You might recall that just over a month ago, I made my first dumplings.
Well, since that time, my sons have gone mad for them. I walked into the kitchen last Sunday and found that they’d raided the freezer and were boiling some for lunch. And when I say some, I mean sixty dumplings.
Potstickers are delicious, but at the moment, boiled dumplings are all the rage at our house. I mentioned this to a friend, who commented that we were “harnessing our inner Asian” – steamed and fried were nice, she said, but silky boiled ones were the real deal.
As you know, I can’t leave things well enough alone, so I’ve been tweaking my dumpling filling with every batch and have finally come up with a recipe that I’m completely happy with. My sons approve – Small Man said, “the dumplings get better every time you make them, Mum”. Bless him.
- 500g free range pork mince
- 1 small bunch of baby bok choy, finely diced
- small handful of garlic chives, finely chopped
- walnut sized knob of young ginger, peeled and finely diced
- 1 small leek, finely chopped (I use two baby perennial leeks)
- 2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- good pinch of white pepper
- ¼ – ½ cup water
Note: we use bok choy, garlic chives and perennial leeks simply because they’re growing in our backyard. Substitute freely!
Mix all the ingredients together excluding the water and allow the filling to rest covered in the fridge until needed. Before using, stir in the water – start with ¼ cup and gradually add more as needed. The filling will absorb the water – it shouldn’t be wet or sloppy, but it should be slightly loose and easily scoopable.
A suggestion: before I start folding dumplings, I bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. I fill and pleat a single dumpling, then boil it for about 4 minutes until cooked. Then I taste it, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Use whatever wrappers take your fancy – for this batch, I used locally made square wonton wrappers made from egg dough. Moisten the edges of the wrappers with a little water mixed with cornflour to seal. This quantity of filling is sufficient for about 70 dumplings. Pop any uneaten ones into plastic containers and stash them in the freezer – they boil up perfectly from frozen.
Bring a large quantity of water to the boil, then add the wontons gently and boil for 6 – 8 minutes until cooked through and hot in the middle. (Frozen ones take longer to cook – about 10 – 12 minutes. Don’t bother defrosting them first.) Take one out and cut it open to check it’s cooked through. If it is, scoop the rest out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.
Small Man likes dipping his in light soy, Pete adds Lingham’s chilli sauce to his, and Big Boy prefers the soy and ginger dressing that follows.
This sauce was inspired by one from Kylie Kwong’s Simple Chinese Cooking. The original recipe (which can be found here) included coriander and used malt vinegar and spring onions, but I didn’t have any on hand.
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons kecap manis
- 1 tablespoons black rice (Chin Kiang) vinegar
- ½ teaspoon chilli oil
- 2 tablespoons finely diced ginger
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped baby leeks (or spring onion)
- dash of sesame oil
As my sons are eating dumplings at a rapid clip, I seem to spend a lot of time sitting at the dining room table folding them these days (fortunately I find it very enjoyable). It’s definitely worth the effort though, as they can grab a few boxes out of the freezer and feed themselves in less than twenty minutes flat!
Edit: Indu asked me how I folded my wonton dumplings, so I took some photos for her when I made another batch today.
Put a teaspoonful of filling in the centre of a square dumpling wrapper…
Moisten two edges with cornflour slurry, then seal to form a triangle. Press the wrapper together around the filling to exclude the air from the dumpling (or it might burst when boiled)…
Fold the top down a little…
Moisten one corner of the triangle, then grasp both corners…
…and fold them in, overlapping the points and sticking them together…
Check the edges are well sealed and move onto the next one!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I can understand your boys’s love of dumplings!! We call these dumplings ‘wontons’ and I love them in noodle soup with charsui, chinese greens and prawns. My girls and my husband prefer them fried with plum sauce.
There are never any left over!
