Chinese Dumplings

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Boil the 12 oz of water. Mix in 1.25 lb bread flour (we used about 4 cups, adding a little when it was sticky). It's kind-of crumbly at first, and then you can knead it into a ball. It should not be sticky - add flour until it forms a nice soft and elastic consistency. Place in a bowl with a damp towel covering it for an hour.
2. 2Step 2: Blanch the cabbage leaves, and then chop them. Mix in all of the ingredients from the filling. We used our hands to mix everything together. You can add more corn starch, or less broth to adjust the amount of liquid. You don't want it too liquidy because the filling will seep out of the dumplings when you boil them!
3. 3Step 3: While the dough is resting, mix together all of the ingredients to making the dipping sauce for the Chinese dumplings. This is one of our favorite sauces! It is delicious to dip, but I also use it to marinate chicken.
4. 4Step 4: Now comes the fun part! Assembling the Chinese dumplings!!! It is much more fun with a team of helpers, so gather your kids and friends.
5. 5Step 5: Divide the dough into quarters. Ask the kids to roll each portion into a 'snake' approximately 1 inch in diameter. Then, they can cut the snake into pieces (about 1/2 - 1 inch) and roll them out into a circle. This doesn't have to be perfect, though it's easier to form the dumplings when they are round.
6. 6Step 6: Take each disk of dough, and place about a teaspoon of the filling in the middle. Use water to close up the edges so the Chinese dumplings look like half moons. Ours were folded like empanadas, but there are many beautiful ways to fold Chinese dumplings!
7. 7Step 7: Gently place them in boiling water, and leave for 5-7 minutes (they will be floating). For another taste, with the same dumplings, fry them in a bit of oil to serve them as potstickers. Either way, serve them with the delicious Chinese dumplings dipping sauce we made! Easy and delicious!