Pork Dumpling with Napa Cabbage (猪肉白菜水饺)

Make the dough

1. In a mixing bowl, add water to flour gradually. Mix with chopsticks/spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Combine and knead into a dough. 
2. Leave to rest (covered) for 10 minutes then knead again until smooth.
3. Cover and rest the dough again for 30-60 minutes until it becomes soft (Chinese cooks would say “as soft as an earlobe”).
4. If using a machine: Add flour and water into the mixing bowl. Knead on low speed for 8 minutes or so until smooth. Cover and rest for 30-60 minutes.

Mix the filling

1. Cut Napa cabbage into thin slices then cut across again into tiny pieces. Put minced cabbage into a colander then add salt. Mix well and leave to rest for 10 mins or so (place the colander in a sink or over a plate to collect extracted water).
2. Add minced pork, scallions, ginger, light soy sauce and ground Sichuan pepper to a mixing bowl. Mince rehydrated dried shrimp. Add it to the meat, along with the water in which it was soaked. Stir until the liquid is fully absorbed by the meat.
3. Use your hands to squeeze the cabbage in batches to remove any water extracted by the salt. Then put into the bowl. Add sesame oil and mix to combine. 

Roll the wrappers

1. Divide the dough into three parts. Roll one part into a rope then cut into 10 equal sections (cover the rest to avoid drying out).
2. Press each piece into a small disc with the palm of your hand. Use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thin disc (Please refer to the tutorial video below). Dust with flour if it sticks. Repeat to finished the rest of the dough.

Assemble the dumplings

1. Place a spoonful of filling on the wrapper. Seal the wrapper using the technique you're most comfortable with. Please refer to the tutorial video below or the methods demonstrated in "Ten Ways to Fold Dumplings".

Boil the dumplings

1. Bring a pot of water to a full boil over high heat. Gently slide in the dumplings (cook in two batches if using a small pot). Push them around with the back of a spoon to avoid sticking. Cover with a lid.
2. When the water comes back to a full boil, add about 120 ml (½ cup) of cold water then cover.
3. Repeat the procedure another two times. When fully cooked, the dumplings should be plump and floating on the surface.
4. Transfer the dumplings to a colander. Briefly rinse under tap water (make sure it’s drinkable water). Drain and serve immediately.

Serve the dumplings

1. Serve the dumplings warm with a mixture of homemade chili oil and black rice vinegar. Or read Six Dumpling Sauces for more inspirations.

Freeze uncooked dumplings

1. Place assembled, uncooked dumplings on a tray lined with parchment paper (or dusted with flour). Put into the freezer.
2. Once completely frozen, transfer them into an airtight plastic bag/container. Use within three months.

Cook frozen dumplings

1. No need to defrost before cooking. Follow the boiling instructions explained above.