Place the finely shredded cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, toss, and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture through a kitchen towel or by pressing between your hands. Combine drained cabbage with ground pork, grated ginger, minced garlic, 2 sliced scallions (both white and green parts), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp rice wine, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp white pepper. Mix until combined and slightly sticky (use chopsticks or a fork, about 30–60 seconds).

Portion filling

Line up the 6 dumpling wrappers. Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon (roughly 12–15 g) of filling in the center of each wrapper.

Fold and seal

Lightly moisten the wrapper edge with water using your fingertip. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and press to seal the center. For a pleated gyoza edge: starting at one side, make 3 small pleats on the top wrapper edge while pressing into the bottom edge to seal, working toward the other side. Ensure there are no air pockets and the seal is tight. Repeat for all 6 gyoza.

Optional short pan-step (helps seal and firm bottom)

Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add gyoza in a single layer, flat side down. Sear 30–45 seconds until bottoms are lightly golden—this step is optional for steamed-only texture but helps keep shape during steaming. Remove immediately and transfer to steamer basket lined with lightly oiled napa cabbage leaves or parchment.

Steaming

Bring about 500 ml water to a boil in a pot or wok with a fitted steamer insert. Reduce to a steady simmer. Arrange the prepared gyoza in a single layer in the steamer lined with the oiled cabbage leaves or parchment to prevent sticking, leaving small gaps between dumplings for steam circulation. Lightly brush or spray the tops with a tiny amount of oil if desired to keep skins glossy.

Cover and steam for 8–10 minutes, until filling reaches 74°C (165°F) and wrappers are translucent and tender. If using thicker wrappers or very cold filling, steam up to 12 minutes. Avoid overcrowding — steam in two batches if necessary.

When done, turn off heat, open lid away from you to avoid hot steam, and carefully transfer gyoza to a serving plate using tongs or a spatula.

Dumpling sauce & finish

While the gyoza steam, combine 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp chili oil, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp sugar in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust — add more chili oil for heat or a splash more vinegar for brightness.

Stir in 1 tbsp finely sliced scallion and 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds if using. Transfer sauce to a small dipping bowl.

Serve 6 steamed gyoza hot with the dipping sauce on the side. Garnish with extra sliced scallion or a light drizzle of chili oil if desired.