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How to make great dumpling fillings

Four tasty, moist fillings for homemade dumplings (including vegetarian and vegan versions). The video above the recipe card shows you two examples of how I prepare them.

Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 30 dumplings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For Pork Filling
  • 200 g minced pork 7oz
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper or Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 5 tablespoon water / stock
  • 300 g celery, finely chopped 10oz
  • 2 tablespoon coriander, finely chopped
For Chicken Filling
  • 100 g Shiitake mushrooms soaked & finely chopped, 3.5oz
  • 250 g minced chicken 9oz
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch ground Sichuan pepper or Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 80 g water chestnut, finely chopped 3oz
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
For Vegetarian Egg Filling
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 4 eggs lightly beaten
  • 60 g Chinese chive, finely chopped 2oz
  • 60 g wood ear mushroom (soaked & finely chopped) 2oz
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
For Vegan Tofu Filling
  • 200 g soft tofu 7oz
  • 100 g pak choi 3.5oz
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
  • 80 g carrot, grated 3oz
  • 100 g mung bean vermicelli, soaked & coarsely chopped 3.5oz
  • 1 pinch ground Sichuan pepper or white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

For Pork Dumpling Filling
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place pork in a mixing bowl. Add scallions, ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, Sichuan pepper / five-spice, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil.
  2. Gradually add water to the meat while swirling in one direction until no more liquid can be seen.
  3. Add the remaining salt to the celery then leave to rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid then add to the meat. Mix well with coriander.
For Chicken Dumpling Filling
  1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in water (ideally overnight) then chop into small pieces (remove the stem).
  2. Place chicken in a mixing bowl. Add salt, Sichuan pepper / five-spice and soy sauce.
  3. Gradually add 5 tablespoons of the water in which the mushrooms have been soaked to the meat while swirling in one direction until no more liquid can be seen.
  4. Add chopped mushrooms and water chestnut. Place scallions on top of the mixture. Pour hot oil over then mix well.
For Egg Dumpling Filling (Vegetarian):
  1. Heat up oil in a wok / frying pan. Pour in the egg when the oil smokes. Dish out as soon as there is no more liquid. Coarsely chop when it cools down.
  2. Add Chinese chive, wood ear mushroom, salt and sesame oil. Mix well.
For Tofu Dumpling Filling (Vegan):
  1. Blanch tofu in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and cut into small pieces.
  2. Briefly blanch pak choi then chop small. Add ¼ teaspoon salt. Leave to rest for 10 minutes then squeeze out excess liquid.
  3. Heat up oil in a wok / frying pan. Add scallions, carrot and the remaining salt. Fry until soft.
  4. Put all the ingredients into a bowl then mix well.

Notes

  • Measurement for the dried ingredients: 
  • 25g dried Shiitake mushrooms weight about 100g after soaking
  • 6g dried wood ear mushrooms weight about 60g after soaking
  • 35g dried mung bean vermicelli weight about 100g after soaking