A10 Gyoza Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Place chopped napa cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, toss and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture firmly with your hands or a towel until mostly dry. This prevents soggy filling.

In a large bowl combine ground pork, squeezed cabbage, sliced scallions, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, white pepper and potato starch. Mix until ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture becomes slightly tacky (use chopsticks or your hands). Chill filling 10–15 minutes to firm up—this makes wrapping easier.

Set up an assembly area with wrappers on a dry tray, the filling bowl, and a small bowl of water for sealing. Keep used wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Place one wrapper in your palm. Spoon about 1 teaspoon (heaping) to 1 tablespoon of filling into the center (adjust to wrapper size). Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edge of the wrapper.

Fold wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon. Starting from one end, make 3–4 pleats on one side, pressing each pleat firmly to seal against the opposite edge. Ensure there are no air pockets. Repeat to fill all wrappers (should yield about 36–40 gyoza depending on filling size).

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Arrange gyoza flat-side down in the skillet in a single layer, leaving small gaps (don’t overcrowd; cook in batches if necessary). Fry 2–3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (it will sizzle) and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to medium and steam for 5–6 minutes, or until water has evaporated and the filling is cooked through (internal temperature for pork should be 160°F / 71°C).

Remove lid and continue cooking 1 minute to re-crisp the bottoms. Transfer gyoza to a serving plate. For fully deep-steamed (no frying) gyoza, place in a steamer basket lined with parchment and steam 8–10 minutes until cooked through.

Pour ponzu into a small bowl. If desired, stir in chili oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Taste and adjust: add a touch more ponzu for acidity or a pinch of sugar if you prefer milder tang.

Serve gyoza hot with ponzu on the side for dipping.