My boyfriend is Chinese and loves dumplings, but the store bought ones are not usually a very healthy choice. I’ve finally found a way to make delicious and healthier dumplings that he approves of! This recipes makes a few dozen dumplings, we usually eat a batch right after cooking and then freeze the rest to enjoy later! I get around 3-4 meals for the two of us from this recipe, so although it is time consuming, it is worth it!
Filling Ingredients:
1 – 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
1 knob of ginger grated
2T Oyster sauce
4T Soy sauce
2T Sesame oil
13 spices seasoning (you can skip this and add salt and white pepper instead.) My boyfriend’s mother gave me the China Time-honored Brand.
1 cup vegetable of choice – I like leek, chives, and/or water chestnuts – diced small
Dough Ingredients (or use pre-made wrappers):
250g all purpose flour (about 2 cups)
130ml room temperature water (about 1/2 cup)
To make the dumplings first start with your dough:
- Slowly mix the water into the flour until you have a rough dough. Cover with a wet cloth and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- While dough is resting, prep your ginger and vegetables.
- In a blender, pulse the chicken until it has the consistency of ground meat. Transfer to a bowl.
- Mix vegetables, meat, and rest of the filling ingredients together by stirring consistently in one direction – this will help the filling to stick together better making it easier to fold the dumplings. You can take some of the filling and microwave it in a small bowl for 30s or until fully cooked to taste test it and make sure your seasoning levels are to your liking.
- Once dough has rested, remove from bowl and kneed until smooth. It should have the consistency of play dough.
- Get set up to make dumplings – I like to have a baking try lined with a silicone baking mat ready to place the dumplings on, I usually dust this with flour to make it easier to transfer when boiling. I then have another silicone mat set up in front of me, with flour and hot water at hand, my rolling pin, and the dough and filling to the side.
- Keeping dough covered with damp cloth, pull an earlobe sized chuck off, roll it into a ball, press flat, then roll into your wrapper (about 4″ diameter). Dab hot water around the edges, add about a tablespoon of filling, and fold your dumpling. Continue until tray is filled or dumpling filling is gone.
- To cook: I prefer to boil the dumplings and pan fry a few after boiling.
- To boil: Boil water on stove top in large pot, fill about halfway full. Once boiling, add dumplings making sure not to overcrowd the pot (mine fits about 12 comfortably.) Once the water is about to come back to boiling, add half to a cup of cold water. Bring back to almost a boil and do this two more times. It is important not to let the water get to a roiling boil or your dumplings will get air or water in them making them all puffy. After the fourth time of coming to almost a boil, remove the dumplings to a plate and allow to cool before eating.
- To freeze: allow dumplings to dry first, flipping so that both sides get to dry out before placing in a freezer safe zip lock bag.
- To fry: after dumplings are boiled, I like to put them in a small pot with the spicy chili oil I used in this recipe, maybe a little coconut sugar or honey, and black vinegar. I fry on one or two sides and enjoy! – This is my favorite since these are the ingredients I use to dip my boiled dumplings in anyways!
- To cook from frozen: place dumplings in a microwave safe bowl and add a tablespoon of water. Cover with a microwave safe plate and cook for 4-5 minutes or until warmed through. Eat or you can then pan fry if desired.
This is the 13 spice seasoning I have:
Bon Apetit!
