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Ingredients
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Dumpling filling
Wrappers and finishing
Dipping sauce
Method
Dumpling filling
Prepare cabbage
Trim the core off the Napa cabbage and finely chop leaves. Place chopped cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss and let sit 10 minutes to draw out moisture. After 10 minutes, squeeze the cabbage tightly in a clean towel or between hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve cabbage and discard the liquid.
Mince aromatics
Finely mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Thinly slice the green onions, using both white and green parts. Combine garlic, ginger and most of the green onion (reserve a few for garnish) in a small bowl.
Mix filling
In a large bowl, add ground pork, squeezed cabbage, minced aromatics, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs sake, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp white pepper, 1 large egg and 1 tbs potato starch. Mix thoroughly with chopsticks or a spatula in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (about 1-2 minutes). Taste a small pinch by quickly pan-frying a tiny patty and adjust seasoning if needed.
Assembly
Set up an assembly station: a small bowl of water for sealing, a spoon or small cookie scoop for filling, and a tray lightly dusted with starch or lined with parchment to hold finished gyoza. Keep a damp towel over wrappers to prevent them drying out.
Fill wrappers
Place one gyoza wrapper in your palm. Put about 1 teaspoon (approx. 8-10 g) of filling in the center. Dip your finger in water and moisten half the wrapper edge. Fold wrapper in half over filling and press center to seal. Starting from center, make 3 small pleats on the side with the wet edge, pressing each pleat to seal firmly against the flat side (traditional gyoza pleat technique). Ensure no air pockets remain. Place folded gyoza on tray with pleated side up. Repeat until all filling is used.
Cooking (pan-fry with steam)
Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Arrange gyoza in the pan pleated side up, flat side down, in a single layer without crowding (you may need two pans or cook in batches). Fry for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
Carefully pour 120 ml water into the hot pan (it will sizzle). Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Steam the gyoza for 5-6 minutes, or until water has mostly evaporated and filling is cooked through (internal temp of pork should reach 71°C/160°F).
Remove lid and continue cooking uncovered for 1-2 minutes to crisp the bottoms again and evaporate remaining moisture. Use a thin spatula to loosen and transfer gyoza to a serving plate, crispy side up.
Dipping sauce and serving
Combine 3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil, and 1 tsp hot mustard in a small bowl. Stir and taste; adjust vinegar or soy for brightness or saltiness. Add reserved sliced scallion if using.
Serve gyoza hot with the dipping sauce on the side. Optionally garnish with remaining green onion. Leftover cooked gyoza can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated in a skillet to restore crispness.