CHINA
Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings)
45 mins
4 persons
Average
It is not without reason that there is a proverb in Chinese that goes: “好吃不如饺子” (Hào chī bùrú jiǎozi). This means: 'Nothing tastes better than jiaozi'. And we very much agree with that! This delicious recipe for jiaozi, Chinese dumplings, is made with half-and-half minced meat, spring onions and Chinese cabbage and is eaten with a homemade dipping sauce. Although it does take a while to fold all the dumplings, it is well worth the effort. Jiaozi are similar to Japanese gyoza, but there are real differences in the ingredients. It is a tradition in China to eat jiaozi around midnight before the Chinese New Year. Some families have the custom of putting a coin in one of the jiaozi. A very happy year awaits the lucky finder.
Preparation
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
Finely chop the Chinese cabbage. Then squeeze out the moisture to prevent the filling from becoming too wet.
Finely chop the ginger and spring onion.
Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the Chinese cabbage, minced meat, ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, sesame oil and some salt to taste.
Mix the ingredients with a spatula while slowly adding the water until smooth.
Step 2. Make the jiaozi
Take a sheet of dough and add the filling in the middle. Brush the edges of the sheet with a little water. Fold the jiaozi in half into a half moon and make nice even folding edges, creating the well-known shape of a jiaozi/gyoza. Press the edges well so that the dumpling remains closed.
Bring plenty of salted water to the boil and cook 5 to 7 jiaozi until they float to the surface (we then briefly fry them in the pan).
Step 3. Make the dip and serve
Finely chop the red pepper and the remaining spring onion and mix it together with the soy sauce and dark vinegar.
Serve the jiaozi with the dip.
Ingredients
Jiaozi:
1 pack of jiaozi or gyoza sheets (300 grams, diameter: 10 cm)
250 grams of half-and-half minced meat
1/2 Chinese cabbage
2 stalks of spring onion
1 egg
1 tbsp sesame oil
100 ml of water
3 cm ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
Dip:
6 tbsp dark vinegar (available at the store, e.g. at the Amazing Oriental )
6 soy sauce
0.5 red pepper
0.5 spring onions
Want to get in the mood? Here a music suggestion!
慢慢吃 Màn màn chī! ('Enjoy your meal!')
