Although Singapore is renowned for its diverse food culture, I have heard my own share of voices telling me that our local fare is ‘unauthentic’.
Occasionally, I will hear my Malaysian friends telling me that our ‘Char Kuey Tiao’ never taste as good as their Penang version or our Chinese counterparts proudly displaying their patriotism by saying our food is ‘mixed up’ – the result of the integration of our early immigrant ancestors’ culture with the native’s.
On a more personal note,I admit they never really taste as good as its country of origin but I do acknowledge the fact that our food still taste great, just that it’s on a ‘improvised’ level. π If you are a Singaporean, you will probably know that the truly authentic food never comes cheap. Ever paid a whopping $5 for a plate of Chinese dumplings, commonly known as Jiao Zi, ι₯Ίε or Gyoza in a food center?
The truth is, it is so easy and affordable to make at home that after reading this post you will never ever pay for a plate of this delicacy again. You can even make them in bulk when you have the time and freeze them, only taking them out to boil on those busy weekday nights. I learned this recipe from Dizzy’s mum, a Chinese PRC, who has been making Chinese dumplings for years. So this recipe is definitely ‘authentic’!
Taste great regardless in soup, pan-fried or boiled!
Chinese Dumplings ( Yields 50 )
Ingredients
Chives ιθ – 600 grams
Minced pork – 500 grams
Medium-size shrimps – 25, shelled and devined
Eggs – 2, beaten
Pre-packed Gyoza skin – 3 packs
Light soy sauce – 7 tbsp ( I prefer to have mine light, you can add up to 9 tbsp if you prefer a saltier filling :))
Pepper – 1 tsp
Sesame oil – 3 tbsp
Oil – 1/2 tsp
Directions
1. Heat up a small saucepan. Add oil and spread beaten eggs to form a thin omelette, cook until golden brown, around 1 min. Set aside.
2. Wash chives by rinsing off the dirt and remove the stems. Drain all the rinsing water and chop into small pieces. Place in large mixing bowl.
3. Mince prawns with a cleaver, make sure not to leave any chunks. Place together with chopped chives.
4. Chop the omelette into small pieces after it has cooled down. Combine together with chives/prawns mixture and add in minced pork.
5. Add in light soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil. Use hands or blender to combine all ingredients, making sure everything is integrated.
6. Wrap the dumplings in the gyoza skins. If you need directions to do this, check out this video
7. You can choose to freeze some of them at this point of time. Just remember, when you need to boil them, standby 1 litre of cold water. Once the water is boiling, add the frozen dumplings. Cover and simmer at high heat until water is boiling again. Add in 1/3 of the cold water, cover and repeat the process another 2 times, until you have used up all the cold water. This will ensure your dumplings have completely defrosted and ready to eat or pan-fry once you dish them up!
Enjoy!
Monstrous Appetite 