Dumplings Jiaozi Poached Dumplings Recipe

Sift the flour into a bowl, slowly pour in the water and mix to a firm dough. Knead until smooth and soft, then cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 25-30 minutes.

Separate the Chinese cabbage and blanch in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Drain, finely chop, then mix with the rest of the ingredients to make the filling.

Lightly dust a work surface with dry flour. Knead and roll the dough into a long sausage about 1 inch in diameter. Cut the sausage into 80-90 small pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand, then use a rolling pin to rollout each piece into a thin circle about 2 1/2-inches in diameter.

Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Fold into a semi-circle, and pinch the edges firmly so that the dumpling is tightly sealed. Place the dumplings on a tray lightly dusted with dry flour, and cover with a damp cloth until ready for cooking. (Any uncooked dumplings should be frozen rather than refrigerated.)

Bring 1 quart (32 oz.) water to a rolling boil, and drop in about 20 dumplings, one by one. Stir gently with chopsticks to prevent them sticking together. Cover and bring back to the boil. Uncover and add about 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz.) cold water, then bring back to the boil once more (uncovered). Repeat this process twice more. Remove and drain the dumplings, and serve hot with a dipping sauce.

Dumplings (Jiaozi)

Poached Dumplings Recipe from: The Chinese Kitchen by Deh-Ta Hsiung