Gyoza Recipe

Finely shred the napa cabbage, then sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and let sit in a bowl for 10 minutes to draw out moisture.

After 10 minutes, squeeze the cabbage firmly in a clean towel or between hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Measure the drained cabbage — you should have about 120–150 g.

Mince the scallions, garlic and ginger finely (or grate ginger and garlic). Reserve separately.

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, drained cabbage, minced scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce (2 tbs), mirin (1 tbs), sesame oil (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), white pepper (1/4 tsp) and the egg. Mix thoroughly using a spatula or your hands until the mixture is sticky and well combined (about 1–2 minutes). This helps the filling hold together when cooked.

Prepare a clean work surface. Lightly dust wrappers with flour to keep them from sticking. Keep a small bowl of water nearby for sealing.

Place one wrapper flat in your palm. Put about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of filling (depending on wrapper size) in the center. Be careful not to overfill—leave a 5 mm (1/4 in) border.

Moisten the edge of the wrapper with a touch of water using your finger. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon, aligning edges.

Starting from one end, make 3–4 small pleats on one side of the wrapper pressing each pleat against the opposite flat edge to seal. Press firmly to ensure no air pockets remain. Repeat until all wrappers are filled. Place finished gyoza on a tray dusted with flour, not touching each other.

Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and tilt to coat the pan.

Arrange 8–10 gyoza in the pan, flat side down, leaving a little space between each.

Pan-fry without moving for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (away from yourself) and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam. Reduce heat to medium and steam for 4–5 minutes, or until water has mostly evaporated and the filling is cooked through.

Remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate; then cook uncovered for another 1 minute to re-crisp the bottoms. Optionally, drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil around the pan and tilt to coat the gyoza for extra flavor.

Use a spatula to loosen and transfer gyoza to a serving plate. Repeat with remaining batches, adding more oil as needed.

If you prefer frozen gyoza to be pan-fried, cook straight from frozen: add 1–2 extra minutes to the steaming time to ensure they heat through.

In a small bowl combine soy sauce (3 tbs), rice vinegar (1 tbs), sesame oil (1/2 tsp) and chili paste or oil (1/2 tsp). Stir and garnish with sliced scallion.

Serve the gyoza hot with the dipping sauce and optional extra rice vinegar or chili oil on the side.