Culture

Dumplings are one of those things that test every ounce of my willpower every single time. How the fuck are they so good? Anyone who says they don’t like dumplings should be charged with treason as far as I am concerned.

I make mine in a bamboo steamer (which you can pick up from Kmart really cheap), but fried dumplings are delicious in their own right.

I’d rate them a solid 7/10 in their hangover curing ability, which follows closely behind chips and gravy.

They are a bit laborious, I must admit. Although the mixture comes together very quickly, and then it’s just a case of putting the mixture in skins. Why not grab ya’ flattie and have an old fashioned bitch at the same time!?

Makes about 20 dumplings (size dependent)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of finely shredded cabbage
• 2 grated carrots
• 150 grams of firm tofu, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon of crushed ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons of dried coriander
• Dumpling skins

Method

1. Shred, grate and dice the first three ingredients and mix together in a bowl
2. Combine everything else (except the dumpling skins, SMH I hope you’re not that thick) in a glass and pour over the mixture
3. Mix everything well
4. Wet the outer rim of the dumpling skin with water and place about a teaspoon of mixture in the middle
5. Fold the dumpling skin over itself and pinch the edges together to create a seal (they should be robust, but not exploding)
6. Repeat and lay them on a chopping board or something similar - don’t let them touch or they might stick

Fried dumplings

1. Panfry in oil for about 4 minutes a side on a medium heat in a decent amount of frying oil

Steamed dumplings

1. Line a bamboo steamer with baking paper and place the dumplings spaced out in a single layer
2. Pour about 3 centimetres of water in a frying pan and bring to a boil
3. Once rolling, add the steamer to the water and cook the dumplings for 3 minutes before alternating the two layers so the bottom layer becomes the top so they cook evenly
4. Cook for a further 4 minutes and serve immediately with soy/hoisin sauce or sesame oil