Mandu (Korean dumplings)
User Reviews
4.7
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Servings
8
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks
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Cuisine
Korean
Mandu (Korean dumplings)
Description
Mandu, Korean dumplings, combine a variety of finely chopped veggies like zucchini, cabbage, mushrooms, onion, and scallions with seasoned ground pork and beef. The vegetables are salted beforehand to remove excess water and soften them, ensuring a balanced texture inside the dumplings. The filling includes garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper, which meld together to deepen the flavor. Wrapped carefully in dumpling skins, the mandu are cooked by pan-frying: first crisping the bottoms to a golden brown, then briefly steaming with water in the pan to cook through.
This cooking method delivers a pleasing contrast between the crispy bottom and tender, juicy filling. The included dipping sauce blends soy sauce, vinegar, a touch of sugar, and spices to complement the savory dumplings. Mandu can be stored by freezing; freezing on a tray first prevents sticking, and they can be cooked directly from frozen by adding extra cooking time.
Mandu works well as an appetizer or part of a main meal, offering a savory bite with balanced seasoning and texture. The salted vegetable step is key for preventing sogginess, and the wrapping technique ensures the filling stays secure during cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 dumpling wrappers about 40 pieces, 만두피 (mandu pi
For the filling
- 8 ounces zucchini finely chopped
- 10 ounces green cabbage finely chopped
- 4 ounces mushrooms finely chopped (shiitaki preferably, fresh
- 1/2 onion finely chopped, medium
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 1/2 pound ground pork or other meat if preferred
- 1/4 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ginger or juiced, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to season the filling and more for salting vegetables
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- pinch black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes gochugaru
Instructions
- Finely chop zucchini and cabbage.
- In two separate bowls, generously sprinkle salt over the chopped zucchini and cabbage and set aside (for at least 15 minutes) while preparing other ingredients. (This process will draw out water, soften the texture, and add flavor.) Squeeze out as much water as possible from the salted zucchini and cabbage by hand. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare all the remaining ingredients and add to the mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients well with your hand.
- Place one heaping teaspoonful of the filling on a wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and seal tightly (pushing the air out with your fingers) into a half-moon shape. Repeat this process until all the filling/wrappers are used.
Gun mandu (pan fried)
- Heat the pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the dumplings, making sure they aren’t touching each other. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/3 cup of water to the pan, and cover immediately with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium low, and steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Or cook 2 - 3 minutes on each side over medium heat until golden brown without adding water. If the dumplings are frozen, cook a little longer.
Tuigin mandu (deep-fried dumplings)
- Heat a deep fryer or skillet with about 2-3 inches of canola or vegetable oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry the dumplings for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
Jjin mandu (steamed)
- Steam the dumplings for about 10 minutes in a steamer (12 minutes if frozen). Make sure to line the steamer with a wet cheesecloth or cabbage leaves to prevent the mandu from sticking.
Mul mandu (boiled)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add mandu (stirring gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot) a few at a time, and cook until all of them come up to the surface. Continue to cook for another minute or two.
Notes
- Freeze mandu pieces on a tray without touching each other for about an hour before transferring to a freezer bag to prevent sticking.
- Frozen mandu can be cooked without thawing; just increase the cooking time slightly to ensure thorough heating.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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