In recent years, there has been a huge proliferation of Dumpling Restaurants around Melbourne.
For a very reasonable price, you could be tempted to an endless number and variety of these bite sized wrapped treats….some meat filled, some vegetarian, some crispy, some soft whilst others juicy and plump. Whichever dumplings takes your fancy… there seems to be a place that can satisfy your craving of any types and tastes.
My most lasting and longing memories of dumplings resides with a little makeshift corner dumpling stall at a street store in Malaysia. The store was part of a larger setup of a Hawker business which I accidentally stumbled upon by its wafting allure…. The owner of the store was a middle aged lady who had in her armoury the barest of supplies…..A box of flour, a container for the meat filling and a small wooden roller. Upon taking an order, she would meticulously roll out these thin pastry wrappers with great dexterity and ease. As she continued to parcel each one up with the filling, pleating the wrapper to give each dumpling its shape and form, she gave before me the picture of all things true to street food : simplistic and honest fare.
She probably had been making and wrapping dumplings all her life.. you could tell it in the creases of her eyes and in the nimbleness of her fingers. I marvelled at the ease of her expertise and longed to emulate the mastery of her dumpling making skills.
The dumplings that she made were ‘Gyoza like’ in appearance, longer in form with a thin crispsy skin. They were delicate to bite and coated in a flourly lattice that made the dumpling even more texturally interesting. Inside, the filling was a smooth mix of meat and ginger, just enough to render a really nice balance. Accompanying the dumplings was a sauce mixed of lime, chilli and garlic that gave a magnificent meld of contrasting flavours.
Dumplings have come to encompass a whole gamut of wonderfully wrapped morsels.. but for me, the pan fried style of dumplings are one of my favourites. Thanks to a great number of well supplied Asian Groceries, we can all have a hand at creating great dumplings at home.
In this Pork and Spinach Dumpling recipe, I have opted to use Wonton Wrappers for the skin rather than the Specialist ‘Gow Gee’ wrappers (especially for dumplings) that you can find in the Asian Supermarkets. I find that the Wonton Wrappers are slightly thinner in texture, therefore are closer to the pastry type that I have been longingly describing above.
The filling is a mix of grounded pork mince, preferably with a bit of fatty meat intact as this will lend to a more smoother and more juicier filling when cooked. Healthier versions can opt for a leaner type of mince but note that the filling may be less smooth. Another tip is to give the mince an extra bash with a pestle or knife just to ensure that the meat has an almost ‘paste like’ consistency for that smooth inner texture.
There are many wonderful ways to eat and enjoy dumplings. For this recipe, I have decided that a dash of vinegar with some more ginger is an equally satisfying accompaniment to savour these pan fried joys.
Try my Pork and Spinach Dumplings recipe.
