Place 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and mix. Add 3 tablespoons hot water and begin stirring with a fork until coarse crumbs form. Add cold water (about 60 ml) a little at a time while mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead and rest

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil near the end of kneading to make it pliable. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

Roll and cut wrappers

Divide rested dough into two portions. Roll each portion into a long log about 2–3 cm in diameter. Cut each log into 24 equal pieces (total ~48). Roll each piece into a small ball, then flatten with your palm and use a small rolling pin to roll into thin circles about 7–8 cm (2.5–3 in) diameter. Keep stacked wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Filling — Pork & Shrimp (classic siu mai-style)

Prepare shrimp

Pat shrimp dry and finely chop into small pieces (fine texture helps binding). Place chopped shrimp in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine; let sit 5 minutes to firm slightly.

Mix filling

In a large bowl combine 400 g ground pork, the marinated chopped shrimp, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 0.5 tsp white pepper, 0.5 tsp sugar, and 3 tbsp finely chopped green onions and 1 tbsp minced ginger. Add 0.75 tsp salt (adjust to taste). Using a spatula, mix in one direction until mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). If using water chestnuts, mushrooms, or carrot add them now and fold gently.

Chill filling

Cover and refrigerate the filling for 15–20 minutes to firm up; chilled filling is easier to shape and will hold together during steaming.

Assembly & Cooking

Form dumplings (open-top siu mai style)

Place a wrapper on your palm. Spoon about 1 tablespoon (approx. 18–20 g) of filling into the center. Gather the wrapper edges up around the filling, pleating gently and leaving the top exposed; press down slightly to flatten the top. Or for closed dumplings, pleat and pinch to seal fully. Repeat until all wrappers and filling are used. If using garnish, press a small amount (1/4 tsp) of grated carrot on top of each siu mai or place a small piece of shrimp on top for presentation.

Prepare steamer

Line a bamboo or metal steamer basket with parchment paper with holes or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking; lightly oil the paper or leaves. Bring 2–3 cm water to a boil in a wok or large pot with the steamer sitting above the water.

Steam dumplings

Arrange dumplings in the basket with space between them (they will expand slightly). Steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes for siu mai (for closed dumplings with thicker wrappers steam 10–12 minutes) until pork is cooked through and the filling is firm and shrimp is opaque. Do not lift the lid during steaming.

Rest and serve

Remove steamer from heat and let rest 1 minute. Carefully transfer dumplings to a serving plate. Whisk together 3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp black vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil and 0.5 tsp sesame oil in a small bowl and serve alongside dumplings.