We call them wontons too, but I use the same filling for both these and my pleated half moon dumplings as well! :) I also often have them in soup for lunch:
I can well understand that your sons are on a dumpling roll! My family would eat them every day! Only problem is that I don’t have so much time to sit and fold. They take awhile to make; but are devoured in just a few minutes
Manuela, that’s so true, they can eat them faster than I can fold them! :)
Absolutely mouth watering Celia. Your boys and Pete are so lucky to have you as their personal chef. :-D
Have a beautiful weekend.
:-) Mandy xo
Thanks darling! I’m just happy to have willing eaters! :)
I think almost anyone would go crazy for these yummy dumplings. I want it too.
Thanks Sadia! I find them very therapeutic to make! :)
Absolutely fantastic. Just done a long bike ride and could do with something like this!
Nick, I thought of you when I made these – I crunched the numbers and they work out at 15c each! When we make them for dinner (we make 20 per person), it costs us just $3 a head. :D
I love dumplings – but have never made them. And that is about to change!! Thanks for posting this!!
I’d never made them until February, and now I can’t stop! Be warned, folding dumplings can get addictive! :)
I shall heed your warning… but sally forth any way !! ; o )
Actually delicious!
Congratulations for your blog :)
Thank you for stopping by! :)
Thank you for the recipe, Celia- these look fantastic. I think I would like to have a stash in the freezer to use for parties along with other finger foods.
How long does it take to fold up 60 of these?
Heidi, I can fold about 70 of these (the wrappers come in packs of 34) in about an hour. I’ve had lots of practice now! :) They’re perfect for parties – yesterday I folded up two packets’ worth and gave half to one neighbour as a birthday present, and took the rest (uncooked) to another neighbour’s house for a party. We boiled them up there! :)
These look really soft. i should also try boiling dumplings. i normally steam them. What kind of folds have you made?I could not make out how you folded the wonton wrappers to get that shape?
I usually fold two shapes – wontons are folded tortellini-style, and round dumplings are pleated into a half-moon. Here’s a photo of the half-moon dumplings, instructions are here:
thanks so much Celia. i appreciate the additional info. !
No problem – I’m making more wontons today, so I’ll take a photo of how I make them if I get a chance!
great thanks! :)
Indu, I’ve updated the post for you with photos! :)
great thanks. I will check it out! thx so much! :)
I love this one! They look perfect.
Cheers Greg, thank you! They’re great fun to make!
My boys aren’t small eaters now Celia, I’m a little nervous of the time when mine are the same age as yours…60 dumplings? I best get folding now.
Brydie, that’s if I leave them unchecked. Usually we cook 20 per person, and it balances out. Having said that, the last time we cooked 100 dumplings (we had our friend Moo visiting), Small Man ate more than his share and then said, “do we have any leftover pasta soup from last night?”. Sigh.. :)
metabolism eh…if only mine worked like it used to ;-)
Salivating for some dumplings dipped in soy.They look great. I am thinking of a fish or prawn version: I suppose I could substitute 500 grs of prawn meat, although the dumplings hen become a little expensive. Or a vego version?
Francesca, wontons are traditionally made with prawn meat. The reason I don’t make them with that is because I want to make a big batch and freeze it, and I can’t buy raw green prawns (big enough to make peeling viable) here that haven’t been frozen on the boat and then defrosted for sale. So I’m reluctant to make them and then refreeze, if that makes sense.
If you click on the link for Kylie Kwong sauce in the post above, her prawn wonton recipe is there as well!
Ah, good point about the prawn meat and freezing issue. Of course, I am thinking that flathead could be nice too but again, the price here in Melbourne has gone trhough the roof for the humble flatty.
I think if you could find some sustainably caught ling fish, it might be very nice – ling is traditionally used in a lot of Chinese dishes.
Celia, would these work with minced chicken or is that straying too far from original?
Madge, go for it! Just test one to make sure it’s cooked through when you’re boiling them.
Oh Celia, how totally yummy! I love that kind of wonton soup… and Peter would love your dumplings! Mmmmmmmmmm.
