My heritage is Cantonese, and so many a weekend was spent eating dim sum (點心) with my family and my family’s friends. While we were lucky enough to also enjoy regular home-cooked family dinners, dim sum was our connection to our culture, and we were able to enjoy it regularly despite living in different (non-Chinese) countries. Even my beautiful wife, who is of Taiwanese heritage, enjoyed dim sum with her family (though they, like many, refer it as yumcha (飲茶). I’ve been on the search for a dumpling recipe that is safe for my son so we can enjoy some dim sum at home. After many experiments, here is our recipe. Please let me know what you think!
This recipe uses a pork filling. I’m working on a recipe for shrimp dumplings (蝦餃) so stay tuned for that one. As always, this one is gluten, peanut, egg, dairy, tree nut, and wheat free, but always remember to check the ingredients and watch out for cross-contamination. These measurements make about 12-15 dumplings. I’ll start out by describing how to make the filling, then the wrapper, then the final product. I also added a suggested recipe in case things don’t work out with the wrapper dough.
The Pork Filling
Apparatus:
- 1 large mixing bowl
- Knife (I use a Chinese-style cleaver because it’s more convenient for scooping ingredients after chopping them up)
- Cutting board
Starting Materials:
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (can also use fresh)
- 3 inch chunk of ginger – peeled and finely chopped
- 3 stalks of green onion –– finely chopped
- 1 Tbs of mirin
- 2 Tbs of tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1/3 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
Procedure:
- If your ground pork is fresh from the fridge, take it out so that it warms up a bit closer to room temperature. Also, get your big mixing bowl ready next to your cutting board.
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for at least 15 minutes. You’re not going to re-use the soaking liquid so you can dump it after the mushrooms are re-hydrated. If you are using fresh shiitake mushrooms, skip this step.
- Wash and skin the ginger (I use the edge of a spoon), then finely chop and add it to the mixing bowl.
- Wash the green onion and shake off the excess water and/or dry with a paper towel, then finely chop and add to the mixing bowl.
- Remove the re-hydrated mushrooms from the soaking liquid and squeeze out the liquid with your iron grip, then finely chop. If using fresh mushrooms, remove the stem, then finely chop and add the chopped mushrooms to the mixing bowl.
- Add the mirin, tamari, sesame oil, brown sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper to the mixing bowl with the chopped ginger, green onions, and mushrooms, and stir to combine.
- Add the ground pork to the mixture and hand-knead to combine all the ingredients. I also like to form a ball with the mixture, pick it up, and slap it against the side of the mixing bowl a bunch of times to increase elasticity in the filling.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready for use.
The Dumpling Wrapper
Apparatus:
- 1 large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Patience
Starting Materials:
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 1/2 cup of rice flour (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Gluten Free White Rice Flour)
- 1/2 cup of tapioca flour (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill Finely Ground Gluten Free Tapioca Flour/Starch)
- 1/2 tsp canola oil plus more to make the dumpling
Procedure:
- Boil the water. You’re not going to use the full cup. I just like to make extra just in case.
- To the large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of rice flour and 1/2 cup of tapioca flour and use a whisk to combine completely.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup of the boiling water to the flour mixture while mixing with your hands. Be careful: the water is hot! The mixture will change in consistency from compeletely dry (i.e., before any water is added), to clumpy (as the initial water is adsorbed), to snow-like. After 1/2 cup of water is added, you may need to slowly add more in order to result in the right consistency: a dough ball. If so, add 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture is doughy, but not too sticky. If you’ve made bread before, if will feel like bread dough (even the gluten free bread dough kind). If the dough becomes super sticky, then you’ve added too much water, but don’t fret, you can use it to make mochi (see below).
- Once all the water has been absorbed and the dough is of the right consistency, add 1/2 tsp canola oil and knead it again to incorporate it. Form a big ball, then wash your hands and get ready to make some dumplings!
The Dumplings
Apparatus:
- Bamboo steamer (I use one with a 12″ diameter) with non-stick liner paper
- Rolling pin (preferably a Chinese one that’s just like a dowel rod)
- Butter knife for cutting dough
- Spoon or frosting spatula for filling the wrapper
- Small bowl for canola oil
- Brush
- Oiled surface to work on (I use a steel tabletop)
Starting Materials:
- Dumpling filling
- Dumpling wrapper dough
- Canola oil
Procedure: (you will need to work quickly so that the dough does not dry out)
- Remove mixing bowl with the dumpling filling from the fridge and set it to the right of the mixing bowl with the dough.
- Line your steamer with liner paper and place to the right of the mixing bowl with the dumpling filling. Pour some canola oil into a small bowl and place it and your brush nearby.
- Oil your work surface with canola oil, then take the dough from the mixing bowl, place it on the work surface, and roll it into a long tube about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter. (You don’t need the dough mixing bowl anymore, so you can put it aside.)
- Using your butter knife, cut off an inch-long piece from the tube of dough. Using your roller, roll the piece of dough into a palm-sized disk about four inches in diameter (palm-sized) and about an eighth of an inch thick.
- Scoop half to a full tablespoon of filling into the center of the disk, fold it in half and pinch closed. If you know fancy dough-closing techniques, go ahead and show them off, but I just roll/pinch them shut so I can move on to the next one.
- Brush some oil onto the bottom of the raw dumpling and place into the bamboo steamer.
- Repeat steps 4-6 above until you’ve used up all the dough. Keep adding oil to the work surface if the dough is starting to stick. You will probably have some filling left. If so, you can make more dough tomorrow for more dumplings, or use them for meatballs or something. Don’t waste that good filling!
- Steam the finished raw dumplings for at least six minutes. Serve hot and enjoy! The picture above is just after steaming. If you want, you can make a dipping sauce with tamari, vinegar, sugar, chili sauce, or whatever.
Doh! What if I messed up my dough? No worries. You can make a mochi dessert!
Apparatus:
- Butter knife for cutting dough
- Oiled work surface
- Saucepan for boiling water
- Slotted spoon
- Serving bowl
Starting Materials:
- Canola oil
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup (or, if you have it, substitute the brown sugar and maple syrup with black sugar syrup (kuromitsu)
Procedure:
- If your dough is too sticky, let it sit out for a bit to dry up and add 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil.
- Oil a work surface then roll the dough into a long tube about a half an inch in diameter, then use a butter knife to section it off into inch-long pillows.
- Dump the cut pieces into the boiling water and boil for 6 minutes, stirring toward the end to that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Using your slotted spoon, remove the boiled mochi and put it in your serving bowl, and while hot, add the brown sugar and maple syrup (or kuromitsu) to taste. Now you have a sweet rice ball dessert. Enjoy!
This took a lot of trial and error, even with the measurements worked out above, so don’t lose heart if it doesn’t work out the first time. As always, please let me know how it turns out!