Chinese Dumplings{chicken}

Dumplings are what I categorize in the 'labor of love' department. I happen to like and attempt making most Asian food that I come across and tickles my fancy but I've always failed at making the perfect pleats of most dumplings I've tried 🤭.

My children love watching Kung Fu Panda and naturally they want to have a taste of what their funny hero loves eating. Here comes the labor of love; because of them I tried uncountable recipes of dumpling skins and practised making presentable pleats times without number. Still not where I want to be but at least they are not falling apart and looking hideous 🙅🏽‍♀️ A win is a what? A win yep👌🏼

"Most experts believe that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD." I got this from here. 

I can't tell you any more about them other than I love dumplings, my children also do and that's pretty much all that matters to me.

Let's get into the recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/2 small cabbage head finely chopped

1 tablespoon salt (for sweating the cabbage) 

1/2 medium sized onion finely diced

3 medium carrots grated 

1 handful of mushrooms finely chopped 

500g ground chicken 

2 small attarugu finely chopped 

5 garlic cloves finely minced 

A handful of chopped spring onion tops (lawashi) 

Oyster sauce 

Rice vinegar 

Sesame oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch 

1 teaspoon sugar 

Freshly ground white pepper (not optional) 

Mixed spice powder (optional) 

Dumpling skin/wrapper 

PROCEDURE 

1. Put the chopped cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle the salt all over it and mix. Set it aside for 15 to 20minutes. When the time is up you'll find some liquid has leeched out of the cabbage. 

2. Strain the cabbage juice and rinse the cabbage thoroughly. You will have to do this multiple times (at least 4 times) as the cabbage must have absorbed the salt and become too salty. 

Rinse and squeeze out any liquid really well out of the cabbage then put it in a large bowl. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl you put the cabbage in with the exception of the dumpling skins. 

4. Mix the ingredients well with a spoon or your hand, making sure to mix going in a single direction until the ingredients act as a single mass. At this point the mix should be sticky/tacky. 

5. Get the dumpling skin/wrapper and fill it with a heaped teaspoon of your filling and use water dabbed on the edges to help seal it. Keep doing this until you have exhausted your filling mix. 

6. Cook your dumplings by steaming or frying or boiling in water or in broth or soup. 

7. If you are not cooking it then you can freeze these in freezer safe containers or bags and keep in your freezer for up to 2 months. Whenever you want to eat just take out as much as you want and get them straight on your steamer or in hot water or broth and enjoy within minutes. If you want to pan fry or deep fry I advise you let them thaw first. 

That's it on making these little pouches of deliciousness. Breakfast lunch or dinner and in between are all perfect times to eat.

Enjoy 💕

Don't hesitate to leave your comments or questions in the comments section. I'll be sure to answer all. Thank you.