Chinese Dumplings for Lunar New Year

Dumplings 饺子jiǎozi are a staple in Chinese cuisine, but with Spring Festival 春节chūnjié coming up, they are even more symbolic. Because of the crescent and plump shape, dumplings look very similar to the gold ingots historically used for currency. So, during Chinese New Year, Chinese people will eat dumplings because they represent wealth for the coming year. Plus, they are delicious.

With Lunar New Year coming up, here is a recipe for 50 Chinese Leek and Pork Dumplings 猪肉韭菜饺子zhūròu jiǔcài jiǎozi.

Chinese Leek and Pork Dumplings: 猪肉韭菜饺子

Preparation time: 1-2 hours

For 4 people

Ingredients (材料 cáiliào):

Flour (1kg)
Minced pork (500g)
Chinese leek (500g)
Ginger (100g)
Soy sauce (4 tablespoons)
Salt (1 tablespoon)
Sugar (2 tablespoons)
Cooking oil (3 tablespoons)
MSG (3 tablespoons) [optional]

面粉 (2斤) miànfěn (liǎng jīn)
猪肉碎 (1斤) zhūròu suì (yī jīn)
韭菜 (1斤) jiǔcài (yī jīn)
姜 (100克) jiāng (yībǎi kè)
酱油 (4勺) jiàngyóu (sì sháo)
盐 (1勺) yán (yī sháo)
糖 (2勺) táng (liǎng sháo)
调和油 (3勺) tiáohéyóu (sān sháo)
味精 (3勺) wèijīng (sān sháo) [可选 kěxuǎn]

You’ll also need a rolling pin 擀面杖 gǎnmiànzhàng!

Instructions (做法步骤 zuòfǎ bùzhòu):

Dough (面团 miàntuán):

1. 首先shǒuxiān把bǎ面团miàntuán准备zhǔnbèi好hǎo。将jiāng面粉miànfěn放fàng入rù碗wǎn里lǐ，加jiā入rù1/3sān fēn zhī yī的de水shuǐ。揉róu到dào面粉miànfěn柔软róuruǎn，而且érqiě不bù粘手zhānshōu。这个zhège揉面róumiàn的de步骤bùzhòu叫做jiàozuò”和面”“huómiàn”。

Translation. Let’s start by preparing the dough. In a large bowl, put the flour and add ⅓ of water. Knead the dough with your hands until it combines to a smooth non-sticking dough. The action of kneading the dough is called 和面huómiàn (be careful, 和 is not pronounced “hé” here)!

2. 让ràng面团 miàntuán 醒xǐng15 shíwǔ到 dào30 sānshí分钟 fēnzhōng。

Translation. Let it rise for 15-30 minutes. This is called 醒面 xǐngmiàn.

Filling (馅儿 xiànr):

1. 韭菜jiǔcài洗xǐ干净gānjìng后hòu切qiē碎suì。

Translation: Wash the Chinese leek, and chop finely.

2. 把bǎ姜jiāng剁duò碎suì。

Translation: Mince the ginger.

3. 碗wǎn中zhōng放fàng入rù韭菜jiǔcài、姜jiāng和hé猪肉zhūròu碎suì。

Translation: In a large bowl, combine the Chinese leek, the ginger and the minced pork.

4. 加jiā入rù盐yán、糖táng、酱油jiàngyóu、调和油tiáohéyóu、如果rúguǒ有yǒu的de话huà，可以kěyǐ加jiā味精wèijīng。搅拌jiǎobàn均匀jūnyún。

Translation: Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, cooking oil, MSG if available. Mix it together.

Dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi):

1. 把bǎ面团miàntuán切qiē成chéng小xiǎo剂子jìzi，擀好gǎn hǎo。用yòng点diǎn面粉miànfěn，防fáng粘连zhānlián。

Translation: Cut the dough into small pieces 剂子jìzi, and roll them 擀gǎn. Use some flour to avoid sticking.

2. 将jiāng馅儿xiànr放fàng在zài饺子皮jiǎozipí上shang，不要búyào太tài多duō!

Translation: Put the filling on the dumpling wrapper 饺子皮jiăozipí, but not too much!

3. 包bāo成chéng饺子jiǎozi。这个zhège步骤bùzhòu有点yǒudiǎn难nán！将jiāng两liǎng侧cè饺子皮jiǎozipí捏合niēhé。在zài右侧yòucè部分bùfèn，用yòng食指shízhǐ将jiāng它tā向xiàng中间zhōngjiān方向fāngxiàng夹紧jiājǐn两liǎng次cì。左侧zuǒcè也yě一样yíyàng。包bāo好hǎo了le！

Translation: Wrap the dumpling. This is the tricky part! Join the two sides of the dumpling wrapper together. On the right side of the dumpling wrapper, create two pinches, one at a time, with your index finger. Do the same on the left side. And you are done wrapping your dumpling!