Recipes
Chinese steamed dumplings
Loved by all, steamed Chinese dumplings are simple to prepare at home. Let's see together how with the original meat recipe.
It's impossible to resist the temptation to order steamed dumplings when dining at a Chinese restaurant . There are different flavors on the menu, but without a doubt the most popular are the meat ravioli, not to mention the beautiful bamboo basket in which they are served!
Preparing homemade steamed Chinese dumplings is possible. You just need to have a little skill in closing them and a little patience to prepare them. Using the bamboo steamer to cook them is not essential, however it will allow you to obtain a flavor as similar to the original as possible.
Ingredients
For the pasta
- Flour 00 – 200 g
- Water – 100 ml
- Fine salt – 1 pinch
For the filling
- Minced pork – 200 g
- Chinese cabbage (or cabbage or cabbage) – 100 g
- Spring onions – 1
- Carrots – 1
- Soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
- Fresh ginger – 1 teaspoon
To serve
- Soy sauce – to taste
Preparation
How to prepare steamed ravioli with the original recipe
First we prepare the dough which will be left to rest: in a bowl mix the flour with the water and a pinch of fine salt . Knead vigorously to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough, then wrap it in cling film and leave to rest for an hour .
In the meantime, dedicate yourself to preparing the filling. Chop the carrot , Chinese cabbage (or cabbage) and spring onion very finely.
Transfer them to a bowl and add the minced pork . Season with fresh ginger and soy sauce . Leave the filling to flavor for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough to obtain a cord of 2 cm in diameter, then cut it into 2 cm pieces . Flatten them first one by one with your hands then, using a small rolling pin, roll them out especially on the edges. In fact, the characteristic of Chinese ravioli is precisely that of being thicker in the center (to withstand cooking and support the filling) and thinner at the edges . If you can't, just roll them out, they will still be excellent.
Place a little filling in the center of each. They must be well filled.
To close the Chinese ravioli, start by creating ruffles only on half of the disk, then close by pressing on the other half and thus obtain the characteristic shape.
Place the Chinese ravioli in a bamboo steamer lined with baking paper or cabbage leaves and steam them for about 15 minutes . Make sure they are well spaced during cooking or they will tend to stick.
Serve the Chinese meat dumplings withsoy sauce or sweet and sour sauce !
Preparing the filling is quite simple also because it does not require cooking. The real pitfall of Chinese ravioli is the closure, so here is a video that shows you how to proceed. Surely everything will be clearer later.
Tips and variations on the steamed ravioli recipe
Steamed meat ravioli are the most classic and traditional, which you can find on the market and in oriental cuisine restaurants . You can close them as you prefer: the shape is not relevant, the most important thing is that it is done in a workmanlike manner (don't worry, a little practice will be enough to acquire manual skills ).
Then there is a variant, also very well known throughout the world: steamed prawn ravioli . To make them, all you have to do is replace the minced pork with high quality raw prawns and then proceed with the original recipe (just remember to chop the prawns with a knife before adding them to the rest of the sauce). We also advise you not to overdo it with the soy sauce , the shellfish has a much more delicate flavor than pork, so it's best not to ruin it with too much sauce. Finally, close the dumpling into a bundle and put it to cook (an idea to emulate Chinese restaurant steam dumplings is to wrap the filling without closing it completely , add a pea to the centre).
Finally, in some versions, the ravioli are made with a mixture of pork and prawn pulp : a particular but appreciated combination.
However, we recommend you also try the steamed vegetable ravioli , perfect for those who follow a vegetarian diet.
Conservation
The ravioli made and cooked following the original recipe can be kept in the refrigerator for about 1 day , inside a container with an airtight lid. From raw, if you have used fresh ingredients, you can freeze them separately in the freezer and then place them all in a freezer bag. We advise you to cook them directly from frozen and, in this case, it is better to opt for boiling .
Origin and history
What not everyone knows is that the origin of Chinese dumplings has little to do with catering. In fact, they were created as a remedy to treat the Chinese population who were victims of a particularly harsh winter. They were invented by Zhang Zhongjing , one of the greatest exponents of Chinese cuisine and author of the "Treatise on febrile illnesses and various illnesses" .
He noticed that the lower segments of the population presented various symptoms of frostbite , especially in the ears. He therefore invented these pasta parcels, filled with meat, chilli pepper and medical herbs, then cooked in broth.
The name was originally jiao-er , meaning magic ear , which later became jiao-zi , the one by which they are still known today. Jiaozi are dim sum , literally straight to the heart, a category of dishes designed to be enjoyed in company and shared in the center of the table.
They are usually served, together with spring rolls , during Chinese New Year and on more important occasions such as weddings and births as they are considered a symbol of good auspiciousness. In fact, their shape resembles that of an ancient coin.
Read also
Chinese New Year at the table: history and culinary traditions to celebrate the lunar year
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