How’d you think I did? I mean, it was my first time making potstickers PLUS I made the wrappers from scratch, so I’m kind of digging the results! Lovely crispy bottoms, a juicy pork and cabbage filling and a super simple and delicious dipping sauce. Is there a limit to how many potstickers you can eat? Asking for a friend…
It took a few tries to get the hang of the pleating and while these are not the most polished potstickers you ever did see, you should have seen the bumpy lumps I started out with! Progress not perfection, esteemed g&b friends. That should actually be our unofficial slogan!
By the way, pleeease use store bought dumpling wrappers if you can find them! Not everyone needs to be as zany as we can sometimes get about making things from scratch! BUT, I must say, it was a very satisfying little project making them and I was not a little bit proud of the final result.
I’m slightly annoyed that I didn’t get a shot of the filling, but I was distracted by hunger pangs and the urgent need to dig in, so that’s going to have to wait until next time!
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
Makes 35 - 40 dumplings , you can easily halve the recipe, but be warned: these go fast!
For the potsticker filling:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions, white and light green parts only
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound (500 g) ground lean pork
2 tbsp crispy chili in oil (can also be found at you local asian supermarket!)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup (70 g) shredded Napa cabbage
36-40 round dumpling or gyoza wrappers
Flour or potato starch for your work surface
Olive oil for the pan
Dipping sauce
5 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Warm the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Sauté the scallions, garlic and ginger for about 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the ground pork and cook until just done. Add the remaining filling ingredients and stir fry until the cabbage is slightly wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool off.
While the filling is cooling down, you can make the dipping sauce. Mix the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and black sesame seeds together until combined. Top with the chopped cilantro. Set aside.
To fold the dumplings:
Lightly dust your work surface with flour or potato starch.
Ready a little bowl of lukewarm water.
Place one wrapper in the palm of your hand. Using your finger, wet the edge of the half of the wrapper that is furthest from you with some water.
Put one heaped tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold over as if you were making a taco, so that your dumpling has a half moon shape. Use the forefinger and thumb of the hand you’re not holding the wrapper with to form little pleats in the top half of the wrapper, pressing the pleats onto the bottom half of the wrapper as you go.
Lisa Lin of Healthy Nibbles has a great video up on her YouTube channel about making dumplings and has detailed instructions on the pleating technique!
Repeat until the filling is all used up, placing the dumplings on the floured work surface as they're finished. This is important as they will stick otherwise!
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan with a well fitting lid over medium high heat.
Place as many potstickers in the pan as will fit without overcrowding. The potstickers will expand when you steam them, so they need a bit of space!
Fry the potstickers without the lid on for about 3-4 minutes or until dark golden brown on the bottom. You can carefully pick them up to check underneath to see how they’re doing. When they have enough color, using the lid of the pan as a shield (Watch out, it will sputter quite a bit!), carefully pour 1/4 cup of water into the pan.
Quickly put the lid on the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 6 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another minute or so until the water has evaporated. Remove the potstickers from the pan with tongs.
Repeat until all potstickers are cooked.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
