If it’s stuffed/wrapped/bundled with dough – I’m all over it. I’ve never met a dumpling, pierogi, ravioli, or shumai I didn’t like. This is embarrassing, but I don’t allow myself to buy pierogies (Mrs. T’s are my guilty pleasure), because I will eat the entire box in one or two sittings. The last time I got dumplings from my favorite spot in Chinatown, I ate two orders straight to my face. Get the picture?

These are Korean dumplings – they are filled with pork, tofu and kimchi. Don’t let the kimchi scare you, when cooked the pungent flavor mellows and becomes mild. You can cook these any way you like, but I found the combination of steaming and pan frying provides the best texture. If you want to go a healthier route, they are still delicious just steamed.

Ingredients 

 

• 4 scallions, green parts only, chopped 
• 1 tblsp minced ginger
• 3/4 block firm tofu
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles, broken into small pieces then cooked
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup kimchi, chopped finely and slightly drained
• a few squeezes of sriracha hot sauce
• 1 package wonton or gyoza wrappers
• salt
• vegetable or canola oil for frying
  

Using a cheesecloth or paper towels, squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the tofu. In a large bowl combine the scallions, ginger, tofu, pork, noodles, egg, kimchi, sriracha, and a few small pinches of salt. Use your hands to form a small ball of the mixture, about a teaspoon, and place it in the center of the wonton wrapper. Have a small bowl of water at your workspace and wet the outside edges of the wrapper with your finger. Bring the four corners of the wrapper together and pinch the dumpling tightly closed. Keep the filled dumplings covered with a damp paper towel or cloth as you are making them.

Heat a steamer or use a pot of boiling water with a steamer insert and a lid. Steam the dumpling for 5-7 minutes. Have a non-stick pan hot, coated with one tablespoon of oil. From the steamer, use tongs to place the dumplings flat side down in the pan and cook until the bottoms are nicely browned and crisp.

Dipping Sauce

For the dipping sauce I just used ingredients I had on hand: Soy sauce, a dash of hoisin, seasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sriracha, chinese chili garlic sauce, chopped scallions.