饺子 jiăozi (Dumplings)

While I oftentimes "dream of dumplings," a couple of nights ago I actually dreamed of dumplings:

I was in a Publix back in Florida with my Mom, and I noticed a couple of Chinese women with a tray  of xiăolóngbāo, or steamed soupy dumplings. I overheard them speaking Mandarin, so I knew that they were legitimate. The women later approached me in the chips/pretzel aisle, and asked me in Mandarin what I thought about Publix selling xiaolongbao vs. dumplings. We had an extended debate discussing the pros and cons of each. 

Needless to say, I woke up with a serious hankering for dumplings. So for that reason, I think its high-time that I devoted a post to my favorite Chinese food.

Most of you probably haven't ever had a true dumpling before. "What are you talking about Ningqi, I order them all the time!" False. The stuff you get at Lucky Dragon or Wok and Roll is a pale imitation of the authentic, bite-sized deliciousness that you find here in China. Good dumplings are not huge with thick and chewy skin. There are also more options than just "meat" and "vegetable." They come in every flavor imaginable, especially when you're in a dumpling-Mecca like Xi'an.

For this reason, when the boy came to Xi'an, going to a dumpling banquet was at the very top of our to-do list. For 15 USD, you get a meal of 18 dumplings, each one with a different flavor and different shape. It was, in a word, delicious.

Giant golden dumpling? NYOM.

Dumplings shaped like chickens (oddly enough, I think they had pork filling?)

Okay, if you're not drooling yet, I'm going to give you an inside peek into the dumpling creation process. I've had the privilege of making them from scratch on two separate occasions, and I can tell you, it's a pain. A true dumpling snob will say that you have to make your own dough and roll each wrapper out by hand--if you buy them or make them cookie-cutter style, then your wrapper is of uniform thickness and therefore has additional dough. If you roll them out yourself individually, you can make the outer edges thinner than the center, and thereby create a stable base while maximizing the filling-to-dough ratio. This is all very troublesome. If you buy the wrappers at an asian mart, I'd say your results will still be good.

For pork and cabbage dumplings:

1) Prepare your dough

Gradually add water

How much? Use feeling!

(Just enough to mix your flour together, but not so much to have any excess liquid)

Mix!

(No, I wouldn't recommend using chopsticks for this unless you really hate yourself)

Once you've kneeded the dough very well until it is quite firm, put it aside under a damp cloth to let it rest. In the meantime..

2) Prepare your filling

Finely chop your cabbage, squeezing out the excess water

(but put it aside, since your filling might need more liquid, and it has more flavor than regular water)

Mix ground pork, cabbage, diced chives, finely minced ginger, salt, and a little sesame oil

(Want to know if you need to add anything? I read on a cooking blog that you just microwave a teaspoon of the filling for 20 seconds, and then you're safe to test it! Smart, yeah?)

3) Prepare your dumpling wrappers

This is what your dough should look like; Note how dense it is

Roll your dough out into snakes (coils? tubes? what do we call that in English?)

Cut into small disks

Flatten disks with the palm of your hand

Using a small rolling pin, roll out individual wrappers. This is a bit tricky, but I'll try to explain:

Hold the far side of the disk with your left hand, pulling gently while rolling the pin with your right hand towards the center. Rotate disk counterclockwise and repeat. This dual rolling/pulling action will create your denser center/thinner sides wrapper.

If you're a pro, this process will take you 4-5 seconds/wrapper. If you're not (like me), it will be much more frustrating and time consuming

Completed wrappers to the left. You can judge the thickness by the one she's holding in her hand

4) Bāo (fold) your dumplings

Place filling in wrapper

Don't be TOO ambitious with how much you add--it will make folding difficult and you risk them opening while cooking

Fold wrapper in half. Pinch together top edges of wrapper to seal. Then create two pleats on each side by pushing each side towards the middle and... well... just watch this video. It's far too difficult to explain.

Note: If using store-bought wrappers, they're much drier. Keep a small bowl of water handy, and use your finger to wet the rim of each wrapper.

Tada!

Once you've repeated this dozens of times, you're finally ready to cook! If you have a basket steamer you can steam them, but the easiest way is just to boil (known as 水饺, or "water dumplings"). Bring a pot of water to boil, and carefully add dumplings (not too many, or they'll stick together). Let the water come to a boil three times, adding some cool water each time. By the third time your water boils, your dumplings will be cooked through (they should also float to the top).

Mix soy, vinegar, and some ginger or chili paste. Dip dumpling and eat. Repeat as necessary. 

Enjoy!