Dumplings are my second favorite food behind pizza. There’s something about that perfect ratio of juicy filling, chewy wrapper, crispy bottom, and addictive sauce packed in a little bundle of joy that just makes me want to eat as many of them as physically possible in one sitting. While there are a lot of great places to get dumplings, especially in my 2 homes of NYC and Hong Kong, I still love making them myself. You get to personalize the filling to your exact tastes, and make them healthier (veggies!) or unhealthier (Filipino longganisa! More on that in an upcoming post).
My personal favorite combo are these pork, shrimp and mushroom dumplings, flavored with nutty sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh garlic, ginger, and scallions/chives. I used regular cremini mushrooms as that’s what I had on hand, but for more umami, I love using shiitake mushrooms. You could even sneak some chopped carrots or kale if you’re looking to add some extra nutrients #forhealth.
For your filling, you need to chop up or mince all of your ingredients so they combine well, giving you every flavor in every bite. Once all of your vegetables are chopped and minced, it’s just a matter of mixing everything together with the seasoning before it’s time to fold your dumplings! Truthfully, my pleating skills need work, so I didn’t feel right to show how to fold dumplings when there are far superior videos currently on the internet for that. Hopefully one day I can give you better instructions on the pleating part, but for now just follow that video using your desired folding technique.
While you’re working, make sure to also cover your dumpling wrappers and wrapped dumplings with a clean wet cloth or wet paper towels as this will keep them from drying out (I forgot to do this in the mayhem of filming my video, and some of the dumplings in that batch did regrettably dry out, so while the dumplings were still tasty, the skins were tougher instead of chewy in a few areas after they were cooked though.)
In terms of cooking, I love pan-frying dumplings to get that wonderful contrast of crispy and chewy dumpling wrapper. You could also boil or steam these if you want to make them healthier – these pork, shrimp & mushroom dumplings are delicious in all preparations! Whatever you do, make sure to eat them with a little chinkiang vinegar and chili oil – I love using Fly by Jing’s chili crisp oil or Zhong sauce with dumplings, and even better you can get 15% off your order with my code INDULGENTEATS.
Pork & Shrimp Dumplings
Ingredients
For the dumplings:
- 1 lb. ground pork (at least 80/20 lean/fatty)
- 6 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated for 20 minutes in hot water, stem removed and finely minced (substitute with your choice of mushrooms)
- 1 bunch scallions or garlic chives, chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh peeled ginger, grated or minced
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 20–30 dumpling wrappers, thawed if frozen
- 1-2 tbsp canola, vegetable, or peanut oil
For the dipping sauce:
- 2-3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Sichuan chili crisp oil to taste
- 1 clove garlic, grated
Instructions
- Set aside the water, cooking oil, and dumpling wrappers, and combine the rest of the ingredients for the dumplings in a bowl, mixing well.
- Add 1 tbsp. of filling to the center of the wrapper (or less if you’re still practicing folding the dumplings).
- Use your finger to wet the outer edges of the dumpling, then fold the dumpling in half like a taco and pinch the center where the two ends of the wrapper meet. Use your thumb and forefinger to create small pleats along the right side, then the other side, switching direction of the pleats if desired (this just changes how your dumplings look – you could also try one of many other folding techniques).
- Fold all of your dumplings, setting the finished ones aside on a baking tray or cutting board and keeping the wrappers and folded dumplings under a clean wet cloth or wet paper towels as you’re working to prevent them from drying out.
- Heat the cooking oil over medium heat in a non-stick, heavy bottomed pan that has a lid. Carefully place each dumpling in the pan, pressing and swirling each dumpling in the oil then arranging them in a ring inside your pan. Cook for 2 minutes so the bottom starts to get crispy.
- Add the water and quickly cover with the lid, cooking until almost all of the water evaporates (usually 5-7 min). Remove the lid and continue to cook until water has evaporated.
- While your dumplings are cooking, prepare your dipping sauce by combining all ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl, adjusting the proportions of ingredients to your tastes.
- Serve dumplings with dipping sauce and enjoy.
- To freeze leftover dumplings, freeze them separated on a baking tray and transfer to a freezer bag after the dumplings are frozen solid.
Notes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see the final product. Tag your photos and stories on Instagram with @indulgenteats and #indulgentrecipes so I can see them!
[…] tofu and just add it with the noodles before you combine everything. Or do like I did and boil some dumplings in the same water as the noodles, and toss those in with some extra vinegar when you’re done […]