Ever since I had pan fried dumplings at my local Chinese takeout place, I've been hooked. I told myself I would attempt to make them at home, but honestly I was intimidated! The whole folding process looks a little scary... I was thinking it would be a great Purim feast food and promised myself I would work on it. Then...I discovered that there was a folding technique that I was most certainly comfortable with, a triangle! My hands have been folding hamantaschen for the past 30 days at least, so I knew this had to work. I love that it's a ode to Purim, being in the shape of Haman's hat. Now I can have heavenly dumplings, whenever! How amazing does that sound?
What's in these pan fried dumplings?
Dumplings:
- Dumpling wrappers- well first and foremost! I've spotted these dumpling wrappers at a bunch of the local kosher grocery stores in the freezer section.
- Ground beef- I recommend ground beef but you can certainly sub for ground chicken if you prefer.
- Scallions
- Frozen ginger cubes- These are always stocked because they are so convenient! Fresh minced ginger is of course a great substitute!
- Toasted sesame oil
- Salt
Dipping sauce:
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Sugar
- Red pepper flakes - If you like a little spicy kick!
How to make them:
- Soften Wrappers: Remove dumpling wraps from the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature (in the package) to soften for 40-60 minutes.
- Make Filling: Stir together raw beef, ginger, sesame oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined into a smooth and sticky mixture. Stir in scallions.
- Wrap Dumplings: Set aside a small dish of water. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of beef filling onto a single wrapper. Dip finger into water and run it along round edges of wrapper to moisten. Fold the top two sides together and pinch. Fold up the bottom half of the dumpling and pinch again to form a triangle shape. Use more water if needed. Repeat until beef filling is used up. Drape a damp paper towel over the assembled dumplings to avoid drying out.
- Pan Fry: Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Add dumplings to pan in a single layer and cook until browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Pour about 2 tablespoons of water over dumplings and immediately cover with a lid until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Work in batches if the pan cannot fit all simultaneously.
- Combine the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve: Uncover and transfer cooked dumplings to serving plates. I recommend to drizzle a little bit of sauce over the dumplings and reserve the rest with the remaining dipping sauce.
Storing and preparing pan fried dumplings in advance:
Cooked dumplings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat them, re-sear in a skillet with a little oil and water.
Freshly assembled raw dumplings can be cooked right away, or stored in the freezer for several months. Freeze them for up to 3 months by flash freezing on a tray for 1 hour before transferring them to a freezer safe bag. Cook them directly from the freezer using the directions in this recipe, but plan to cook a little longer since they're frozen.
more great Purim party recipes
Irresistible popcorn chicken recipe
Pastrami Tacos with jalapeno sauce
Pan fried dumplings
Ingredients
Method
- Soften Wrappers: Remove dumpling wraps from the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature (in the package) to soften for 40-60 minutes.
- Make Filling: Stir together raw beef, ginger, sesame oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined into a smooth and sticky mixture. Stir in scallions.
- Wrap Dumplings: Set aside a small dish of water. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of beef filling onto a single wrapper. Dip finger into water and run it along round edges of wrapper to moisten. Fold the top two sides together and pinch. Fold up the bottom half of the dumpling and pinch again to form a triangle shape. Use more water if needed. Repeat until beef filling is used up. Drape a damp paper towel over the assembled dumplings to avoid drying out.
- Pan Fry: Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Add dumplings to pan in a single layer and cook until browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Pour about 2 tablespoons of water over dumplings and immediately cover with a lid until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Work in batches if the pan cannot fit all simultaneously.
- Combine the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve: Uncover and transfer cooked dumplings to serving plates. I recommend to drizzle a little bit of sauce over the dumplings and reserve the rest with the remaining dipping sauce.
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