I always make sure that I have homemade Chinese dumplings stocked in my freezer for emergency meals. It takes a little bit of work to make dumplings from scratch, but once you prepare them (in bulk I suggest), you can store them in the freezer for when you don’t have time to cook or for when you just don’t have the energy to put a meal together!
The Chinese name for dumplings is “jiaozi,” and in Japanese, it is called “gyoza.” I explain “jiaozi” to my fellow American friends simply as “Chinese ravioli” containing vegetable and meat stuffing wrapped inside a circular dough. I often add that Chinese dumplings resemble golden nuggets, so when you eat plenty of dumplings, this means you are going to get rich quick!
There are many store-bought dumplings out there. I personally like to make them from scratch because I can have control over the quality of ingredients. I always buy high quality ground meat and add plenty of vegetables into the mix. My kids actually prefer eating my homemade dumplings because they are lighter than the greasy store-bought choices.
Most of my cooking consists of chopping and mixing, but when it comes to making dumplings there are some techniques that need further explanation. Here is how you can make dumplings at home:
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground meats (turkey, chicken, pork, or beef)
2 Tb. sesame oil
¼ cup chicken broth or water
1 Tb. grated ginger
¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
Optional: ½ cup chives, finely chopped
1 bag (16 oz) frozen chopped spinach, liquid drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Dumpling wrappers (prefer Hong Kong Gyoza wrappers if available in your local Chinese grocery store)
4 oz cold water , plus 2 Tb. cold water
Optional: Food Coloring
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium-size bowl, mix in ground meat with both the sesame oil and broth.
Note: Make sure the oil and broth are thoroughly mixed in with the meat. Mix for about 1 minute or so. I like to wear latex gloves and use my hands to knead the meat + oil + broth together. Using this technique will allow you to keep the meat nice and moist (lean ground meat usually has a very dry texture). The oil and broth will also help with moisture and tenderness.
Many store bought brands use high fat ground meats and will add more sesame oil than necessary to them. When I cook meat at home, I season the lean meat with sesame oil only. This makes the meat more aromatic and the type of sesame oil I use is better quality for your body.
2. Add ginger and green onion to the mix. Mix well.
3. Defrost the spinach in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes. Squeeze out the water from the spinach (best to use a cheese cloth). Add spinach to the mixture.
4. If you have chives or cilantro, now it is the time to add them. It gives the mixture more aroma.
5. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. You want to add salt last because adding the salt too early will pull more water out from the mixture causing separation.
6. Scoop a spoonful of meat filling into the center of the dumpling wrapper (store bought). Dab water around the edges with your finger to tightly seal the dumpling wrap. Repeat the procedure.
