How To: Make the Perfect Dumpling

Dumpling-making — to me, it is a family tradition, a labor of love, and a symbol of communion. Every Chinese New Year, my family carves out at least half a day to cook dumplings from scratch together. I still remember the days of my 爷爷 [yé yé, meaning grandpa] teaching me to wrap a dumpling, his papery fingers folding over my flour-stained hands in gentle instruction. It is a careful, thorough practice that, for any attempt at perfection, requires attention to detail in making every ingredient and step.

In my family, dumplings — otherwise known as 水餃 [shui jiao]— are always boiled, but there is immense diversity within the dumpling realm; in this article, I aim to share those tips and tricks for dumpling-making that I was taught, that my family learned from experience.

Making the Wrappers:

Although store-bought dumpling dough is wonderfully convenient, the best dumpling wrappers are handmade. The premade ones tend to lack elasticity, which in turn causes the cooked dumpling to lose its supple and springy exterior. Starting from scratch gives you the most control over the ingredients in the dough while allowing you to achieve the best texture — or “口感,” as my family would say.

There are two key components to making good wrappings for dumplings: preparing and properly shaping the dough.

Preparing the Dough — Kneading

Mix cold water and flour, then use the palm of your hand to apply pressure to the dough, kneading repeatedly. This will help create bounciness and elasticity in your dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth to prevent moisture loss and hardening, and let it rest for around half an hour.

Shaping the Dough — Rolling

Roll the dough into a torus (essentially, a donut or loop) of about 2-3 centimeters in diameter, then break the shape into a cylinder and cut it into pieces that are around 2-3 cm in width. For large batches, divide the dough into multiple parts as needed, but remember to keep the dough covered while not in use.

Shape each piece of dough into a ball and flatten it slightly with your hand. Once all of your individual wrappers have achieved this “mini-pancake” state, begin to roll out each piece with a rolling pin, running it over the edges of the dough. Beware of flattening the center of the wrapper too much; ideally, they should be thicker in the middle and grow thinner towards the rim to prevent breakage during the wrapping and cooking process. With each push of the rolling pin, rotate the dough slightly in one direction. The wrapper will naturally assume a round shape and become thinner along the outside. Your ideal wrapping should be around 0.25 cm in thickness at the edges.

Making the Filling

Dumplings are typically stuffed with a combination of meat and one or more types of vegetables, though tofu is one vegetarian variation. My personal favorite filling is pork with Chinese chives (韭菜).

The Meat

The meat should be both fatty and lean for the filling to be juicy and soft. My family usually uses pork belly. For that perfect, tender deliciousness, it is best to mince the meat by hand. Machine mixing will often break the connective tissues in the meat, resulting in a gloppy texture.

The Vegetables

The filling must be fresh, but not too watery — too much moisture can rupture the dough and cause leakage. Before adding your chopped vegetables, keep in mind that vegetables have higher water content. Wrap them in a paper towel and try to squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Mix the filling well so the vegetables are distributed evenly throughout.

The Condiments

Usual suspects are soy sauce, salt, and some type of oil. This step varies with personal taste; as a staunch believer that sesame oil makes everything better, I always add it for a kick of flavor.

Wrapping the Dumplings

The way I have been taught to wrap dumplings does not involve intricate folds or braids — though those could be added afterward — it does the job of sealing the dumpling. First, cup your hand slightly and place the wrapper in the center of your hand. (Be careful not to crush the center.) Horizontally fold and gently squeeze together the two ends of the wrapper that are directly facing each other with the sides of your fingers, the center cupped between your palms. This tightens the wrapper around and centralizes the filling. Make sure that all the edges of the dumpling are sealed. Wrapping tightly leaves no space for water to creep in, retaining the taste and fragrance of the filling while elevating texture. Pretty patterns would definitely enhance visual representation and grant you bragging rights, but it is much more important to make sure the dumplings will stay shut when being boiled. Once wrapped, place the dumplings onto a floured tray, spacing them apart to avoid sticking.

Cooking & Serving

To boil dumplings, fill a large pot with water and wait for it to reach a boil before adding the dumplings. They typically take 12-15 minutes to cook. Throughout this time, add cold water 3-4 times so that the water boils repeatedly.

Stir the Pot:

Stir the pot intermittently, ideally with chopsticks — their length and blunt ends help jostle around the dumplings enough that they do not stick together. Make sure your utensil is touching the bottom of the pot at all times when stirring, otherwise you could accidentally poke a hole in a dumpling. If dumplings break while boiling, much of the taste will be lost as water dilutes the flavor, so it is vital that your dumplings stay intact.

Once finished, load the dumplings onto a plate and serve with vinegar. Make sure to eat while hot; I’ve burned my tongue too many times from eating dumplings fresh out of the pot, and I can’t say I regretted any of them.

In the whirlwind of our daily lives, it may be tempting to turn to takeout; after all, it is only one click away. But if you ever find yourself with time on your hands and a group of people whose companionship you enjoy, dumpling-making would serve as a fun and delicious pastime.