Chive Pockets: Jiucai Hezi

bao bun-shaped chive pockets fried pleat-side down

bao bun-shaped chive pockets

traditional shaped chive pockets

When we still had our garden in Maryland, I would always look forward to the weekly bunches of fresh chives that my mom brought through the door—it was time for chive pockets!

Somewhere between dumplings and baozi, chive pockets (or the literal translation of chive boxes) use unleavened dough but are larger in size and have a looser filling. They’re pan fried, and I love to drench them in Sriracha hot sauce. The main component of the filling is (of course) chives, and we often add beaten eggs, mung bean vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and dry shrimp for more flavor and texture.

Chive Pockets
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 mins
Yield: 12 chive pockets

Ingredients
For dough:

• 360 g all-purpose flour
• 180-200 g warm water, adjust based on flour brand

For filling:

• 200 g fresh chives, finely chopped
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: hydrated mung bean vermicelli, wood ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, minced ginger, grated carrot, dried shrimp

For frying:

• cooking oil
  
  

Directions
Filling preparation:

1. In a large wok over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add beaten eggs and scramble thoroughly. Remove wok from heat.
2. Add chives and any optional ingredients * to the wok and combine with beaten eggs.
3. Add sesame oil, Chinese five-spice powder, and salt. **

Dough preparation:

4. In a large bowl, add flour. Slowly add water, stirring with a pair of chopsticks into a shaggy dough, adding more or less if necessary.
5. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead into a very smooth ball. If it is resistant, let the dough rest under a clean towel for 10-15 minutes and knead again.
6. Rest dough for 30 minutes before forming wrappers.

Assembly:

7. Separate dough into 12 equal balls.
8. Press each piece into a disk and flatten with a rolling pin until around 6 inches across, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
9. Spoon mixture in the center of a disk. Fold into preferred shape. For bao bun shapes, pleat the edges up to close the pocket. For the traditional shape, fold the dough in half over the filling and pleat the edges in a half-circle.

Cooking:

10. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, heat up enough oil to cover the pan surface. Place pockets in and cover with a lid.
11. Let fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, and flip to fry the other side uncovered.
12. Remove from heat and enjoy warm.

*Optional ingredients should be finely minced or ran through food processor.

**Add oil before salt so water is not released from the mixture.

Per serving (without frying oil): 149 calories: 23.8 g carbs; 3.7 g fat; 5.1 g protein