Description

This recipe guides you through making tender and flavorful steamed dumplings from scratch, including a homemade dough, delicious pork or chicken (or vegetarian tofu) filling, and a tangy dipping sauce. Steamed to perfection, these dumplings offer a classic texture and a well-balanced taste, perfect for an authentic Asian appetizer or main dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Dumpling Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 260 g), plus extra for dusting
¾ cup just-boiled water (very hot, not rolling boil), plus 1–2 tablespoons more as needed
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon neutral oil (optional, helps dough stay supple)

Dumpling Filling

300 g ground round pork or chicken (about 10.5 oz; or firm pressed tofu for vegetarian)
1 cup finely chopped green cabbage or napa cabbage (about 120 g)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (both white and green parts)
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water, if mixture seems too dry

Homemade Dumpling Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (optional)
½ teaspoon finely grated ginger (optional)
1–2 teaspoons chili oil or red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 tablespoon water, to mellow saltiness (optional)

For Steaming and Serving

Neutral oil for greasing steamer or parchment (about 1 teaspoon)
A few napa cabbage leaves or parchment paper (to line steamer)
Extra sliced green onions and sesame seeds (optional garnish)

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Instructions

Make the dumpling dough: In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt and stir briefly. Slowly pour in the just-boiled water while stirring vigorously with chopsticks or a fork until shaggy dough forms. Switch to hands once cool enough and knead for 6–8 minutes on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, lightly oil, cover, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour to relax gluten.
Prepare the cabbage: Finely chop cabbage and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 5–10 minutes to draw out moisture, then squeeze out water firmly over a sink or sieve to avoid watery filling.
Make the filling: Combine ground meat or tofu with squeezed cabbage, green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, oyster or mushroom sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, salt, and cornstarch. Mix vigorously clockwise for 2–3 minutes until mixture feels sticky and springy. Add water gradually if too stiff. Taste by microwaving a small portion and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate covered.
Divide and shape dough: Knead rested dough briefly, roll into a log, cut into two, and then roll one piece into a 1 inch diameter rope. Cut into 20–24 small dough pieces (~10–12 g each). Lightly dust and cover pieces with a damp cloth.
Roll wrappers: Flatten each piece into a small disc and roll into 3-inch thin wrappers with edges thinner than the center. Dust with flour and cover to prevent drying.
Fill and fold dumplings: Place wrapper in non-dominant hand, fill with 1–1½ teaspoons filling. Moisten edges with water if needed. Fold in half, seal center first, then pleat one side to close or simply press edges firmly for no pleat style. Arrange dumplings upright on a floured tray, cover with a damp towel to keep moist.
Prepare steamer: Fill pot or wok with a few inches of water, below steamer basket level. Line basket with napa cabbage leaves or parchment paper, brush lightly with oil.
Steam dumplings: Arrange dumplings in steamer single layer with space. Heat water to strong simmer. Steam fresh pork or chicken dumplings for 8–10 minutes, vegetarian for 6–8 minutes until wrappers look slightly translucent and filling is cooked through. For frozen, steam 10–12 minutes. Let rest covered for 1 minute after steaming before removing lid.
Make dumpling sauce: Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar/honey until dissolved. Add green onion, garlic, ginger, chili oil or flakes. Adjust saltiness by adding water if necessary. Let sit 5–10 minutes to meld flavors.
Serve: Transfer dumplings carefully to plates. Serve with dumpling sauce drizzled on top or in small dipping bowls. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy hot and fresh.

Notes

You can substitute pork with ground chicken or firm pressed tofu for a vegetarian option.
Squeezing water from cabbage is essential to prevent watery filling and soggy dumplings.
Resting the dough relaxes gluten for easier rolling and better texture.
If dough feels dry while rolling wrappers, sprinkle with a bit of water; if sticky, dust with flour.
Use neutral oil to lightly grease steamer liner to avoid sticking without affecting flavor.
Testing a small amount of filling by microwaving ensures correct seasoning before wrapping all dumplings.
Frozen dumplings can be steamed directly without thawing, increasing steaming time to 10–12 minutes.
Adjust the heat level in the dipping sauce with chili oil or red pepper flakes according to preference.