Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (韭菜虾饺)
August 8th, 2009 | Chinese, Chinese Recipes, Eating Light | 57 Comments
When it comes to cooking or eating, I am very spontaneous. It’s about what comes to mind at the very moment when I am hungry–a recipe from a cookbook, a mouthwatering picture online, or a sudden craving. These shrimp and chive dumplings were a result of browsing two sinfully delicious posts: Use Real Butter’s chive dumplings and Andrea Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings Cookbook teaser. Those succulent chive and shrimp dumplings had me at first sight.
I was going to make har gow or the ever-popular Cantonese shrimp dumplings but the thought of folding the delicate morsels discouraged me. I decided to make shrimp and chive dumplings (韭菜虾饺), but had no patience making the wheat starch skin from scratch. I wanted my shrimp dumplings and I wanted them pronto; I thought of a way to cheat, which I have seen at a few dim sum restaurants. The answer is wrapping the shrimp dumplings with regular dumpling/potsticker wrappers or wonton skin. I settled on wonton skin…(get shrimp and chive dumplings recipe after the jump)
(Now, what is the technique to make shrimps Chinese-restaurant crunchy–the springy texture and mouth feel as if the shrimps “bounce” in your mouth and “crunch” when you bite into them? A secret that no Chinese chefs would teach you, but I will. Click here to learn all about it.)
Anyway, here is my shrimp and chive dumplings recipe–a popular pan-fried dumpling on dim sum menu. These shrimp and chive dumplings perked me up as soon as I had the first bite, and yes, those shrimps did “crunch” and “bounce” in my mouth and as delicious as the ones served at dim sum restaurants (I am serious!). Click on the image in the gallery above to view complete photoset and also step-by-step picture guide on how to make shrimp and chive dumplings.
Make about 16 dumplings
Ingredients:
12 oz. peeled and deveined shrimps (medium to big size)
1 oz. chives (cut into very short pieces)
1 teaspoon egg white
1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch (菱粉)
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oil
Wonton skin
Some cooking oil for pan-frying
Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
Method:
Clean and rinse the shrimps with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix the soy-vinegar dipping sauce and set aside.
Cut the shrimps into small pieces (about 3-4 pieces per shrimp), add chives and mix well. Marinate the filling with the rest of the ingredients for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Lay a wonton skin on a flat surface. Dab your index finger with some water and trace it along the four outer edges of the wonton skin. Add a teaspoon of the filling and fold the wonton skin towards the middle. Dab some water to the wonton skin to seal tight. The dumplings should look somewhat round. Repeat the same until the filling is used up.
Heat up a pan on medium to low heat and add some oil. Transfer all dumplings into the pan and cover it with its lid. Pan-fry the dumplings on one site until golden brown and then turn over to pan-fry the other site. (Add more oil to the pan if required.) Repeat to make sure that both sites are equally done. Dish out and serve immediately with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
Cook’s Note:
You can use regular potsticker/dumpling wrappers but they are round in shape (hence smaller and harder to fold). If you use wonton skin like I did, buy those wonton skins which are not yellowish, but pale white or grayish white in color.
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Har gow are my absolute favorite dim sum, but like you I don’t usually make them at home because I don’t have the patience to make the rice wrappers. Using gyoza skins or wonton skins is a shortcut I often take, and now I’ll try this shrimp and chive filling the next time I get a craving!
Lydia – cool, yes, you will have to try this at home.
So pretty! I want some!
Hehe, you can make some.
I don’t know how you do it… great post. I would definitely but a cookbook from you if you ever had one.
Trissa – I wish I have a cookbook deal, but not yet. Hopefully it’s something that I will work on one day. ;)
They look so mouth-watering!! I can hear some drumming sounds coming from my stomach. Looking forward to your next post. ;)
LK – you can make some yourself, I am sure your son would love that?
The dark brown background goes so well with the beautifully cooked dumplings.
Thanks Ravenous Couple! It is my wall, haha.
Oh man, I’ve always wanted to make the har gao wrapper here but I can’t seem to find wheat starch anywhere! Anyway, it is my absolute favorite dumpling of all time (and there are a LOT of contenders!)! Good job you’ve done here!
Manggy – I am sure there is wheat starch in PH but might be labeled differently?
My favourite dim sum! I normally have it steamed though. Your pan fried ones look so much better!
Steamed dim sum is nice but pan-fried ones are different and are more addicting. ;)
I just ate and your presentation is just bowling me over. Not the first time your pics have driven me straight to the stove. Very beautiful presentation of one of many favorite dumplings.
