Dumplings Recipe

I learned to make dumplings from my grandmother’s neighbor in Queens – she’d invite the whole building over for dumpling-folding parties. Twenty years later, I still hear her voice saying “not too much filling!” every time I make these.

The real magic of dumplings isn’t just in eating them – it’s in the rhythm you develop while making them. First few might look rough, but by dumpling number 20, your hands just know what to do.

These aren’t the fussy, Instagram-perfect dumplings you’ll see in restaurants. They’re honest, homestyle pockets of joy that taste exactly like the ones we’d make on those Sunday afternoons in that tiny kitchen.

What You’ll Need

For the dumplings:

• ¾ pound ground pork
• 3.5 ounces (1 cup) finely chopped cabbage
• 2.5 ounces (¾ cup) Asian chives or green onion
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 2½ Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 40 round dumpling wrappers

For the sauce:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 minced garlic clove
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Green onions & sesame seeds (optional)

For cooking:

• 2 Tablespoons oil
• ½ cup water

Steps

1. Start with the sauce: Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes, cooking just until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove from heat, stir in remaining sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. Mix filling ingredients in a large bowl, stirring vigorously until it becomes paste-like (about 3-4 minutes). Let rest 15 minutes.
3. Place 1-1½ tablespoons filling in each wrapper’s center. Wet edges with water, fold into half-moons, and pinch edges to seal.
4. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high. Arrange 12-15 dumplings without crowding.
5. Add water, cover immediately. Steam 6 minutes until water evaporates.
6. Uncover and cook 1-2 minutes more until bottoms are golden and crispy.

Substitutions That Actually Work

• Ground chicken for pork (add 1 tablespoon oil to maintain juiciness)
• Napa cabbage for regular cabbage (reduce water by 1 tablespoon)
• Regular chives for Chinese chives (add 1 small minced garlic clove)

Making It Diabetes-Friendly

• Use ground turkey instead of pork (saves 4g carbs per serving)
• Replace regular wrappers with thin cabbage leaves
• Cut sugar in dipping sauce to ½ teaspoon, replace with 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• Add extra ginger to enhance flavor without adding carbs

Tips & Storage

• Freeze uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags (keeps 3 months)
• Cook frozen dumplings directly from frozen, adding 2 extra minutes to steam time
• Leftover cooked dumplings keep 2 days refrigerated – reheat in pan with splash of water
• Make filling up to 24 hours ahead, store covered in fridge