Recipes and food from a Hapa household

dumplings are the asian version of ravioli. the possibility of dumpling fillings is endless. this recipe is one of my favorites and it’s from my aunt and uncle.

serving size: 5-8

for filling:
1 lb ground pork (i’ve been told the fattier the better)
2-2 1/2 lbs carrots*, shredded (i like to use the food processor for this)
2 stalks green onions, chopped*
2 cloves garlic*, finely minced
1/2-1 C water*
1 tbsp** soy sauce
salt**
sugar**

for wrapping:
bowl full of water
2-2 1/2 packages of dumpling wrappers

* these are approximate measurements
** this will be added to taste

1. gently saute the carrots in a large skillet over medium-low to low heat until tender. let carrots cool to room temperature.
   note: if the carrots get too dry in the cooking process add a little bit of water. You want the carrots to be tender and moist when done, but not damp.
2. in a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, green onions, carrots, garlic, and soy sauce. stir (i like to use chop sticks b/c it’s easier. if you don’t have chopsticks i would use a spoon or fork).
3. pour a little bit of the water into the mixture. stir until the water is incorporated into the batter. repeat until the batter looks moist.
   note: you might not use all of the water in the recipe. it is better to add less water than needed than more. you do not want the mixture to be so wet that water is coming out of the mixture.
4. add salt and sugar to taste. (to taste the filling, i usually cook a tsp of the filling in the microwave, and then taste.)
5. put about 1 tbsp of the mixture in the center of the wrapper. moisten the outside edge of wrapper, and fold together. make sure the dumpling is sealed tightly, or it will come apart during the cooking process. continue until all the dumplings are wrapped.
   note: the amount of filling will vary according to the wrapper size and/or your own preference. you make like more filling or less for each dumpling. feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
6. fill a large pot 1/2-3/4 full. bring the water to a rolling boil. reduce heat to medium.
7. add enough dumplings to fill the bottom of the pot (less dumplings is better than more when adding). gently stir the dumplings to make sure they aren’t sticking to the pot. let the water come back to a boil, then add 3/4 C of cold water. repeat this two more times. when the water comes to a boil the third time, remove the dumplings from the pot using a slotted spoon. make sure you shake as much water off as possible
8. repeat step 7 until you’ve cooked the amount of dumplings you desire.

you can freeze the uncooked dumplings, but i like to cook all the dumplings at once. if i have any leftovers, i save them so that i can pan-fry them the next day and serve them as potstickers.