The idea to use bean sprouts came from my last trip to Wagamama, in South Colonnade London, where the the gyozas tasted quite a bit like bean sprouts and had the fresh bean sprout crunch. The fresh crunch of the sprouts did not come through in these dumplings though, but may have been because I chopped them too finely. If you don’t like bean sprouts you can use pretty much any vegetable that you have on hand that is fresh.
I usually just buy pre-made wrappers at the grocery store as they are quite a bit of work to make. The filling is quite easy to make though.
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 finely chopped shallots
- 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
- 6 chopped scallions
- 1 large handful of chopped bean sprouts
- 1 large piece of ginger grated
- A few squirts of Shaoxing rice wine
- A few squirts of Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tbsp of Sesame oil
- Kosher Salt + Pepper
Mix everything together until you have a good bind. Place a spoonful of the filling on each of the dumpling wrappers and seal them shut. Once you have assembled enough for a full pan put a little oil in your pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot put the dumplings in and let them fry for 2-3 minutes to get a good caramelization on the bottom. Then pour in enough water to cover the dumplings about half an inch up. Put a lid on the pan and let the dumplings steam for 5 minutes under the lid. Remove cover and let the water eveporate. Serve piping hot.
For the most authentic taste you need an authentic style dipping sauce like the one you can get at Din Tai Fung in Beijing – one of their many locations in Asia. The following
- 2 parts Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 part Soy sauce
- Chili/garlic sauce to taste
- Thinly julliened ginger
Mix up and use as dipping sauce for your fresh-made dumplings.