Chinese Dumplings

Jiaozi Boiled Dumpling These Chinese dumplings are especially popular during the Chinese New Year season

Ingredients:

Jiaozi dough

3 cups flour

up to 1 1/4 cups cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

300 grams fresh Chinese (Napa) cabbage

1/2 lb ground meat (pork or beef)

1 teaspoon salt

1 TB soy sauce

1/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper, or to taste*

1/2 green onion, minced

2 slices fresh ginger, minced

3 TB sesame oil

Directions: In a large bowl, dissolve the salt into the cold water. Slowly add the water to the flour, stirring to mix, until it forms a dough, adjusting the amount of water or flour as necessary. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.While the dough is resting, prepare the filling ingredients. Add the salt, soy sauce, and white pepper to the meat, stirring in only one direction. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring in the same direction, and mix well. To make the dumpling dough: knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Separate into three equal sections. Shape each section into a cylinder approximately 1-inch in diameter. Cut each section into 20 equal pieces, scoring the dough if necessary. Roll out each piece into a 3 - 3 1/2 inch circle.

To make the dumplings, place a small portion of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder. The recipe should make approximately 60 Chinese dumplings.
To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, giving them a gentle stir so they don't stick together. Bring the water to a boil, and add 1/2 cup of cold water. Cover and repeat. When the dumplings come to a boil for a third time, they are ready. Drain and remove. If desired, they can be pan-fried at this point.Serve with your favorite soy dipping sauce. Jiaozi can be frozen in a sealed plastic bag.