With the stay at home orders, quarantine has inevitably taught my generation that sometimes doing things the “long way” can be more enjoyable than buying it pre-made. The beginning started with mishaps surrounding avocado buns turned poop emojis and pretzels that never browned.
As July 4th came around for a long weekend during quarantine, I wanted to do something bigger, more exciting. And that’s when I remembered my friend making dumplings with frozen spinach (yay no shredding cabbage) that delivered a moist and tasty result.
I texted my friend Janie, who graciously shared her mom’s recipe (thanks Mama Wang!) and has given me permission to share it on this blog as well.
My roommate and I ended up tripling the recipe, resulting in us using 3.5 wrapper packages (approx 140 dumplings). Our freezer is literally overflowing in dumplings!! Korean dramas and not wrapping with any folds (cough) made the time go by quickly.
If you’re looking for something to do over the weekend, I highly recommend this activity that will be sure to continue to benefit you for the weeks to come! My dumplings made from this recipe turned out delicious, and if I can do it, you can too! If you do try the recipe, be sure to drop a comment below :).
Warning! you will need to do some prep work the night before.
DUMPLING FILLING RECIPE:
(Yields 40-50 dumplings)
1 package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and with the water squeezed out
(you can substitute this with about half a head of napa cabbage, chopped and also with the water squeeze out)
2 pounds of ground pork
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
1 Tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoons of white pepper
2 teaspoons of cooking wine (or any sort of liquor like tequila)
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of chicken broth
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon vegetable or other oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the above ingredients and set for at least 1-2 hours in the fridge (preferably overnight).
After the filling has set, add 1/2-3/4 cup of diced green onions
You can also add the following optional add on ingredients after the meat has set:
1 tablespoon diced ginger or ginger paste/powder
1/2 pound of diced or food processed raw shrimp
1 cup of diced mushrooms (shitake or baby bella work well)
1 teaspoon of Mirin Seasoning
Mix all the ingredients well. If you want to taste the filling for saltiness, you can microwave a small dollop on a plate for 30 seconds, and it will cook enough for you to check if it’s seasoned to your personal taste. If you’re satisfied, then it’s ready for wrapping.
For wrapping the dumplings, you can use store bought wrappers (approximately 1-2 packages) or make your own (here’s a good one).
Storing and Cooking:
If you freeze them, make sure to freeze them spaced out on a tray before putting in a freezer gallon bag.
For cooking, I highly recommend frying since it results in extra crispiness but boiling and steaming work as well!
Theodora Cheng 