Lizzy, thanks darling, they’re all made with the same filling, so they’re interchangeable. I’ve folded 250 over the weekend! :D
I love a grateful son – my second told me I could maybe have a café when I grow up cause he likes my cooking.. (If I hit 40 later this year, does that count as grown up?). These look fantastic – we’re in the throes of moving house, but they are top of the list for when we’re settled and no longer eating à la pantry/freezer.
What a good boy.. :) Good luck with the house move, Claire!
Hi Celia, what a lovely comment from small man :) We have just returned from a last minute trip to Canada for my husbands grandmothers funeral, it has been a emotionally and physically exhausting trip. I was just thinking last night that I need some comfort food and for me that is dumplings in soup, my recipe is a fairly basic one and was thinking what could I add then you post your recipe, perfect timing. As I don’t eat pork, going to substitute prawns and make a big batch today. Thank you x
Stefanie, I’m sorry to hear about your loss – I hope your husband and his family are ok. I’d love to know how they go with prawns – must try making them that way!
I’m with everyone else. Your recipe does look yummy. Thanks.
Thanks Mary! :)
They look wonderful Celia, very keen to try them. I do like your inclusion of backyard ingredients too. Have been meaning to try since I read your last recipe but haven’t managed to buy any wrappers yet – I need to venture into a town, one with an Oriental supermarket!
Andrea, we’re so lucky to be able to get them fresh over here, locally made too. There’s a very good supermarket in Bristol, but I’m not sure that’s close to you? Joanna wrote about them in her IMK post. xx
Oh Celia, these are making my mouth water. I don’t blame your boys for going mad over them, but how does one eat 30 dumplings at a go! I wish I had the patience that you have, perhaps one day when my kids are all grown up!
Moya, it has to be seen to be believed! Hope you guys are going well, have to pop in and check out your new shop! :)
You are welcome anytime Celia & apple tea is waiting for you!
Hi Celia, more amazing goodness from your kitchen! I have made the dumpling recipe you posted a month ago twice. They have been really good both times although my pleating/folding is very plain. I look forward to giving your new technique a try too. I hope you are having a lovely weekend x PS I am making your sourdough focaccia today too, have you ever thought about a cook book?
Jane, I’m so glad you like the focaccia and the dumplings – they’re great fun, aren’t they? Your loaf looked amazing – how wonderful to be able to bake it in a woodfired oven!
It’s been a few years since I made dumplings – my son loves them as pot stickers – you have inspired me to make some more. There is a blog called vietworldkitchen.com which is a brilliant resource on this delicious morsel! Thanks for posting this Celia x
A huge ‘thank you’ to you for having mentioned the ‘vietworldkitchen’ link! What a fabulous blog especially since Vietnamese food is the ‘flavour of the past few years’ for me! Subscribed and so looking forwards to it!!
Pleasure!! I absolutely love her and her family recipes. So glad to share the love. I’ve even bought her cookbook which is fab!
Thanks Selma, I’ll check it out! I love Vietnamese food!
Dumplings. One of the BEST foods on the planet. I really should get back in the kitchen & embrace my inner Asian. Lol. Thanks for sharing. :)
Sounds like you’re a very busy girl these days, Anna! So nice to find you again!
Not as nice as it is to find you again. I’ve missed the blogging community very much. :) Happy Wednesday to you.
Thank you, thank you etc :) ! I love making and eating dumplings [and tho’ I like potstickers, feel more virtuous eating these] and am absolutely going to follow your recipe for both sauce and mixture. Am having leek and bok choi stirfried with marinated pork strips for lunch, so you can see the ‘like’ f . . . Only got Kylie Kwong’s ‘China’ so am filing your recipe[s] . . .
Eha, the original Kylie recipe is linked in the post above – she makes a prawn version which sounds very good! :)
The two trays of dumplings are a thing of beauty Celia. I do love wonton soup, I’m sure it must be the Asian equivalent of the Jewish chicken soup. I can imagine dumpling pleating parties. Don’t you think that a kitchen big enough for a kitchen table ( instead of a house big enough for separate rooms for everyone and a media room) is the recipe for a happy family.
