Chinese dumplings make for the perfect snack or meal. They can come in a variety of styles from steamed or boiled, to deep fried or pan-fried, and can be packed with an endless variety of fillings inside.

During Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), dumplings are a quintessential staple to make and share with your family and friends. Not only are they addictive and tasty, but they also symbolise prosperity and wealth. It is believed eating dumplings will help bring good luck and fortune for the year ahead due to their resemblance to ancient Chinese gold and silver ingots.

Chinese dumplings can be made relatively quickly and easily with minimal preparation. Follow this step by step recipe to make a batch of the pan-fried style called potsticker dumplings

Ingredients

This recipe makes about 60 potsticker dumplings

Dumplings:

600g pork mince

1 bunch of spring onions, chopped finely

1 bunch of Chinese chives, finely chopped

2 thin pieces of ginger, chopped finely

1 egg

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp of Shaoxing rice wine (optional)

60 circular dumpling wrappers

1 tbsp oil

Water (enough to cover the potsticker dumplings halfway)

Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1/4 cup of rice vinegar

½ tsp chili oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the filling by mixing pork mince, chives, green onions and ginger together in a large bowl.  Add in sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce and egg.

2. Mix these ingredients together with a large spoon or, preferably, your clean hands until the mixture is well combined. If the filling seems a little dry, add in a tiny bit of water to ensure all the ingredients are sticking together.

3. Prepare a workspace and fill a small bowl with water.

4. Place a dumpling wrapper on your hand and scoop about 1 heaped teaspoon of the filling onto the middle of the wrapper.

5. Dip your fingertip into the bowl of water and lightly moisten the edge of the wrapper.

6. Fold the wrapper over to make a half circle and pinch the middle of the top. Pleat one side of the wrapper and fold towards the middle to create the crescent shape. You should create about 2 – 3 pleats before repeating on the other side. This will enable the dumpling to stand up by themselves easily.

7. Place the folded potstickers on a lightly floured plate or a greaseproof baking paper to prevent sticking.

8. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fill the pan with dumplings – they can touch but try not to over crowd as they do expand when cooking.

9. Cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom of the dumplings form a golden crust. Add enough water to immerse the dumplings halfway. Cover and cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and cook for a further 1 minute or until the bottom is crispy and brown again, and they can be lifted off easily. A spatula is recommended for removing the dumplings from the pan.

10. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

11. To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve the hot potsticker dumplings with the dipping sauce and enjoy!