Sui Mai (Pork Dumplings)

Here’s a great recipe for the weekend – these little dumplings are delicious and fun to make. They may seem a little bit fiddly the first time you try them, but once you’ve tried them a couple of times, they’re really quite easy.

I usually steam my sui mai, but they are also very good fried. Won ton wrappers are thin dough cut into squares about 10cm across, and can usually be found in the frozen foods section of your supermarket. Sui mai (or Chao Tzu) wrappers are round and also about 10cm across and can be found fresh or frozen in stores specialising in Asian foods.

For 4-6 starter servings:

250g minced pork

1 large egg

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp dry sherry

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaf, optional

1 tsp dark sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

20-30 won tun or sui mai (or chao tzu) wrappers

To serve;

soy sauce

sweet chilli sauce

Combine the eight filling ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place good teaspoon full

(about the size of a small walnut) of the filling in the centre of a wrapper. Gather up the edges, squeezing gently to make a small ‘money bag’ type parcel that is still slightly open on top (see picture).  Repeat until all the filling has been used.

Arrange the completed parcels on steamer trays (they can be close together but not touching), then cover and steam for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is soft and the filling looks cooked and is firm when pressed. Alternatively deep fry, a few at a time, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling feels cooked (as above).

Serve hot (the pastry will dry out if left to stand) as a starter accompanied by small bowls of soy and sweet chilli sauce for dipping, or as part of a buffet.

Photography: Lindsay Keats