Handmade Dimsum 17 Recipe

Make dough

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix. Pour the boiling water into the flour while stirring with a fork or chopsticks until large clumps form. Add the cold water and vegetable oil and continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead and rest

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If too sticky, dust with a little extra flour. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide and roll

After resting, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces (about 48 total). Keep pieces covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out. Using a small rolling pin, flatten each piece into a 3–4 inch round wrapper about 1–1.5 mm thick, leaving the center slightly thicker than the edges.

Prepare vegetables and aromatics

Ensure the napa cabbage is finely shredded and squeezed to remove excess moisture. Finely chop shrimp, mince garlic, grate ginger, and thinly slice green onions.

Combine filling

In a mixing bowl, add ground pork, chopped shrimp, squeezed cabbage, green onions, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and egg white. Mix with a spatula or chopsticks in one direction until mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). This develops a springy texture.

Taste and adjust

Fry a 1 teaspoon test patty in a small skillet until cooked through and taste. Adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or soy sauce if needed. Keep filling chilled until ready to assemble.

Portion filling

Place a wrapper in your palm or on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each wrapper (adjust so edges can be sealed).

Seal and pleat

Dip your finger in water and moisten the wrapper edge. Fold wrapper over filling to form a half-moon and press center to seal. For pleated style, make small folds along one edge and press to seal, creating 6–8 pleats depending on wrapper size. Ensure seals are tight to prevent leakage during cooking. Place finished dumplings on a floured tray, not touching.

Heat pan

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat.

Fry dumplings

Arrange dumplings in the skillet flat-side down with a little space between them. Fry 2–3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown and crisp.

Steam finish

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (it will sputter), then immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium and steam 6–8 minutes until filling is cooked through (pork registers 70°C/160°F). If using frozen wrappers or larger dumplings, increase steaming time by 2–3 minutes.

Crisp again and serve

Remove lid and continue cooking 1 minute to re-crisp bottoms if desired. Transfer dumplings to a serving plate. Wipe pan and repeat with remaining dumplings in batches.

Mix sauce

Whisk together soy sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil (if using), julienned ginger and sugar in a small bowl until combined. Taste and adjust balance—add more vinegar for tang, soy for salt, or a pinch of sugar to round flavors.

Serve

Serve sauce alongside hot dumplings for dipping.