Potstickers or dumplings Recipe

How to make it

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• Add boiling water to flour, mix with chopsticks, then add cold water, and knead it very well. Let stand for at least 15 minutes covered with cloth. (This will let the dough glutenize well and become very stretchy.)
• Chop finely shrimp, ginger, and green onion.
• Mix thoroughly shrimp, pork, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and sesame and vegetable oil.
• Cook the cabbage in boiling water about 2 minutes, plunge into cold water, squeeze dry and chopped finely, squeeze dry again, add to meat mixture. In a time crunch, the cooking step can be skipped if the cabbage is quite finely chopped.
• Sprinkle flour over a smooth table surface and rolling pin. Divide out about 1/3 of the dough, taking care to re-cover the rest. Roll as thinly as possible; 1/8 inch is ideal. Using a circular cookie cutter (or drinking glass) about 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) in diameter, cut out dumpling skins. (Don't let them stand for too long; they tend to dry out quickly.)
• Holding a dough circle in your hand, use fingers or a soft brush to brush water around the outer rim. Put about 1 T of filling in the center, then fold into a half-circle, and pinch the edges together. Leave a fingertip-sized opening at each "corner" of the half-circle.
• Heat a flat frying pan, then add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot add enough potstickers to cover the bottom of the pan without overlapping (approx 20 to a 10" pan). Cook on medium heat until bottom is golden (about 1 min). Add 1/4 cup (50 ml) water, and cover the pan quickly, leaving an escape route for the steam. Cook until water has boiled away.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to side of pan and fry another half minute. Remove to a covered pan or bowl; this will keep the potstickers warm. Serve alongside or before Chinese noodles or other dishes, with soy sauce for dipping. This recipe should make about 40 potstickers.
• For Dumplings: Make sure that the dumplings are completely sealed, unlike for potstickers. Boil a pot of water, then add dumplings, wait until it boils, then add 1/2 cup cool water; repeat three times. Dish out dumplings. (I don't like the dumplings as well as the potstickers; they tend to fall apart, and are not so highly flavored. On the other hand, they are far less oily.)