Lilian – thanks! :)
Oh my lord I love these! Sadly, I had never even considered using wonton wrappers, but now that you’ve enlightened me I’m making these dumplings all the time…
Laura – I personally don’t like wheat starch skin pan-fried. They are great when steamed so I think wonton wrappers work just fine. :)
This is one of my favorite dumplings, in fact I’m on a dumpling kick. I am looking forward to Andrea Nguyen’s Asian dumpling cookbook!
Veron – me too, can’t wait. Dumplings are so great!
Even though I just came back from a wonderful dim sum lunch and until this moment was firmly convinced I could not eat another bite, one look at those photos convinced me otherwise, they look amazing.
OysterCulture – hah, I am sure you missed out the chive and shrimp dumplings. ;)
These look lovely and delicious…so perfect! I have to manage making my own dim sum one day! Looking forward to your crunchy shrimp techniques!
Joey – I think there is a certain satisfaction in making your own dim sum.
I haven’t been able to find “white” wonton skins, the asian shops usually sell the yellow ones which just isn’t the same. Sigh, I must keep searching in order to try out your simple yet yummy recipe. Wish me luck!
Christine – if you can’t find the white wonton skins, try siu gow wrappers or potsticker wrappers, they work the same.
Thanks for that, I’ll be on the look out!
Sheeesh, I can’t make these at home. No time-not even with the store bought wrappers…..now you have me craving har gao. I will HAVE to go out this week for my dim sum fix. My favourite chinese restaurant thanks you:-)
Well, another excuse to go dim sum. ;)
So tantalizing! Lovely!
Thanks!
That sounds wonderful!!
I have that same green little plate, it’s been featured many times on my blog as well. =)
Oh yeah, that’s such a coincidence. I actually got it from a gift box.
Thank you for sharing all your lovely recipes and wonderful photos! I think I might just make the dumplings this weekend :)) Just a question, can I subsitute the tapioca starch?
Jenny – yes you can but tapioca is to make the shrimp crunchy. Please stay tuned for my follow up post.
This looks yummy!! but too difficult for me to make. You are very talented :)
Candle – nothing is difficult as long as you try. Good luck!
These look fantastic! The golden brown bottom surfaces are perfect.
Yes, and they are yummy with the brown bits. ;)
Bee – How much oil do we use to pan fry these cute, yummy ones ? Half covered ?
I will surely try when I lay my hands on chives.
Cclarice – not too much. Maybe 1 tablespoon to coat your pan. You can add more if too dry. :)
Whoa! Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (韭菜虾饺)!! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by what’s being served at rasamalaysia anymore. My result of being spontaneous is Maggi instant noodles, with egg. Maybe 2 eggs. But this dumplings, will take me plenty of deliberation. Very nice!
Another lovely creation! And the green plate is gorgeous. Where is it from?
When I was in the Washington/EUA, my aunt took me to have lanch at a restaurant that serves dim sum…I was completaly fall in love…this dumpling is very tasteful, wonderful…I bought some ingredient to try made this recipe…here we go :)
Paula – good luck. Do use the technique I share on my new post how to make shrimps crunchy.
I don’t know how I could have possibly missed this post… When I saw the pictures I instantly drooled and thought, “I need to make or get me some of those…”
Looks great, and I hope I get a chance to try it soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe =)
p.s. My search for maltose continues.
Tommy – why don’t you try online stores. I am sure you can find it online?
Why you wouldn;t recomend those yellowish wonton wrap. I made wonton with them once and think they are delicious… any reason not to use for this recipe?
Hi Eve – you can use the yellowish wonton wrap but I personally think that the whiter ones looks better. ;)
This dish is looking very sweet and tasty thanks to share with us this delicious recipe.
That looks so good – I’ll probably try it this weekend.
In the meanwhile, I’m going to be excited about that crunchy shrimp secret.=)
Shing, that’s great. Hopefully you will get to cook Nyonya Food in your kitchen soon.
I like your blog very much, and sometimes I do cook some of the recipes you tell us about. Those dumplings become a post on my blog, describing the process of making and eating them (the last was the best part). Thanks for the recipes and the wonderful photos
Hi Bee, thanks for the recipe. My husband and I used your recipe to make dumplings together last weekend, and we loved them! By the way, great job on the Nonya blog – my mum is a Nonya from Malacca and it’s great to be able to acquaint myself with the gorgeous cuisine through your site from Tokyo :)
Your photographs are to die for…..I am so glad I found your website. Easy recipes to follow and the pictures are worth a thousand words.