Why dumplings? Their crescent shape echoes both the moon and the old gold ingots—so they’re a tasty stand-in for wealth and good fortune. 🌓💰 Lunar New Year shifts with the lunar calendar; for example, the Year of the Dragon in 2024 began on February 10. Celebrate at home with these comforting boiled dumplings (shuijiao), perfect for sharing with family and friends. 🧨
A Beloved Family Tradition 💛
Rich Wang, who moved from Taipei to Chicago at fourteen, calls dumplings a pillar of his family’s New Year table. Years of kitchen training led him to open Minyoli, a homestyle Taiwanese spot in Andersonville. While the debut menu leans into beef noodle soup, he plans to roll out jiaozi later—so you can cook along at home in the meantime. 🍜
Recipe: Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao/水餃) 🥢
Yield: ~4 servings
Good to know: Asian markets often sell coarser-ground pork, which gives the filling a better bite. Store-bought wrappers are absolutely fine if you’re short on time. ⏱️
Ingredients 🛒
Wrappers
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2½ cups all-purpose flour
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¼ tsp salt
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1 cup water
Filling
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12 oz ground/minced pork (about 30% fat)
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1 tbsp minced ginger
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2 tbsp soy sauce
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1 tsp salt
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¼ tsp white pepper
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¼ tsp five-spice powder
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2 tbsp sesame oil
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1 bundle scallions, thinly sliced (whites separated from greens)
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¼ cup water
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1 egg
Step-by-Step 👩🍳
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Make the dough. In a bowl, whisk flour and salt. Stream in water while stirring until it clumps into a ball and the bowl looks clean; knead on the counter ~3 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and rest 1 hour at room temp.
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Mix the filling. In a bowl, combine pork, ginger, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, five-spice, sesame oil, and scallion whites. Gradually stir in the ¼ cup water until absorbed; add the egg and mix until sticky/tacky. Fold in scallion greens gently.
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Form wrappers. Divide rested dough into small pieces; roll into thin rounds (or sheet with a pasta machine, then cut). If using packaged wrappers, keep them covered so they don’t dry out.
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Fill & seal. Place ~1 tbsp filling in the center; moisten edges, fold, and pinch to seal (press out air). Keep finished dumplings on a lightly floured tray.
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Boil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add dumplings without crowding. When the water returns to a boil, lower to a lively simmer and cook ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Drain well and serve hot. 🔥
Freezing & Serving Tips ❄️
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Freeze: After shaping (Step 4), freeze dumplings on a tray until firm; then bag.
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Cook from frozen: Boil about 6½ minutes (no thawing needed).
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Dipping sauce ideas: Try soy + rice vinegar + minced garlic; or black vinegar, a few drops of sesame oil, and chili oil. 🌶️
Nutritional Snapshot (per serving, 4 servings) 📊
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Calories: 290
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Fat: 23 g (Sat 3 g; Trans 0 g; Mono 12 g; Poly 6 g)
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Carbs: 6 g (Fiber 2 g; Sugars 1 g)
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Protein: 19 g
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Sodium: 527 mg
Estimated values; use as a guide, not medical advice.
Extra Helpful Notes & Quick Wins ✅
A juicy filling needs both fat and mixing: a 70/30 lean-to-fat pork blend helps, and stirring until tacky develops myosin for that bouncy, cohesive texture. Letting dough rest relaxes gluten, making wrappers easier to roll thin without springing back. If wrappers feel dry while pleating, a light swipe of water acts like edible glue. 🧂
For doneness, look for plump dumplings with slightly translucent wrappers; one test unit should read 160°F/71°C at the center for ground pork. Leftovers keep up to 2 days chilled or 1–2 months frozen; reheat by re-boiling or pan-frying in a little oil, then steaming with a splash of water and a lid. Want variety? Swap in chopped napa cabbage, shrimp-pork mixes, or go veggie with mushrooms and chives. 🍄🥬
Enjoy your prosperity-packed dumplings—gong xi fa cai! 🐉🥟
