Gyoza - Japanese Dumplings

Gyoza - Japanese Dumplings

Gyoza is originally a Chinese dish, which has become very popular across Japan. 
In China dumplings are usually eaten either steamed, fried or in a soup. Japanese gyoza, however, are usually fried and then steamed. There are many kinds of fillings used, e.g. with different seafood instead of the meat, other vegetable, etc. Actually, I had my first Gyoza, exactly the way I have mentioned here. I liked it so much that I adopted the Pork Gyoza. You can use different fillings, as per your choice and enjoy.

Preparation Time :  10 Minutes
Cooking Time      :  30 Minutes
Difficulty              :  Medium
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

Dough:

200 grams  Flour

170 mils water

Filling:

200 g ground pork

Cabbage

Nira*: can be substituted by leek or green onion

Garlic

Ginger

Sake*

Soy sauce,

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Sesame oil

Dipping Sauce:

• Soy Sauce
• Vinegar

                                    Courtsy : flickriver.com

 

Method :

Dough:

1) Mix the water and the flour to a dough that should not be sticky but as soft as an ear lobe.   2) Put a wet towel over the dough, and let it stand for several minutes.  3) Separate the dough in 30 pieces, and form each of them to very thin discs with a diameter of about 10 cm. The middle of each disc should be a little bit thicker than the edge.  Filling: 4) Cut some green, outer cabbage leaves, some green onion (or leek), nira, ginger, and garlic in very small pieces. The amount of these ingredients should equal the amount of meat.  5) Put some salt on the cabbage, and let it stand for five minutes. Then press the water out of the cabbage pieces. 6) Mix the cabbage, green onion (or leek), nira, ginger, garlic, and the ground pork all together, and add some salt, pepper, soy sauce, sake, and sesame oil. 7) Mix it all very well and set aside.

 

Making and frying the Gyoza:

 

  8) Put some of the filling onto a piece of dough. Remember that the filling should suffice for 30 gyoza pieces.

 9) Moisten the edge of the dough with water. Moisten only a semicircle, not all the way around.

10) Close the gyoza. While closing it, fold the edge about 6 times as shown on the image.

 11) Heat a wok on medium high flame. Once it's hot add 4 tablespoons of oil.

 12) Turn the wok till the sides are well covered by oil.

 13) Now arrange the Gyozas on the well heated oil. Fry the Gyoza until the bottom is brownish.

 14) Shimmer the flame and add water so that the gyoza are in the water with about half of their height. 

 15) Turn the heat high and wait until all the water has vaporised. Then remove the gyoza from the heat.

Dipping sauce:  16) Mix the same amounts of soy sauce and vinegar together in a clean bowl and set aside.

Serving and eating:  17) Eat gyoza pieces after dipping them in the dipping sauce.

* Note :  Nira :

This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities. You can substitute it with Leeks or Green Onions, otherwise.

 

 
 

 Gyoza, worldindiankitchen