Dumplings from Scratch

Directions

• Weigh out the flour and place it in a mixing bowl. You can measure the flour in cups, but know that it will not be as accurate as weighing, and you may need to adjust the amount of water to get the right consistency.
• Add the water a little at a time while stirring the flour with a wooden spoon. When you have a clumpy dry dough, use your hands to knead it until it comes together in a tight ball.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then, knead the dough for another minute until you have a smooth texture.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, make your filling. For the pork filling, simply mix together the ingredients thoroughly.
• For the vegan filling, put the shredded cabbage into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the salt over it. Use your fingers to rub the salt into the leaves, wilting them. Leave the cabbage to rest for ten minutes. The salt will have pulled some of the moisture from the leaves. You can use your hands to squeeze out the extra moisture.
• Crumble the firm tofu into the cabbage and add the rest of the ingredients, thoroughly combining them. Set the filling in the refrigerator until you are done making the wrappers.
• When the dough is done resting, poke a hole in the center of the ball to create a bagel shape. Slice the bagel into quarters and place three of the sections under a damp towel while you work on the fourth.
• Make it into a six-inch rope and slice the rope into six pieces. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each piece into a flat disk. Dust disks with flour and use a rolling pin to roll each one into a thin circle, about 3” in diameter.
• Dust the wrappers with flour so they don’t stick together, and stack them as you continue this process until all the dough is transformed into 24 wrappers.
• Get a small bowl of water and your filling. Begin assembling the dumplings. Place about 2 tbsp of filling in the center of a wrapper. Dip a finger in the water and dampen the edge of the wrapper.
• Dry your hands and fold the wrapper in half, crimping the edges that meet by making little folds. Gently press the folds with your fingers to seal. Set each dumpling to the side as you continue to assemble all 24 dumplings.
• Make the dumplings in 2 batches of 12. Heat a skillet over a medium flame and grease the pan with sesame oil. Arrange the dumplings so the crimped edge is facing upwards, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crispy.
• Pour about a cup of water into the pan and cover with a lid. Continue to steam the dumplings for another 8-10 minutes. Serve hot with soy sauce for dipping.