Dumplings, also known as potstickers, are traditional fare during Chinese New Year. These tasty little pockets, filled with meat and veggies and doused in a savory sauce, are a fun way for older children to practice their culinary skills—like measuring ingredients, chopping vegetables and handling food safely. Folding up the filled wrappers is an especially entertaining challenge for younger cooks, and the final product tastes delicious!
What You Need:
- 1 lb. ground pork or chicken
- 1 cup napa cabbage, finely shredded
- ¼ c shredded carrots, finely shredded
- ¼ c. mushrooms, finely minced
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1 package square wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil for cooking
What You Do:
- Combine all ingredients except the wrappers and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour some water into a small bowl and set it near your workspace.
- Scoop a spoonful of the mixture onto a wonton wrapper.
- Dip your finger into the bowl of water and trace the edge of the wrapper to wet it.
- Carefully fold the wrapper in half diagonally to form a triangle. Press gently where the edges meet to seal it closed.
- Repeat the process until all the wrappers are filled!
- Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium heat.
- Place the filled dumplings in the pan and cook until they are browned, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs or a spatula to turn the dumplings over and brown the other side.
- While the dumplings are browning, place a vegetable steamer basket inside a pot of water, making sure the water level is below the steamer basket. (A colander resting on the rim of the pot will also work if you do not have a steamer basket.)
- Heat the water until boiling and carefully place a single layer of dumplings in the steamer basket. You may need to steam them in several batches if your steamer basket is small.
- Cover and steam the dumplings until they are soft and the meat is cooked through, about 10-20 minutes.
- Serve with soy sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Serve your dumplings with rice and veggies and you have a complete meal!
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