Home-made Dumplings

Posted byJeanri VersterPosted inRecipes, RecommendedTags:

Dumplings are easier to make than you might think! This recipe will make a small batch – about 12 dumplings. The recipe can easily be doubled to make more servings.

Dumpling Dough
100 g cake flour
2.5 ml salt
75 ml boiling water
5 ml canola or sunflower oil

Dumpling Filling (see variations below)
250 g mince (beef, chicken or pork)
5 ml crushed garlic
5 ml minced ginger
10 ml soy sauce
10 ml chives, snipped into 2 mm sections or finely chopped spring onion

To serve
100 ml soy sauce
spring onion, thinly sliced (optional)

  • To make the dough for the dumplings, combine the cake flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Combine the water and oil in a measuring jug and transfer it to the dry ingredients.
  • Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together in a ball in the bottom of the bowl.
  • Transfer the dough to a smaller bowl, cover the bowl with clingwrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
  • To make the filling, combine the mince, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chives in a mixing bowl and mix well.
  • Place a Wizbake baking sheet on the counter.
  • Sprinkle a little cake flour on the baking sheet and place the dough on it.
  • Form the dough into a sausage that is about 35 cm long and 2 cm in diameter.  
  • Cut the dough sausage in half and cut each half in half again with the back of a butter knife (so that you don’t damage the Wizbake sheet).  
  • Continue in this manner until you have about 12 pieces of dough.  
  • Cover the dough pieces with a clean tea towel to keep them from drying out.
  • Work with one piece of dough at a time and place it with the cut side up on the Wizbake sheet.
  • With floured fingers, flatten the piece of dough with your fingers, then roll it out into a circular shape with a floured rolling pin.
  • Set the dough circle aside and do the same with the rest of the dough circles until you have used up the filling.
  • Peel 1 to 2 carrots with a vegetable peeler and slice them thinly. Set them aside.
  • Place a stainless steel steamer in a large pot and line the steaming basket with a few carrot slices. Placing the dumplings on the carrot slices will ensure that the dumplings don’t stick to the steamer.
  • Cover the pot with the lid and place it on the stove.  Switch the stove on and bring the water to a boil.
  • To fill the dumplings, place a heaped tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the dough circle.  
  • Enclose the filling with the dough and twist the top (see a video on how to do it here).
  • Carefully place the dumplings on top of the carrot slices. 
  • Steamer the dumplings for 8 minutes. Set a timer so that you don’t forget about it!
  • When the timer rings, carefully remove the dumplings from the steaming basket with tongs.  
  • Transfer the dumplings and carrot slices to a serving dish.
  • Serve the dumplings with soy sauce or shop bought dipping sauce, e.g. sweet Thai Chilli sauce, Hoisin sauce, etc.,

2 servings as a light meal or 3 servings as a starter.

Notes
I used a stainless steel steamer to steam the dumplings. A bamboo steamer or an electric steamer can also be used. Even a colander! Just make sure to cover the pot with a lead to keep the steam inside.

All you need for the dumpling dough is four ingredients: cake flour, salt, hot water and vegetable oil.
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix until the dough until it comes together in a ball.
Transfer the dough to a small mixing bowl and wrap with clingwrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a non-stick mat sprinkled with flour and roll into a sausage (about 35 cm).
Cut the dough sausage in half and cut each half in half again.  
Continue in this manner until you have about 12 to 14 pieces of dough.  
Each dough portion should weigh about 15 grams.
Cover the pieces of dough with a clean kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
Work with one piece of dough at a time and place it on the Wizbake sheet. Flatten it with floured fingers before rolling it out.
Roll each piece of dough into a circular shape with a floured rolling pin.
Combine the ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling onto each of the dough circles.
Enclose the filling in the dough so that it looks like little money bags.
Place the carrot slices on the steamer and bring the water to a boil.
Place the dough parcels on the carrot slices.
Cover the pot with a lid and steam the dumplings for 8 minutes.
Transfer the dumplings to a serving dish and serve with soy sauce.