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Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)
September 13th, 2009Recipes, Eating Light, Recipes, Japanese Recipes, Recipes51 Comments
I have always liked dumplings—those little dough-wrapped morsels filled with stuffing consists of ground pork, seafood and vegetables—but my appreciation for dumplings deepens and intensifies only in the past few years due to my many trips to Beijing.
Beijing—the culinary capital of Chinese food—is the cradle of some of the best dumplings on earth. Dumplings are much celebrated, if not the building block of northern-style Chinese cooking. In Beijing and the neighboring city of Tianjin, I savored dumplings of varied shapes, forms, with fillings so diverse, complicated, and sometimes bizarre, but never once disappoint in flavor and originality. I eventually become a dumpling buff; I cook and eat everything from the ubiquitous Cantonese dumplings such as har gow and sui mai, Chinese pot stickers and jiaozi, to Japanese gyoza.
Gyoza, the Japanese equivalent of jiaozi, were introduced to Japan after World World II by Japanese soldiers returning form China, according to my friend Andrea Nguyen, who has just recently published her new cookbook “Asian Dumplings.” Gyoza is an essential part of Japanese cuisine: an everyday food consumed as much as sushi or ramen by Japanese people.
My gyoza recipe is adapted from the “Asian Dumplings” cookbook—a tastefully-done and insightful cookbook choked full of mouthwatering dumplings and gorgeous food photography. When it comes to the word “dumplings,” I have always related it to Chinese dumplings, but the cookbook defines it as “savory and sweet dishes that are made from dough balls or small parcels of food encased in pastry, dough, batter, or leaves.” The book even offers a cucur badak recipe, a Malaysian snack filled with shredded coconut and spices. If you love dumplings or wish to learn more about them, get yourself a copy of this cookbook. I salivate and get hungry every time I flip through the pages of this book.
(Click Page 2 for the Gyoza Recipe)
Pages: 1 2
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Looking at your gyozas make me realize that i really need to practice my wrapping techniques! beautiful!
Jen – you are funny. Get those with thicker skin, it helps with the wrapping!
Those gyozas look amazing! I can’t even get the store-bought ones to come out hat perfect let alone homemade!
Alisa – Thanks for your compliment. Store-bought ones are done using a dumpling mold so the pleats / folds are not delicate. ;)
ummm! i need to make these. always loved gyozas but do not enjoy them at home as often as i should! lovely!
Meeta – yes, you should make gyoza at home. Not that hard. :)
Drooling…
LOL. Thanks!
Hubby has been asking to make dumplings like this, next time in the asian shop have to by the wrappers. Looks souper yumm.
Yes, gyoza or dumplings are super yummy. Good luck making them.
Beautiful pictures! The folds on yours are absolutely perfect. Personally, I like my gyoza with more chinese chives (nira) and less napa cabbage (hakusai).
Hi Peter – thanks for your compliment. :) Yes, I prefer chives too.
Gyoza is one of my favs dumplings too.. I love it so much that I can just eat and eat and eat… hehehe.
Your gyosa looks good. Great photos and presentation. Do you have the recipe for xiaolongbao wrappers? Gyoza wrappers are available in the store but never seen xialongbao wrappers. I would like to make some XLB at home if possible.
Great looking Gyoza Bee! Isn’t the Asian Dumplings book fantastic?! I made homemade lumpia wrappers from the book, and they turned out great.
Darling little bundles:)
Love dumplings!! Years ago in Canada, there was a TV add for folding plastic gyoza wrapping gizmos, (three different sizes), where you put the wrapper on the gizmo, add filling, and then just fold the unit (it is hinged) together, and it turns out exceptional dumplings with the dimpled edges. I bought them in a $1 store, for about $1. Going to purchase the Andrea Nguyen “Asian Dumplings” book. Thanks.
Growing up, my friends loved to come over for dinner when my mom was making gyoza. Your recipe sounds pretty close to hers. Nice job with the pleating.
These look beautiful and delicious! I love gyoza. Living in Japan has gotten me completely addicted to these little dumplings. I have tried making my own several times and am still working to get the presentation down. Yours are beautifully done!
