Homemade Chinese Dumplings with Sweet Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Dumpling Wrappers

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/3 tsp salt

Filling

• 1lb cooked ground chicken, beef, pork or turkey
• 5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated
• 3 shallots or small sweet onions, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 egg

Sweet Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar
• squeeze of fresh lime juice (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

Dumpling Dough

1. Mix flour salt and water in a large bowl until you get a smooth dough. You may need to add another splash of water or flour for the right consistency.
2. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
3. Remove the dough to a clean flat surface. Cut it into 20 equal pieces.
4. Pound the dough into small circular discs with your hand and then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a circular wrapper about 3 inches in diameter.
5. Use immediately, or for storage, coat with flour so that they don’t stick together and store in fridge for several days.
6. Prepare a steamer, and then slightly grease your colander.
7. To make your filling: place the first 8 ingredients in a food processor and blend together. You can also do this by hand.
8. Lay out several of your dumpling wrappers on a clean working surface.
9. Prepare a small dish of water to have on hand.
10. Spoon a little of the filling in the middle of each wrapper, then dip your fingers in the water and run them around the outside of the wrapper to moisten it.
11. Bring the sides of the wrapper up over the filling and press together to seal. If it doesn't seal, moisten the edges with a little more water. Pinch along the seal to create a decorative edge. Gently push down on the top of the dumpling so it sits flat.
12. Set the finished dumplings on a plate dusted with a little flour.
13. Repeat with the rest of your filling and wrappers.
14. To steam: place dumplings in steamer and steam on high heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
15. While dumplings are steaming, stir the dipping sauce ingredients together.
16. When dumplings are cooked, remove from the steamer and serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.
17. You can also throw cooked dumplings directly in a hot frying pan, you like them a bit crunchier.