DIY Japanese dumplings

If you're a reader of this blog you will know I love to make things! Whether it's sewing, printing, or even cooking it doesn't matter!

I wanted to share with you how I make Gyoza - A Japanese style dumpling
They're so delicious, and everybody LOVES it when I make them, they don't last long!

So I don't tend to measure anything when I cook, I'm more of a throw it in kind of girl, I have attempted to do some rough quantities for the purpose of this post, but I recommend following your nose - just do what you think - it will be fine!

You will need:
- 400-500gm of chicken mince (or pork if you prefer)
- dumpling pastries (from your Asian grocer in the fridge section)
- a ginger root
- a pack of shitake mushrooms
- a bunch of chives
- salt and pepper to taste
- white vinegar



Chop up the chives, mushrooms and most of the ginger root, (just save a piece approximately 2cm square for later) and mix them in with the raw chicken mince, add salt and pepper if you wish.


Preparation:
1. spoon a small amount of the raw meat mixture into the centre of a dumpling pastry
2. brush milk around the edge of the pastry
3. fold pastry in half - enclosing the meat mixture
4. pinch pastry together at one end
5. working your way from one side to the other, make small folds pinching the pastry edges together
6. finish folding your pastry

Repeat these steps until you've used up all of your mixture (around 60 dumplings)
Now for the cooking!
1. Heat oil in the pan
2. Once pan is really hot, place dumplings in the pan flat side down
3. Cook until bottoms are golden brown
4. Pour hot water into the pan
5. Quickly place lid (with vent open) on pan to steam dumplings
6. After 3-4 minutes they're ready to serve!


The dipping sauce:
chop up the small amount of ginger left aside and soak it in a small cup of white vinegar.



Enjoy!
Xx