Pan Fried Dumplings with Pork, Shrimp, and Cabbage (Chinese Potstickers)

Tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve. For most Chinese people, it is the time for the whole big families to get together, share happiness, and feast! There are a lot of different kinds of food that are cooked for this festivity, but traditionally there has to be tangerines/oranges, fish, long noodles, sweets, and dumplings; those are simply the symbols of abundance of happiness, prosperity, fortune, and good luck. So here is my way of welcoming the year of the goat, eating lots and lots of dumplings & oranges! It's so easy to make yet so delicious. 

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you who celebrate it, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Makes: 24 dumplings

Ingredients:

1 pack dumpling wrappers (round-shaped) or homemade dumpling wrappers

Oil, for pan-frying

150 ml water, for steaming

Chinese black vinegar or ponzu, for dipping

For the filling:

8 oz ground pork

4 oz shelled and deveined shrimp, cut into small pieces

2 oz cabbage, finely shredded

1 heaping teaspoon grated ginger

1 heaping teaspoon chopped scallion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

3 dashes white pepper

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Prepare the filling by combining all the ingredients together. Use a spoon to mix well.

2. To assemble the dumplings, place a piece of the wrapper on your palm and spoon 1/2 heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the center of the wrapper. Do not overfill.

3. Dip your index finger into a small boil of water and moisten the outer edges of the wrapper.

4. Fold the dumpling to form a half-moon shape and pinch the edges backward to look like a Chinese ingot. Press and seal tightly. Arrange the wrapped dumplings on a plate lined with parchment paper to avoid the dumpling from sticking to the bottom of the plate. Repeat previous steps until the filling is used up.

5. Heat some oil in a small skillet or pan over medium heat. Arrange 8 dumplings on the skillet or pan. Pan-fry the dumplings until the bottom turns light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add 50 ml water to the skillet or pan and turn the heat to high. Cover the skillet or pan with its lid and let steam. Turn the heat back to medium as soon as the water has completely evaporated.

7. Add some oil to the pan again and continue to pan-fry the dumplings until the bottoms turn golden brown and become crispy.

8. Repeat steps 5–7 for the remaining dumplings.

9. Serve the dumplings warm with the dipping sauce of your choice.