Discover how to cook great fried and boiled dumplings with this step-by-step guide.
Table of Contents
1. Boiled dumplings or Fried ones ?
Boiled dumplings are traditionally eaten by local Chinese people while foreigners tend to prefer the fried ones. The other difference is that dumplings are part of a full meal in China. People gather together around dumplings to celebrate good news (someone getting a new job, leaving the country on a trip etc…).
2. Cod and Chicken breast dumplings
A. Ingredients for Dough:
❣️600g plain flour
❣️280ml cold water
Make a smooth dough and set for 30 minutes
B. Filling ingredients:
❣️600g boneless and skinless cod fillet
❣️200 boneless and skinless chicken breast
❣️400g wild garlic or Chinese garlic chive
❣️One egg
❣️One and half tea spoon salt
❣️Quarter tea spoon of white pepper powder
❣️3 table spoons of light colour soy sauce
❣️Half table spoon of dark colour soy sauce
❣️Two table spoons of rice cooking wine
❣️One and half table spoons of oyster sauce
❣️Five table spoons of sesame oil
C. Steps for preparing the fillings:
– Mince the chicken and fish,
– Put all the seasonings in the minced fish and chicken except for the wild garlic
Mix everything in one direction until your hand feels very heavy. Then add the chopped wild garlic and mix well.
D. Prepare the wrap
– Separate the dough into 4 equal portions, cover the remaining doughs while working on one portion
– Roll each portion into a tail shape of 2.5cm diameter
– Cut the tails into small even pieces of about 2cm length
– Press each small dough into flat shape
– Roll the flat dough with the rolling pin. Ideally, one hand turn the dough while the other hand rolling the pin.
– Roll the dough into a thin wrap with 7 to 8cm diameter
E. Wrap the dumplings
– Put a small lump of filling in the centre of the wrap, leave 1cm around the edge.
– Fold the wrap into a half circle shape, press together the two folds in the middle first, and then seal the left and right sides tightly.
– Continue to fold the dumpling until the dough is finished. Ideally both the fillings and dough are finished. If not, always make a little bit more dough, because it is easier to use the leftover dough than the filling.
Find how to wrap the dumplings here
3. Fry or Boil Dumplings – Cooking steps
A. Boiled jiaozi
👉 Boil plenty of water in a big pot or wok at high temperature. Normally, I boil about 2.5 to 3 litters water for 40 dumplings.
👉 When the water is fully boiled, dump the jiaozis into the pot, gently stirring to prevent them from sticking together.
👉 Cover the lid and wait until the water boils back again.
👉 Add 100ml cold water, stir them and cover the lid again. Once more, wait until the water is brought to boil.
👉 Repeat the process for a third time.
👉 Remember to keep the heat at high temperature throughout the whole boiling process
👉 Use the skimmer to take them out and transfer them into a plate.
B. Pan fry
👉 Heat up the frying pan on medium to low heat, add a bit oil to coat the bottom. Lay the dumplings together from the edge of the cooking pan to the centre.
👉 Cover the lid for about 3 minutes. After that, add 80ml cold water into the pan, then cover the lid immediately. You then cook for a further 8 minutes until the water is fully evaporated and you can hear a sizzling sound. This will indicate that they are perfect and ready. Please do not open the lid during the cooking time, as you will release the steam out of the pan. You need to keep the steam inside the pan to cook the dumplings through.
👉 Turn off the fire, take off the lid, cover the pan with a bigger plate, and turn the pan bottom up. The dumplings will naturally fall into the plate.
4. Video Fry or Boil Dumplings
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