Dumplings are practically their own food group in Chinese households. They’re the perfect meal for any time of day––breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re also incredibly versatile, ready to become an after school snack, quick breakfast, party appetizer, or lazy weeknight dinner.
As for the filling, the sky’s truly the limit! Vegetable dumplings with a mixture of cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms are a healthy and delicious option. You can also create your own meat/vegetable mixture with any combination of ground pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, and vegetables like Chinese garlic chives and baby bok choy.
In this post, we’ll show you how to fold perfectly pleated dumplings that rival the restaurants, and how to steam them to perfection, so the flavor of the filling really shines through!
How to fold and steam homemade chinese dumplings
With these simple steps and a little practice, you'll be well on your way to making homemade steamed dumplings whenever you like!
How to fold dumplings
Folding dumplings takes a bit of practice, but with just a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it. Here’s how to do it:
-
1Dip your finger in a bowl of clean water, and moisten the outer edges of the circular dumpling wrapper.
-
2Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the circle.
-
3Fold the circle in half around the filling, and pinch the wrapper together at one end (left or right, doesn’t matter).
-
4Take the side of the dumpling wrapper facing away from you, and pleat it towards the corner you’ve already sealed.
-
5Keep pleating in that direction, until you’ve sealed the dumpling completely. Press the pleats together to make sure the dumplings are well-sealed; you may have to dab a bit of water on the creases to ensure the pleats are fully sealed.
And that's it!
How to steam dumplings
To properly steam dumplings, you'll need:
A bamboo steamer and wok, or multi-tiered metal steamer and Kana perforated parchment paper liners.
A bamboo steamer and wok, or multi-tiered metal steamer and Kana perforated parchment paper liners.
- Fill a wok (with lid) or metal steamer with water.
- If using a wok with a bamboo steamer, make sure there’s enough water in the wok to come up the sides of the steamer about 1 cm, to prevent scorching. If using a metal steamer or pan/steam rack set-up, just make sure there’s enough water to simmer for 10 minutes without drying out. Make sure the water isn’t high enough to touch the dumplings during steaming.
- Line your steamer with a non-stick liner like Kana parchment paper liners to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the basket.
- Place the dumplings about 1-inch apart, giving them some room to expand.
- Bring the water in your steamer to a boil. Once boiling, place the dumplings in, cover, and steam on medium high heat for 8-10 minutes. (8 minutes for fresh dumplings, 10 minutes for frozen dumplings.)
- Make sure the water is at a simmer and generating steam, but not boiling high enough such that the water bubbles up and touches the dumplings in the steamer.
Sarah Leung is one of the family of four bloggers behind The Woks of Life, an award-winning cross-generational food blog. Since 2013, millions of readers have visited The Woks of Life for authentic Chinese recipes––both traditional and reinvented. Winner of Saveur Magazine’s editor’s and reader’s choice food blog awards, the blog has been featured on Yahoo, AOL Lifestyle, Saveur, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Today.com, The Kitchn, and other media outlets.
Parchment Paper
Make something delicious
Keep exploring
Recyclable, compostable, biodegradable: what's the difference?
Having a good handle on what’s recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable is just one way you can set yourself up to make decisions that are good for you and the planet.
6 top tips on beginning your composting journey
Composting at home has become a great way to fertilize your garden while cutting down what goes into landfills. Here’s a quick guide and six tips to get you started on composting. It’s easier than you think.
Kana Parchment Paper is PEFC-Certified - here's what that means
Supporting sustainable forestry is a powerful way we can all work to revitalize the Earth's forests after decades of destruction.
3 ways to a healthier kitchen with Parchment Paper
With its nonstick, heat-resistant and greaseproof surface, parchment paper is a must-have for cooks who crave a healthier kitchen.
Essential items for your eco-friendly kitchen
The kitchen is a great place to start when moving toward a more eco-friendly home. Here are some kitchen essentials you can easily make eco-friendly swaps for today.
Parchment Paper versus Wax Paper: what’s the difference?
They’re both non-stick, greaseproof, and you can find them side-by-side on supermarket shelves. So when it comes down to it - what is the difference between parchment paper and wax paper?
Celebrating women’s contribution to food history
Throughout history, women have been at the forefront of changing the way we look at food. From inventing the modern cooking show to coining the term “stir fry”, here are five women who have helped broaden the way we see and prepare food.
How to get your garden ready for spring
By April spring is in full swing and it’s the perfect time of year to start planning your garden. So while the April showers come down, get started with these simple steps that will help put a smile on your face as you watch your garden come together.
5 sustainable foods to cook for an eco-friendly kitchen
Cooking with these environmentally-friendly ingredients is a simple way you can reduce the carbon footprint of your kitchen today.
Gluten free pantry essentials to always have on hand
Having a well-stocked pantry is the key to successful gluten free cooking and baking.
5 successful strategies when cooking for large families
Mealtime doesn’t need to be stressful just because you have a lot of mouths to feed. Here are some simple strategies to decrease the time you spend preparing and cooking meals, and keep everyone (relatively) happy and complaint-free at the dinner table.
3 ways to cook turkey this holiday season
Turkey dinner is a steadfast tradition for many of us during the Holidays. From the benefits of brining to thinking twice about basting, here are three great ways to cook your turkey as part of a festive feast.
Kana Parchment Paper is PEFC-Certified - here's what that means
Supporting sustainable forestry is a powerful way we can all work to revitalize the Earth's forests after decades of destruction.
3 ways to a healthier kitchen with Parchment Paper
With its nonstick, heat-resistant and greaseproof surface, parchment paper is a must-have for cooks who crave a healthier kitchen.
Essential items for your eco-friendly kitchen
The kitchen is a great place to start when moving toward a more eco-friendly home. Here are some kitchen essentials you can easily make eco-friendly swaps for today.
The proof is in the... proofing
The proofing process is an essential part of baking yeast-leavened goodies. Without it, you'll end up with a sad, flat pancake instead of that beautiful bread loaf you were hoping for. Yes, it takes some time to perfect the process, but once you've got it, you too can experience freshly-baked bread and pastries at home.
Proper proofing: how to work with yeast doughs
The most important technique to master when learning how to make bread and other yeasted treats is proofing, where all the rising happens. Today we’re going to learn how to proof bread dough for the best homemade loaves!
Lamination: the key is in the layers
You may have seen the term “lamination” in a bread recipe, but do you know what it means and how to do it? Today we’re peeling back the layer of mystery surrounding lamination in a recipe.
Kana Parchment Paper is PEFC-Certified - here's what that means
Supporting sustainable forestry is a powerful way we can all work to revitalize the Earth's forests after decades of destruction.
3 ways to a healthier kitchen with Parchment Paper
With its nonstick, heat-resistant and greaseproof surface, parchment paper is a must-have for cooks who crave a healthier kitchen.
Parchment Paper versus Wax Paper: what’s the difference?
They’re both non-stick, greaseproof, and you can find them side-by-side on supermarket shelves. So when it comes down to it - what is the difference between parchment paper and wax paper?
Can you use Parchment Paper in cast iron cookware?
Cast-iron cookware has become such a kitchen staple thanks in large part to its versatility and style. If you’re after a way to make it even easier to cook with your Dutch oven or skillet, look no further than a simple piece of parchment paper.
Can you use Parchment Paper in an air fryer?
Lining your air fryer with parchment paper is the best way to keep your appliance clean and your food delicious.
Is Parchment Paper safe to cook with?
Parchment paper is a wonderfully convenient tool to have in your kitchen. Here, we address some of the major worries people have about cooking with parchment paper.
SHARE