You are a master gyoza wrapper! Look at those perfect pleats! Love gyoza :)
Wow. What a great photo!
I absolutely love these, I eat them all the time in Japanese restaurants. I’d love to try the real thing in Japan one day though. Have you ever been?
Andy – http://onceuponathyme.wordpress.com/
Oh my God, look at those magnificent pleats! Your gyozas are perfection!
I’m not a very good dumpling pleater, so I use a little plastic dumpling press that turns out perfect gyoza every time.
Wow-these look almost too neat to eat. Please note I said almost. Great food styling.
I love gyoza and asian meals. What a beautiful picture! I’m glad I found your site.
Emi – thank you and I hope to see you more on Rasa Malaysia.
Hi,
Stumbled on your site while looking for 3 cups chicken recipe. The gyozas look real delicious, will try to make them. May I ask what is napa cabbage?
I have wonton skins in my freezer can i make this with those?
Yes, you can do so with the same fillings. Enjoy!
Thanks for the info, sure i am goann try this.
Thanks for the recipe, but is it possible to brown them on the skillet then put them in the steamer to finish the steaming phase??? I first tasted this while in japan , hubby was in the Air Force. have been in love with them ever since !!!! Please reply cause I want to make these….thanks again
Well, put them in the steamer to steam will be a tad troublesome. This method is the traditional method of making it.
I absolutely like eating gyoza! Unfortunately I can’t seem to find a gyoza wrapper here in Dubai.
Any recipe for the wrapper that can be use for both gyoza and shu mai?
Well, I don’t get the difference between Chinese dumplings and the gyoza. They are like the same thing.
Hi John,
Yes, you are right. Gyoza is basically the Japanese version of Chinese dumplings. In fact, some Japanese dishes are Chinese in origins, for example: yakisoba (fried noodles), karaage, ramen, etc.
I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR A RECIPE FOR THE DOUGH ,CAUSE I CAN’T GET AROUND MUCH DUE TO LEG PAIN.. BUT I DO ALOT OF COOKING PLEASE HELP ME, I LOVE GYOSA…GOT ADDICTED WHILE IN JAPAN :)
I live in Japan mnay years ago and would eat Gyoza on a regular basis.
I have made them in the past but just weren’t the same. This recipe came very close to what I was looking for. I blanched the cabbage instead of the wilting process. I really enjoyed them.
Mmm… looks delish! I am going to try and make them tonight. Lookin’ forward to it!
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These were the best dumplings I have ever had! I have one question though. When I add the water to the pan, it explodes from the water hitting the oil. The oil goes everywhere and even flamed up a little. Am I doing something wrong?
The oil is not supposed to flamed up, perhaps you have too much oil but yes, the water makes the oil splatter.
Bee, I don’t have patience to make my own from scratch nor pan fry. I got it down though by boiling first, then grilling instead of frying which give them nice crispy edges. Yours look perfect.
Sorry for the nitpicking but to most Chinese, Beijing is not really the culinary capital of China. If posed as a question, most Chinese will reply that Canton is the culinary capital of China, where most dishes are known for their delicateness, even though Canton is not a city, rather than a region which includes Guangzhou, Zhuhai..etc. As most would know (I hope), there are many cooking styles in China and Beijing has absorbed much of the other regions’ cooking styles in recent years. The fusion of these styles of cooking meant that most people in the major cities can now taste food from all over China. Jiaozi (known as Gyoza in Japan) though, did originate from the Northern and North-Western part of China (which includes Beijing), and spread into Japan during WWII.
Roughly how many does this make please?
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What’s the difference between Japanese soy sauce and other soy sauces? I have dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce. Thanks!
Just use regular soy sauce.
I have a question, whenever I have had these there is a vinegar sauce that is added to the pot while cooking or after. Do you have the recipe for that? I feel like that is the flavor that makes these pop with flavor when eating them.
I love this recipe. Can you freeze these? How would you cook them straight from the freezer?
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