The Chinese have been enjoying dumplings since the days of the Tang Dynasty, and today there are many different types—with each region serving up its own local specialty. I’ve always been partial to jiaozi-style dumplings, which are popular in northern China and served at New Year’s celebrations. I like how they’re typically boiled, because they’re delicious on their own without the added fat from frying (though of course they’re great fried, too!).
For a tried-and-true dumpling recipe, I asked Program Director Maggie Leng, who hails from the dumpling capital of Xian, China. She was happy to comply—and also reminded me that travelers on our China’s Cultural Capitals Escorted Tour can enjoy the real thing at an included dumpling dinner. She says the event is always a highlight for her travelers, so try this recipe at home and find out why.
Pork and Leek Jiaozi Dumplings
To avoid the most difficult aspect of dumpling preparation, use store-bought wrappers, available in Asian grocery stores or sometimes frozen in large supermarkets. (Don’t try to substitute wonton wrappers—they’re the wrong shape and not thick enough.) Once your dumplings are wrapped and sealed, the cooking method is up to you: steamed, pan fried, boiled, or simmered in soup. You can even freeze for later use. We prefer to serve ours with a flavorful dipping sauce—recipe follows.
Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground pork
2 cups leeks, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Napa cabbage, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. corn starch
1 Tbs. soy sauce
Ground pepper, to taste
1 package store-bought Chinese dumpling wrappers
Preparation
- In a food processor, combine pork, vegetables, corn starch, soy sauce, and pepper. Pulse until smooth.
- To fill, use a heaping teaspoon of filling for each dumpling. Place a wrapper in the palm of one hand and place the filling in the center. In China, sealing dumplings can be a complex art, but they taste just fine the easy way:
- Dip your finger in water and run it along the inside edge of your dumpling wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper in half.
- Press the edges tightly together.
- To boil dumplings, cook until dumplings float. To steam, place in a bamboo steamer over boiling water for about 10 minutes. Or shallow fry in oil for about 2 minutes on each side.
Makes about 50 dumplings
Jiaozi Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
Sesame oil to taste
Optional: minced garlic, chili oil, chopped scallions
Stir to combine ingredients and allow sauce to sit at least one hour before serving.
Learn more about our China’s Cultural Capitals vacation, where you’ll sample traditional dumpling recipes during a special included dinner.