DUMPLINGS! In Infinite Ways
Oh dumpling how I adore thee
I don’t even know how to start when it comes to dumplings. There are SO many variations - and I’m finding more and more as I travel.
And they are almost all delicious.
I make dumplings - even on the road - around once to twice a month. I even travel with a dumpling rolling pin (also great for flatbreads) because I always make my own wrappers. I refuse to pay extortionate prices for what is essentially water and flour and they never take as long to make as you might think. I even have a technique that means you don’t have to pleat the dumplings to seal them. They may look less beautiful but it takes half the time and still tastes great.
Dumplings are great because they make a little bit of filling go a long way, kids adore them - both making and eating - and they are perfect Capsule Pantry fodder because you can make them with just a few scrappy ingredients you probably already have in your fridge. They are also infinite. You can make endless combinations, from potstickers to Polish pierogi.
This week, I’ll teach you how to make the wrappers and give you a few filling ideas from around the world. Feel free to adapt as much as you like.
The dumpling wrappers
Makes around 16 dumplings (enough for 2 people)
150g all-purpose flour
90ml warm water
Large pinch of sea salt
(I’ve not included cups here because I can’t - as a Brit - figure out how to convert this precisely enough. You basically want 60% hydration on your dough which means the weight of the water should be 60% of the weight of the flour. Do with this as you please.)
Stick the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until it comes together as a dough then dump it out onto a floured surface (or in your electric kneader) and knead for five minutes or so until the dough is elastic. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 20-30 minutes.
Make your filling (ideas to come).
Cover a baking tray with a light dusting of semolina/polenta. This is where you’ll place your ready-made dumplings. Flour is fine if you don’t have semolina but honestly, this stuff is magic - your dumplings will never stick to the tray and rip open and make you cry.
I like to weigh out my wrappers. I divide the dough into 10-12g balls. Each ball is rolled into your hand to make it round then flattened on a floured surface.
Take a rolling pin and roll out the round into a thin circle. There are plenty of fancy techniques on how to do this, but I like to just go for it as if I was making a flatbread.
Place a teaspoon or so of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold in half so you have a half-moon with the filling in the middle. Seal around the open edge forcing out all the air as you go. You don’t need to dampen the edges, they should stick together without the need for water.
Take the corners of the half moon, bring them together, and pinch so you have something that resembles tortellini - like this:
These are cooked so they won’t look all steamed and dimply like this yet, but it gives you an idea of the shape.
Place on the semolina tray and repeat until you have run out of dumpling wrappers - and hopefully filling. To help with this I tend to make all my wrappers at once (if I have the space on a floured surface) and evenly fill each one with the filling to ensure none gets wasted, or God forbid, you run out halfway through.
Cooking will depend on what you make for your filling. Here are some ideas from around the world:
From China - potstickers
These are my favorite type of dumplings to make.
The filling
The amount made here should nicely fill the dumpling wrapper recipe above
150g / 5oz pork mince (or substitute with diced prawns, beef mince or vegetables like diced eggplant, mushrooms, or zucchini)
Shredded cabbage / any other greens - a small handful (it doesn’t have to be precise and you can leave out altogether if you want)
1 scallion, finely chopped (substitute for white onion if you like)
2cm / 1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
3/4 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry Sherry, or omit if you don’t have it)
1 tbsp soy sauce (light or a mix of light and dark)
1 tsp sesame oil (leave out if you don’t have available)
To make, heat a (ideally non-stick) frying pan with a little oil in the bottom until medium-hot. Place the dumplings in the pan - you can do these in batches so keep some room in between each dumpling.
Fry on the bottom until they’re golden. Turn down the heat then VERY carefully add water until the dumplings are submerged by around 1/4 inch. It will spit so be super careful and get kids out of the way! Stick a lid on and steam for around 5-8 minutes, adding more water if it dries up.
Serve with a dipping sauce made from three-to-one parts soy sauce and rice vinegar and a splash of chili oil or chili flakes.
From Poland - Pierogi
Easy peasy pierogi. If you like, you can make double (or triple) and freeze the excess. They boil up nicely from frozen. Serve with a dollop of soured cream for the authentic experience.
The filling
Mashed potato and cheddar cheese
OR
Pork or beef mince or a mix of both (I prefer the meat personally - around 150g / 5oz will do it)
A small amount of smoked bacon if you have it
A tablespoon or so of chopped parsley if you have it
Half a white onion finely chopped and fried until translucent
Salt to season
Make the dumplings then stick them in a large pot of salted boiling water with a little bit of oil in there to help prevent sticking.
Boil for around 5 minutes, drain and serve. Make sure the meat is fully cooked before eating.
From Turkey - Manti
To make these properly, you need a pasta machine. Make your dumpling dough, pass through the machine until it’s as thin as it goes. Cut into small squares (manti are far smaller than usual dumplings). Place a small bit of filling onto each square then take each diagonal quarter and pinch so you have a “star” shape, like this:
A bit fiddly, but totally worth it.
The filling
150g / 5oz minced beef or minced lamb
Parsley - a small amout finely chopped
A pinch of Turkish chilli flakes (or normal dried chilli flakes if you don’t have “pul biber” in your pantry - or omit entirely)
Seasoned with salt and pepper
Make the manti as above, drop in salted boiling water until they rise to the top - about 3-5 minutes depending on the size.
Serve with plain yogurt spiked with minced garlic and a pinch of salt dolloped on top and a sprinkling of Turkish chili flakes. Or make a quick chili oil by adding chili flakes to a few tablespoons of oil. Leave for 30 minutes to infuse and drizzle over the yogurt.
From Nepal - Momos
My local Nepalese takeaway place used to make these and I’d go nuts for them.
The filling
150g / 5 oz minced lamb or beef (or replace with vegetables like diced mushrooms or eggplant - fry these off before making the dumplings)
Half a small white onion finely chopped and fried until translucent
Finely chopped fresh coriander
A small pinch (around 1/8 tsp) each of ground turmeric, ground cumin, and ground coriander
Seasoned with salt
You can make these like potstickers or boiled like pierogi, it’s up to you.
To be traditional you could make tomato “achar” (recipe here) or do what I do and cheat with a jar of mango chutney or lime pickle.
You can go so far with dumplings. I’ve not even touched on Italian ravioli or tortellini, or any of the myriad steamed Chinese dumplings, Vietnamese rolls or Japanese gyozas. Maybe one day I will but my fingers hurt with all this typing today, so I’m stopping now before I write a 10,000-word ode to all the dumplings in the world.
I for one am so happy we live in a world with dumplings. Fiddly? Sometimes. Worth it? Always.