are often NOT vegan and gluten-free unless it specifies.
Dumplings can either be boiled or pan-fried. If it's pan-fried, it is known as potsticker. When dumplings are boiled, it's very similar to wonton. Unlike wonton, dumpling does not serve with soup.
Dumpling symbolism
Dumplings are a representative of Chinese cuisine with both shape and fillings have cultural meaning. Serving dumplings during Spring Festival express an aspiration for a better life, and hopes for certain blessings. Eating dumplings at Spring festival are believed to bring food fortune. The shape of the dumpling looks like ingots, the currency used in ancient time.
Traditional dumplings fill in
Traditional Chinese dumplings use pork fillings. Usually pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with chives, pork and shrimp with vegetable, and pork with spring onion.
How to make dumplings video
How to make Authentic Chinese Dumplings From Scratch
Prep Time
Cook Time
Serving Size
Ingredients
Filling
1/4 lb Uncooked shrimp peeled, deveined and diced
3 Eggs Organic
1 lb Ground Pork (but you can Substitute with Ground chicken)
1/2 lb chive Finely chopped
3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 tablespoon Ginger Finely chopped or Ground ginger
2 tablespoon Cooking wine (optional)
Dumpling dough
3 cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Warm water
Instructions
Fill in
In a frying pan, scramble the eggs with a sprinkle of salt. And then once its fully cooked, make sure it is broken down into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine scrambled egg, pork, chive, soy sauce, ginger and cooking wine together. Add a pinch of salt based on personal preference.
- To assemble the dumplings, place the wrapper on a surface. Spoon approximately 1/2-1 teaspoon (this will depends on your wrapper size) of the mixture into the center of each wrapper. Use your finger, rub the edges of the wrapper with water (to make it extra sticky). Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges to make sure it is sealed.
To Boil
Bring a large pot of water to boil at medium heat and then throw the dumpling in. Be sure to stir slowly so the dumpling doesn't sink and stick to the bottom of your pot.
- Bring the pot to boiled, then pour half a cup of cold water in. Repeat this two more times. Once the water is boiled the third time, the dumpling is done!
Sauce
- My favorite sauce is mixing vinegar with fresh sliced ginger and some chili sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
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