Jan, our friend Moo visited from South Australia at the end of last week, and he and I sat at the table on Friday afternoon and folded 100 dumplings. Then we (and Pete and the boys) ate them all for dinner! The next day I folded 70 – 35 for Dredgey’s birthday and 35 for Matilda’s party. Then on Sunday I made 120 more and stocked ours and the neighbours’ freezers! You’re right, it’s quite the communal event! :)
They are so beautiful, Celia! :-) I adore dumplings too but have only ever made them once. You’ve inspired me, especially since I know have bok choy growing in my garden that needs to be used. :-)
Krista, it’s a win win for me – I like making them, and everyone likes eating them! Hope you have fun with yours! :)
Hi Celia, I didn’t like the taste with the malt vinegar; used rice wine vinegar the next time I made the sauce
Elaine, thank you – that saves me going out to buy malt vinegar to try! :)
You are very deft Celia. All my stuffed pasta experiments take me ages because I’m very slow at sealing the shapes neatly. Your half moon dumplings look like Nepalese momos.
Sally, I’ve never heard of a momo! I’m going to google them now, thanks! :)
Hope you can keep ahead of the kids needs in making these delicious dumplings :)
Tandy, I hope so too, but I really don’t mind, I’m just so happy they like them and can feed themselves when I’m not around! :)
Your dumplings / won tons look fab, now you have me craving dumplings… must make them again soon, husband goes crazy for them too. :-)
Saucy, we get a bit sick of bought ones, but no-one ever seems to tire of the homemade variety! :)
Celia your dumplings look great… I enjoyed even your first try, so I think that your son is right, your dumpling are getting better every time you make them!
Thank you! I think I’ve got the recipe right at last, but I still boil one at the beginning of each batch to test for seasoning! :)
When I first read the heading, I thought it would be a recipe for dumplings, as in chicken & dumplings. Funny how our thoughts go certain places automatically. I was pleasantly surprised it was this kind of dumpling, as we LOVE them, but I don’t make them. Will have to change that! :)
Judy, your comment made me smile, as I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken and dumplings! I’ll have to change that too! xx
I totally agree that folding dumplings is very soothing and doable. So pleased you got me into this too! I love the way that if one isn’t quite so, well, you just move on to the next one, and you know that the evidence won’t hang around for all time and you will just get better and better at making them. I have pork waiting for me to mix up a batch and I think some wrappers still. with love, the dumpling acolyte of Bristol xx
I’m so happy to be making dumplings in my kitchen while you’re making them in yours on the other side of the world! I can’t seem to keep up with it all here – I’m perpetually driving to Flemington to buy more wrappers! :)
They look gorgeous Celia dear, we’re all dumpling freaks so it would require a LOT of folding to feed us all! Your sons are lucky you have the time and patience-and manual dexterity- to make such perfect dumplings for them,a true labour of love indeed :) The ginger dipping sauce gets my vote, Kylie is a star indeed xox
Thanks darling. Wish I could find you a gf dumpling wrapper – I keep looking out for them!
Me too!!
So glad they are enjoying them so much! Thanks for the step by step pics! I want to be brave and try some!!!!!!!!
Sandy, there are wonderful versions made with shiitake mushrooms and green veg! Hope you get a chance to give them a go! :)
Where did you find your perennial leeks?! I have been hunting around down here for ages looking for some…I am going to have to try a bit harder methinks ;). Excellent recipe Celia and Steve is going to love this one :)
We’ve had them for years! I believe you can still get them on ebay. Here’s a post I wrote about them ages ago: https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/11/25/perennial-leeks/
Cheers for that Celia. Sometimes it’s hard to get things in Tassie, most of the plant/seed sellers won’t deal with us because of the extra cost involved to shuffle things past customs :(
The children ate dozens of them. There was no talking while this happened. No threats needed to be issued at the commencement of the meal. They did not notice the high vegetable content. They were bowled over by the flavour. As were we, though we had to have bananas after dinner because the children ate more than they should have!
