This one's for you Tiff!

Lame picture eh? Sorry, I tried.

Here is my recipe. It has a few added details that I hope make it easier to understand, but might just make it more confusing. Hope not.

Taiwanese Dumplings

1 head Chinese cabbage (nappa)
1 bunch green onions
2+ inch piece of fresh ginger grated with small grater
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-1 ½ lb. unseasoned ground pork
2-3 pkg. wonton wraps
½ c. soy sauce
½ c. seasoned rice vinegar
Several drops of sesame oil

Clean and trim then finely chop the Chinese cabbage and green onions (if you use a food processor be careful not to puree by emptying frequently). Amy note: we usually wrap the green onions in the cabbage then process. It gives the green onions the stability they need for the food processor. Place the cabbage/onion mixture in a sieve (amy note: or the middle of a large dish towel) and squeeze most of the liquid out in the sink, you won’t need it later. You now have a dry pulpy mixture. In a large bowl add the ginger, sesame oil and pork. Mix with your hands, using your fingers like a rake.

Bring a Large pot of water to boil. If you have a pot with a pasta insert (I don’t know what they’re called) they are very handy. If not, you’ll just have to fish your dumplings out with a sieve or slotted spoon.

Lay out 20(ish) wonton wraps on a clean, dry surface. Work somewhat quickly since the wraps will dry out. Place a small spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of each wrap. Using your finger, wet the edges of the wrap with water (about a finger-width wide) and fold in half, creating a triangle. Press edges firmly to seal. Amy note: I usually fold my wraps a little fancier, but a triangle will do just fine. Continue until full batch is sealed. Place batch into the boiling water, one or two at a time. When all of the dumplings are in slowly stir a few times to make sure that none of the dumplings are stuck to each other or to the bottom of the pot. If they are stuck to the bottom, gently nudge them off with your spoon. Bring water back to a boil. Boil dumplings for 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon or sieve and spread them out on a cookie sheet so none of the dumplings are stuck together. Once they cool, they can be piled on one another, but if you pile them initially, you’ll have a mess. Continue until all of the meat mixture is gone. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil. Stir. Pour in individual bowls or ramekins for each person to dip dumplings in.

Having someone to help you is great! That way you can be continually folding and boiling.
Leftovers can be pan fried (be warned, they’ll stick to your pan like crazy!), added to broth soup for wonton soup or just re-warmed by microwaving or quickly re-boiling.


ENJOY!!! I hope you love them as much as my family does! Questions???