Dumplings Three Ways for a Party

I love dumplings. I've loved them for a long time, especially since we lived in Korea and could eat them everyday, boiled, steamed, fried, crunchy on the bottom, large, small, you name it. You can find some form of dumpling all over the world - pierogies, ravioli, empanadas, gyoza, momos, mandoo, etc. I love them so much that my brother gave me a cookbook devoted to the subject. They are a great cheap meal and a fun party food. Have everyone bring a different filling and wrap away!

Korean mandoo are usually filled with a mixture of pork, tofu, ginger, garlic and other goodness on occasion, such as kimchi.  I make them differently depending on what I have on hand. I found the recipe for Kale and Edamame Dumplings on the Serious Eats website. They were a nice surprise and now I always make them for a dumpling party. The dipping sauce for both of these dumplings is great, too. Nepalese Momos are a spicy counterbalance to the other types. They are usually made with ground chicken or lamb. I've found ground turkey to be nice as well. I've substituted tofu for the cheese when I didn't want to take the time to make it and they turned out equally delicious. The Tomato Achar that they are dipped in make them extra special.

Dumplings Three Ways

 

Image from Wikipedia.com

 Nepalese-Style Momos

2 lbs ground meat (either 100% chicken, lamb, or pork or 50% chicken and 50% pork)
fresh cheese (4 C whole milk; 2 T lemon juice) or 1 block of firm tofu, crumbled
1 c red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c green onion, finely chopped
1 c ripe tomato, finely chopped (I've used canned diced tomato in the winter when fresh aren't as good)
3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T freshly minced garlic
1 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 T curry powder
1 T tumeric
1 T garam marsala (or momo marsala)
1 T ground coriander
3 fresh red chilies, minced (or chili paste)
3 T cooking oil
salt and pepper
2 pkgs dumpling wrappers, (bigger and thicker 3" circular wrappers are best for this type of dumpling)

1. To make the fresh cheese put the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, line a colander with cheese cloth or a flour sack towel. When the milk begins to boil, decrease the heat to prevent it boiling over. Add the lemon juice, stirring gently for about 10 seconds, or until white curds form and separate from the whey. Strain through the fabric lined colander and rinse with cool water. Remove the excess liquid from the curds by twisting and straining through the fabric. Let cool while you combine the other ingredients (or use crumbled tofu instead). Mix crumbled and cooled cheese with the other ingredients. Set aside the filling for 30 minutes to let flavors mingle. See guide for wrapping and cooking below. Serve cooked momos with Tomato Achar for dipping.

Tomato Achar:

Combine 2 c chopped tomato, 1-5 finely chopped red chillies (or 1 T chili paste), 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 T freshly minced ginger, 1/2 c finely chopped red onion, 1/2 c chopped green onion, 3 T chopped cilantro, 1-2 T chopped mint, 1 T lime or lemon juice, 1/4 t ground coriander or cumin, salt

Set aside for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. This is best eaten the same day of preparation.

 

Image from Pinterest

Kale and Edamame Dumpling Filling

2 lb kale, washed and shredded finely, large ribs removed
1 lb frozen shelled edamame
1/2 c chopped shitake mushrooms, fresh or re-hydrated
1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
4 T soy sauce
4 T vinegar (apple-cider, red wine, or rice)
3-4 cloves minced garlic
2 T minced ginger
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t salt
2 pkgs dumpling wrappers, get the square shaped ones for these

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook kale for about 15 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze all of the liquid out of the kale and add to mixing bowl. Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil and cook edamame for about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and add to mixing bowl. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Set filling aside for about 30 minutes. See guide for wrapping and cooking below. Serve with Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce.

 Pork Dumpling Filling for Korean Mandoo,  Japanese Gyoza, or Chinese Jiaozi

3 lbs ground pork
1 block extra firm or firm tofu, drained well and crumbled
1 bunch of green onions or chives, chopped
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
2 T minced ginger
1 T sesame oil
4 T soy sauce
1/2 t salt, or more to taste
1/2 t pepper, or more to taste
2 pkgs of Shanghai-style dumpling wrappers

To the above basic recipe, you can add any or none of the following:
1/2 - 1 c drained and finely chopped kimchi
1 c blanched bean sprouts, chopped
1 c finely diced zuchinni
1/2 c finely diced carrot
1 c finely chopped and blanched napa cabbage

Combine ingredients and squeeze in a flour-sack towel or cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. Set aside for 30 minutes for flavors to meld. See guide for wrapping and cooking below. Serve with Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce.

Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce

6 T soy sauce
6 T rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1-2 T chopped green onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Korean red pepper flakes (gochukaru)

Combine and set aside.

Wrapping and Cooking Dumplings

Pick a different shape for each filling, so you can distinguish between them after they are cooked. Depending on the size of the wrapper place about a T of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Wet your finger with a little water and run it around the edges so the dough will seal.  You can simply squeeze the edges together or close in a series of folds. Make sure to remove all air bubbles in your seal.

You should estimate 8-10 dumplings per person at your party. It is great to make extra to eat later. Simply place on cookie sheets in a single layer and freeze. After they are frozen, place in a labeled ziplock baggie. You should cook from frozen if you eat them later. Thawing makes quite a mess!



 To Steam:

Bring a pot of water to boil with a steamer insert and lid. When steam starts to collect on the lid it is ready to add the dumplings. Spray or oil steamer with a brush and place dumplings inside without touching each other.  Steam with the lid on for about 12 minutes. It may take longer depending on the thickness of the wrappers.


Eww. Dirty stove, sorry.

They should look like this when they are finished.




Place cooked dumplings on a cabbage leaf or lightly oiled serving plate so they don't stick. Serve with dipping sauce.

To Boil:
Bring a pot of water or broth to boil. Add dumplings (can be frozen) and return to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Place cooked dumplings on a cabbage leaf or lightly oiled serving plate so they don't stick. Serve with dipping sauce.

To Pan-fry:
Use a medium-sized non-stick skillet and heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 T of canola oil, you can add a little sesame oil, too. Add dumplings to the skillet in a circular pattern with the sealed edges up. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.  Add about 1/4" of water to the skillet and seal with a lid. Lower heat to medium and cook until water boils away or about 10 minutes. After about 6-8 minutes allow some steam to escape. Remove the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until bottoms are nice and brown. Transfer dumplings to a serving plate. Serve with dipping sauce.

For the party, you can prepare the dumpling all three ways, plus alternate who are the folders/wrappers, cooks, and EATERS. Yummy.