How To Make Dumplings

Chinesedumplings have been a tasty treat for thousands of years. There are actually several different types of dumplings––jiaozi (boiled or pan-fried), potstickers (pan-fried then steamed), and gow gees (steamed or deep-fried). You can easily make tasty jiaozi that are either boiled or pan-fried, with just a bit of effort and preparation.

1. Mix the flour, salt, and water in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together until you make a nice, smooth dough. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated. This recipe should make about 20 wrappers.

2. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This can help the ingredients settle together. As you wait for the dough to rest, you can cover the bowl with cling wrap. You can start to make the filling for the dumplings while you wait.

3. Place the dough on a flat surface. A cutting board will work here. Then, cut the dough into about 20 or more equal pieces for the dumplings.

4. Make each circular wrapper. Simply use your hand to pick up each piece of dough and pound it into the board to make a small circular disc. Then, use a rolling pin to smooth out each disc until it's about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. They don't have to all be exactly the same size, but it can help to get them as close to the same size as possible.

5. Store or use the wrappers immediately. You should either fill the wrappers immediately, or you can store them in the fridge to keep them fresh while you make the filling. You can store them for a few days in the fridge, or you can even freeze them to store them long-term. Just make sure to coat them with flour so they don't stick to each other.

6. Buy wrappers if you don't want to make your own. If you don't have the time or energy to make your own wrappers, then you should know that two types of wrappers are readily available in supermarkets and Asian food stores. Wonton wrappers (also called skins) are delicate and paper-thin, usually about a thirty-second of an inch thick. They typically come in three-inch squares and are made from flour, eggs, and salt.

These wrappers, which are Chinese in origin, are suitable for boiling, steaming, deep-frying, and pan-frying.

Troy War-mart and Chinese Store have the wrappers.