I should have given you more! :)
I can’t believe the boys snaffled 60 dumplings in one go – they must have bottomless bellies Celia!! I like silky boiled dumplings best I think they are the ultimate comfort food.
Nancy, I know. I think I’ll have to portion them out more carefully before I put them in the freezer! :)
Wow! These are so impressive and look absolutely delicious! I have a dumpling craving now! 60 dumplings….how old are your sons? I guess they must be teenagers, judging from their ability to “cook” for themselves and consume large quantities of food!! I wish I could whip up a big batch of delicious dumplings like that! I must try! :-)
Ps curry puffs and dumplings….two of my fave savoury treats!
Jaqi, 21 and 17, so big eaters! :)
I am with you Celia I just love them boiled and they are a fabulous idea to keep in the freezer. It a damn pity I left the dumplings you gave me in the fridge at your house. My mouth is watering for them
If you give me a day’s notice, I’ll make you a stash for the freezer.. xx
Oh, these look soooo good! Thank you for your recipe and folding instructions. We would love these along side a big bowl of soba noodles w/ spicy peanut sauce. I took a class a couple years ago on making these, but haven’t made since, but now you inspired me to make them. Yum!!
Mel, they’re great fun to make – I’m turning out so many of them that I reckon I’m ready for a job at the local dumpling house! Mind you, the women there have to make them standing up.. :)
I bought some wrappers before I left England inspired by your previous posts. Howver, I jsut didn’t have time to make them so when I get back they will be out of the freezer and I’ll be making these!
Chica, hope you enjoy them! On the wrappers we have here, it says that they can be frozen, but then have to used within two days of defrosting.
Good point – will have to check mine out, they were frozen when I bought them so hopefully shoud be ok for a month or so then I’ll make them as soon as I get back there!
Your boys aren’t fools Celia…they keep encouraging you so they’ll get more. Who wouldn’t love these though, they look mouthwatering. I love how you did that nice tutorial of putting them together – I find that very helpful. Do you just bag them up all together to freeze them? Lets say that your boys weren’t raiding the freezer every day, how long do you thing they could be frozen for? I’ve got some surgery coming up and thinking of different things that I could make up for when I get home.
Di, I freeze them uncovered on a parchment lined tray first, then when they’re frozen solid, I put them all into a bag to store (takes less room). I reckon they’d be fine frozen for at least a couple of months if not more, providing the pork mince was really fresh when you made them. I hope the surgery goes ok.. xx
Excellent idea to do it that way. Thank you.
I’ve used wonton wrappers to make tortelloni, Celia, so I’m familiar with the process. Your filling sounds delicious. They went through 60???? Oh, to have that kind of metabolism again! :)
John, I KNOW. 60 dumplings take me an hour to fold, and it takes them 10 minutes to cook, and 2 minutes to eat. :D
Your boys are very Lucky, I think! Thanks for the great tutorial too. 😀
Thanks Sophie! I feel blessed every single day to have them.
;)
OMG , I made these wontons tonight, and put them into wonton soup based soup. They were DELICIOUS. One recipe that I will be keeping!!!! Well done Celia :)
Tracey, I am SO glad to hear that, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know! :)
Celia, we’ve been inspired. have made quite a few batches since we saw your recipe and they go down well for lunch on Saturday. we made the Char sui pork (kylie kwong’s recipe) and that was awesome as well. your posts have been very encouraging. making some more tonight.
Paul, I’m so happy to hear that, thanks for taking the time to let me know! :)
hello Celia from Melbourne..you will be pleased to hear that tonight we are going to our kids next door armed with all the wanton ingredients to pass on all you taught us about making the dumplings!!will let you know how we all go..should be fun!!Thanks for spending time with Les and I in Sydney. xxLove to Pete.
Hello darling Bev! Wasn’t it a fun afternoon, thanks for letting us come over and play! Hope you have a great time with the kids tonight. See you soon! xxx
Great recipe! Thank you. I made these tonight (first attempt at any sort of dumpling) and they worked perfectly. Your instructions were very easy to follow.
Thanks for trying them out and letting me know! :)