Shrimp Dumplings: Xia Jiaozi

Shrimp cabbage dumplings with spicy dumpling sauce, scallions, and a side of hot and sour soup

What are dumplings?

At their core, dumplings are a savory ball of dough, often stuffed with some type of filling. In Chinese culture, dumplings are one of the most important foods eaten on Chinese New Year. They are symbols of wealth, resembling ancient coins, and making them is always a family activity.

Not only are dumplings culturally important, but they are extremely delicious and easy to eat! My family usually enjoys dumplings with pork and chives (but I don’t eat pork, and chives make my stomach hurt), so I make these instead! These shrimp and Napa cabbage dumplings are just as delicious, and they’re low in fat. The cabbage provides a hidden serving of vegetables, and it also prevents the filling from becoming too dense with minced shrimp.

Variations

Feel free to change the fillings to suit your own preferences! Dumplings come in dozens of flavors, so use what you have on hand.

There are three main ways of cooking the dumplings (details found within the recipe): boiling, steaming, and pan frying. The most traditional way is to boil them and enjoy the dumpling water as soup, but my preferred method is steaming because I feel that most of the flavor is locked in that way.

Forming Dumplings

Wrapping the dumplings definitely takes some practice to get right, and everyone has their own way of doing it. I can always differentiate the dumplings I make from those that my mom does, so just be patient and figure it out as you go!

Shrimp Dumplings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 mins
Yield: 4-5 dozen dumplings

Ingredients
For dough:

• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 150 g warm water, adjust based on flour brand

For filling:

• 375 g raw shrimp, minced
• 150 g Napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 20 g dry wood ear mushroom, rehydrated
• 40 g dry shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated
• 1 thumb ginger root, grated
• 1 stalk green onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
  
  

Directions
Filling preparation:

1. Place minced shrimp in a large bowl.
2. Add cabbage, wood ear, shiitake, ginger, and green onion to a high-power food processor. Blend into a rough paste, but do not puree.
3. Transfer to bowl with shrimp. Add sesame oil, cooking wine, white pepper, and salt. *
4. Stir clockwise with a pair of chopsticks or wooden spoon to combine into a gluey mixture.

Dough preparation:

5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Rest dough for 30 minutes before forming wrappers.

Assembly:

8. Separate dough into two balls and place one under a clean towel. Make a rope with the dough and cut into equal sections—I make between 4-5 dozen total.
9. Press each piece into a small disk and flatten with a rolling pin, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
10. Repeat with the rest of the dough, dusting with cornstarch between each wrapper so they do not stick.
11. Take a small spoonful of the filling mixture and place in the center of a disk. Fold into preferred dumpling shape and place onto a lightly floured baking tray while you finish the rest.

Cooking Styles:

12. There are three main ways to cook dumplings: boiling, steaming, and pan-frying. My favorite method is steaming, as it requires no added oil and (in my opinion) locks in the most flavor.

Boiling:

• Over high heat, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add dumplings to water before pushing around with a spoon to prevent sticking.
• Once the water comes back to a rolling boil, add 120 ml cold water. Wait until it reaches a rolling boil and repeat this procedure twice.
• Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve hot.

Steaming:

• Line a steamer with a parchment paper, Napa cabbage leaves, or scattered carrot slices.
• Place dumplings in a single layer, leaving space between.
• Cover lid and bring the water to a full boil, cooking for 10 minutes or until fully done.
• Carefully remove and serve hot.

Pan-frying:

• In a frying pan over medium-high heat, heat up enough oil to cover the pan surface.
• Carefully place in dumplings and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bottoms become golden brown.
• Pour in cold water to cover 1/3 up the dumplings. Cover pan with a lid.
• Uncover the pan when you can hear the sizzling of the dumplings (signaling that all of the water has evaporated). Cook for an additional 30 seconds to crisp the dumpling bottoms and serve hot.

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

Per dozen (for 4 dozen): 410 calories: 68.5 g carbs; 5.4 g fat; 23.2 g protein