If you have leftover filling, enjoy it in a stir-fry or as a cold salad.
The truth is, my mom hates cooking!
She always says she doesn’t like to do anything that would make a room messy or smelly.
Photo: Maggie Zhu
She likes washing dishes more than searing food in a hot wok.
And dinner always included three courses and a soup.
She tells people that she doesn’t know how to cook, outside of a few home-style dishes.
Maggie Zhu
And yet, she makes the most beautiful steamed buns with tiny pleats.
And she can put twice the amount of vegetables into a single dumpling that a restaurant chef can.
When I tell my American friends about my mom, I have to explain that Chinese culture treasures humility.
I did not appreciate her food much until I moved to the United States five years ago.
I couldn’t get enough of anything cheesy, meaty, sweet and heavily seasoned.
My meals became ground turkey stir fried with a reduced amount of oil, and canned tuna in water.
Then the pandemic hit.
Isolated in my Manhattan apartment with all the turmoil going on, I started craving comfort food again.
On my weekly video chat with my mom, we’d always talk about what we had been eating.
When you make dumpling wrappers fresh, the dough is elastic and springy.
That way it’s easier to stuff a bit more veggies into it.
It also creates a nice fat dumpling with a lot of filing and fine pleats.
My family’s homemade dumplings are quite humble and use simple ingredients.
I used to complain about these dumplings whenever my mom served them, because there was no meat.
But now I make them at home from scratch, just like my mom.
Except I get a bit of help from my stand mixer.
4cupsfinely chopped napa cabbage (4 oz.)
1 12teaspoonssalt, divided
3tablespoonstoasted sesame oil, divided
2cupsshredded carrot (6 oz.)
1ouncedried vermicelli rice noodles
14cupfinely chopped fried or baked tofu (1 oz.)
Pour boiling water in the middle of the flour.
Continue mixing on low speed until the mixture forms a dough, scraping the bowl as needed.
The dough should be a bit springy, not sticking to the bowl but not tough to the touch.
Add flour if the dough is too soft and doesn’t hold its shape.)
Continue mixing until the surface becomes smooth, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to a clean work surface; knead a few times and shape into a ball.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel while you make the filling.
To prepare filling:Put a medium pot of water on to boil for the noodles.
Rinse shiitakes and place them in a small bowl.
Add hot water to cover.
Soak until tender, about 20 minutes.
Rinse and gently rub by hand to remove any surface dirt.
Drain the mushrooms and finely chop.
Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; stir to coat.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Squeeze out excess water and return the cabbage to the bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
Add carrot and the shiitakes.
Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender, about 6 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large plate to cool.
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions; drain.
Measure 1/4 cup of cooked noodles.
(Save any remaining noodles for another use.)
Coarsely chop the noodles into about 1/2-inch-long pieces.
Add the cooled vegetables and chopped noodles to the bowl with the cabbage.
Mix until well combined.
Set aside while you make the wrappers.
To form wrappers:Divide the dough in half.
Cover 1 half with plastic wrap and set aside.
Shape the other half into a stick, about 8 inches long.
Cut into 10 even pieces.
Lightly dust both sides of each piece with flour and shape each piece into a cylinder.
Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Working with 1 dough cylinder at a time, press into a round disk on a lightly floured surface.
To fill and shape dumplings:Place 1 heaping tablespoon of dumpling filling in the center of the wrapper.
Hold the dumpling with 1 hand and start making pleats and sealing the edges with the other hand.
After folding, press the edge again to seal well.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
To cook dumplings:Line a large steamer with steaming paper (see Tip).
Add about 2 inches water to the steamer.
Arrange the dumplings on the steaming rack, at least a finger’s width apart.
Place the steaming rack in the steamer and cover.
Heat over high heat until steaming.
Cook, without peeking into the steamer, for 8 minutes.
To make your own, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your steamer.
Fold in half several times and cut the folded narrow tip to create a hole in the center.
Cut several evenly spaced small triangles along the folded edges.
Unfold and place in the steamer.
Made from fermented black sticky rice or glutinous rice, Zhenjiang black vinegar is tangy and sweet.
It’s used in a variety of Chinese recipes, from stir-fries to marinades.
Find it at your local Asian market, sometimes labeled as Chinkiang vinegar.
For a substitute, use 2 tsp.
balsamic and 1 tsp.
rice vinegar for every 1 Tbsp.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
