Chinese dumplings have made a big appearance in restaurants throughout the United States. Believe it or not, the little pockets of delicious flavor are actually not hard to make yourself at home. Dumpling night can be a fun activity to share with friends and family over good conversation. We are going to walk you through the steps to making your own version of Chinese dumplings. Just gather the ingredients and keep on reading!!
Make the Dough
You can buy premade dumpling wraps from a market, or you can make your own dough. The dough used for Chinese dumplings is typically made with a combination of flour, salt, and water. Once the mixture is smooth, use your hands to kneed the dough ball and then let rest. Cut up the dough and use a rolling pin to make flat circles in the size of your choosing. It is best to make the circles no bigger than 3 inches in diameter so you do not have excess dough when folding.
Make the Filling
The filling is what gives the dumplings that delicious, savory flavor we all love. Chinese dumplings can be made with ground pork, chicken, beef, or vegetables. Other ingredients include soy sauce, salt, cabbage, carrots, ginger, and other seasonings. Add your favorite ingredients and mix it all together! The next step is to add small spoonfuls of the filling to the dough circles created in the previous step.
Fold it up!
Folding the dumplings is an art form and can be done using several different techniques. Before you begin, dust your surface with cornstarch or flour to ensure the dumplings do not stick. Use a brush or your fingers to wet the edges of each dough wrapper. With your fingers, pinch the edges together to create your preferred shape. Pinch at the top to make a ball-shaped dumpling, or fold one side over to make a half-moon.
Cook The Dumplings
Chinese dumplings can be made in a few different ways. They can be boiled or steamed for softer dumplings or pan-fried to make them slightly crispy.
Book a class with The Dumpling School to learn how to make dumplings from the experts!