Become a gow gee-whizz with these easy homemade dumplings

Gyoza are dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin dough. Also known as pot stickers, gyoza originated in China (where they are called jiaozi). They are commonly called gow gee, too, from the Cantonese pronunciation.

Dumplings can be boiled (shuǐ jiǎo), steamed (zhēng jiǎo), pan fried (jiān jiǎo), or deep fried (zhá jiǎo), and are traditionally served with a black vinegar or sesame oil dip. They can also be served in a soup (tāng jiǎo).

They are extremely popular in Japan and Korea, and more and more they are becoming a comfort food for many families in the Western world. I personally love making them with my daughter, and this week I'd like to show you the easiest way to make the most delicious dumplings at home for a great winter lunch or dinner.

I always pay my respects to traditional methods of cooking and ingredients from other cultures. This is my version of this delicious dish, understanding that the ingredients are what we can get here in Orange. And assuming that some are far from being traditional.

I love putting in humble good-value ingredients, like economical mince meat. Please embrace this option for your family, especially now with the cost of living getting tighter and tighter. You'll see how everyone loves them, and your pocket will be happier as well.

In terms of filling, today I'm going to talk about pork mince. But it can be easily substituted with any other protein. For example, what about making prawn mince if you are a pescatarian? Regular pork mince is quite accessible in supermarkets, but if you can grind your own meat or ask your local butcher to make it for you, the quality of protein will increase dramatically. 

Don't be scared of making the dough, because you can buy it ready-made (which even many good restaurants do). Allow me to introduce you to a product called Gow Gee pastry, which is extremely easy to use and the result is ten times better than the other ones you usually buy in supermarkets.

My advice is always use a layer of cling wrap or baking paper to lay the pastry wrappers, be quick adding your filling, use water to seal them, then store them… being careful they don't touch each other.

This is one of those weeks where I'm going to share what I do at home, but please adjust it to your liking. Do you like garlic? Add more! Ginger? Don't be shy! Chilli? Go for it! Remember to be creative, and use the herbs from your veggie garden as well.

IMPORTANT: I love this recipe because you can make two packets at once (30 dumplings in each) and divide and freeze them for future lunch or dinner. This will save you heaps of dinner-rush moments and you will be able to feed your family well. A win-win situation in my opinion.

Ingredients x30 dumplings 

2 packs of Gow Gee pastry (x60)

500g pork mince

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely 

1 piece of ginger, chopped finely

1 egg, whole

1 splash soy sauce

Herbs: coriander, or mint, etc.

To make dumplings:

1. In a bowl add mince, chopped garlic, ginger, egg, soy sauce and chopped herbs and mix well.

2. Place the Gow Gee pastry on cling wrap and add a bit of your meat mix in the centre.

3. Using one finger, dip it in water and go around the wrapper. Put the pastry on your hand and close one side to the other. Make sure it is completely closed from one side to the other. 

4. If you want to make it look more fancy there are many ways and techniques. Check on YouTube to see all the different variations.

5. Place on a tray, avoiding them touching each other, and put them in the fridge until you are about to cook them. Or freeze them for future lunch or dinner in the week. 

Method to cook them: boiling.

1. Prepare a large pot with water. Bring to the boil.

2. When the water is boiling, add the dumplings and stir the water in a circular motion with a wooden spoon (that will avoid the dumplings getting stuck)

3. After 5 to 10 minutes, you'll see how they start floating. 

4. Remove them with a perforated kitchen spoon and put them straight to a plate.

5. Add a bit of soy, mix well and serve straight away.

Note: I'm choosing this method of cooking because it's the easiest and healthiest. But it is not the only one. Serve them with a side of garlic white rice or some stir fry veggies to delight your family.

Enjoy! 

Rubén López Mesa

Owner A table of 10

P: 0424 605 158

E: atableof10@gmail.com