Dim Sum & Then Some: Chinese Potstickers
Ni Hao! I know I may not look it, but I am a quarter Chinese. And, I love celebrating Chinese New Year. One of my favorite foods is Chinese potstickers. They are healthy and delicious and easy to prepare.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Four Dinner Size Servings
These are also known as potstickers or gyoza and make a great easy meal or snack for the whole family. Serve with rice, veggies and ponzu or other sauces.
Ingredients/Materials
1 lb ground chicken, finely chopped shrimp, pork or veggie mix
3 finely chopped green onions
1 tblsp. finely chopped ginger (you can substitute 1/2 tsp. ground ginger if fresh is hard for you to find)
Good quality soy sauce to taste. Approximately 4-6 tblsp.
2 tblsp. good Sesame oil.
1 package dim sum wrappers or gyoza skins, preferably round
OPTIONAL:
finely chopped water chestnuts. And if you are making these veggie style, you might want to try clear mung bean noodles, tofu, and chopped cabbage.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, blending well.
Place a teaspoon of filling in center of wrapper.
Use finger to trace a little warm water around edges of wrapper.
Fold wrapper in half and press edges together to get them to stick.
Generously coat bottom of a non-stick pan with vegetable or canola oil.
When medium warm, lay dim sum in oil.
Let fry until one side is golden brown.
Add about a half cup of water to pan. Quickly place a lid over the steaming dumplings.
When water is gone, dumplings are ready.
I like to throw fresh peas or broccoli in the pan during the steaming part so that we have veggies to accompany our dim sum.
Notes:
SAUCE: Dim sum is great served with Japanese ponzu, Thai chili dipping sauce, or many other Asian sauces. Our family blends a Japanese/Chinese/Guamanian style sauce:
1/4 cup of good Tamari Soy Sauce or regular low sodium soy sauce 3 green onions finely chopped. Juice of half a lemon. 1/8 cup of vinegar 1 medium hot jalapeno or other hot pepper (optional for kids)
Optional: 3 drops of Thai fish sauce. If you like sauce on the sweeter side you can add 2 tblsp. of Asian seasoned vinegar or Mirin. If you are a huge ginger lover, then you may want to add a teaspoon of finely chopped ginger.
A picture of me and my cousin, Tammy, from Taiwan, making potstickers when I was seven years old!
