Recipe: Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings)

Make 24 potstickers | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground pork
5 medium size shrimp
1 (big) leave napa cabbage (finely cut)
Some chopped cilantro leaves
3 dashes white pepper powder
1 teaspoon shaoxing wine or Japanese sake
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 inches ginger (grated)
1 pack potsticker skin (choose the thickest brand)
Oil for pan-frying
1/2 cup water
Chinese black vinegar or Japanese rice vinegar (for dipping)

For the skin: (to make the skin from scratch)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water

Method:

Mix the flour with water and knead it for about 20-25 minutes or until the dough gets soft. Separate the dough into two equal portions and roll them into cylinders (about 1 inch in diameter). Cover them with wet towel and set aside. To prepare the skin, cut the dough into 1/4 in. length and use a rolling pin to flatten it until it becomes a round skin about 3 inch in diameter.

Combine the ground pork, shrimp, chopped napa cabbage and seasonings together. Set aside.

To make potstickers, place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of the skin. Dab a little water with your finger and circle around the edge of the skin, and then fold and pleat the potsticker accordingly. Repeat the same for the rest. (Please refer to this video or this guide for folding/pleating potstickers.)

To pan fry the potstickers, coat a frying pan with a little cooking oil and turn to medium heat. Place the dumplings on the frying pan and then turn the heat to high. Pan fry the potstickers until the bottoms turn golden brown and crisp. Add the water and cover the frying pan with its lid immediately. Cook until water has evaporated and turn the heat to low. Cook the potstickers for another 2 minutes or so, dish out and serve hot with Chinese black vinegar.

Crab Rangoon 

Makes 20 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 brick (8 oz) Kraft Philadelphia Regular Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2 oz crab meat or 2 sticks imitation crab meat (finely diced)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
20 wonton wrappers
Oil, for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the cream cheese, crab meat, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend well. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Dab some water on the outer edges of the wonton wrapper and fold the two ends of the wrapper together. Fold the other two ends to make a tiny parcel pictured below.  Pinch to seal tight and make sure that there is no leakage.

image: http://rasamalaysia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/crab_rangoon.jpg

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GDz29-MkSoggUQuYI5aOkww_Dqv9V-wH6D32docJbjZlD8sxYYhfsfns2To-21D8-AxWOKhs5lgIIeCDOGfmejIpzJsQ0DqZrQptMm9EKeIWtb81msNO84p28kbVWT_A3wDvh3yxhoi6/s1600/pinterestx1_72.png

Heat up a pot of oil for deep-frying and fry the crab rangoon until golden brown. Dish out with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess oil by laying the crab rangoon on a dish lined with paper towels. Let the crab rangoon cools down a bit before serving them with sweet and sour sauce.

Cook’s Notes:

Use real crab meat if possible. My crab rangoon is based on the version I had in Chinese buffet restaurants, with imitation crab meat.
Don’t serve the crab rangoon immediately after deep-frying as the filling will be too hot!
To make the sweet and sour sauce, please refer to my sweet and sour pork recipe.

Most-Pinned Recipes

Ginger Garlic Baked Chicken

image: http://rasamalaysia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ginger_garlic_baked_chicken.jpg

Read more at http://rasamalaysia.com/crab-rangoon/2/#HOkyqLpxhvscff3r.99

 

Cashew Chicken 

Serves 2 | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 boneless & skinless chicken breast, about 10 oz., cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons oil
5 slices peeled ginger
1 small green bell pepper, about 4 oz., cut into small square pieces
1/4 onion, cut into small square pieces
1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts

Marinade:

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon rice wine, optional

Sauce:

1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 dashes white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine, optional
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15 minutes and then rinse the chicken thoroughly. Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.
2. Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rice wine and corn starch, for 15 minutes.
3. Mix all the Sauce ingredients together and set aside.
4. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
5. Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger slices, bell pepper and onion.
6. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers and add the chicken meat back in.
7. Add in the Sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt to taste, if you like.
8. Add in the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs. Dish out and serve the Cashew Chicken hot with steamed white rice.

Chicken and Broccoli

Chicken and Broccoli Recipe

Serves 3 | Prep Time: 5 Mins | Cook Time: 5 Mins

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1/2 lb. broccoli florets
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3 dashes ground white pepper

Method:

Marinate the chicken with the cornstarch and salt. If the chicken is too dry, add a little water so each piece of the chicken is nicely coated with the cornstarch.

Heat up a pot of water and bring it to boil. Cook the broccoli for 1 minute. Drained and set aside.

Heat up a wok or skillet on high heat, add the oil. When the oil is heated, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic or become light brown. Add the chicken and do a few quick stirs. Add the sauce and turn the heat to low. When the chicken is cooked through, add the broccoli, stir to combine well. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

Don’t overcook the broccoli. The broccoli should be crunchy and have a bit