The best way to get my kids to eat something is to fill it in a dumpling or wrap ‘em in a tortilla. I could stuff wontons with pickled pigs feet and the boys would chomp it all up! Who can resist a cute little two-bite package? Especially if it looked like little fishies!
Rubber Slippers in Italy made these cute Chinese Goldfish Dumplings made these steamed dumplings that are very popular in Hong Kong dim sum restaurants. She even made the wrappers by hand (oh that woman’s got talent!)
But not all dumplings are Chinese. Let’s take tour around the world and start right here in our backyard (well, my backyard I mean) and head over the For the Love of Cooking’s classic American Chicken and Basil Dumplings. Technically, these babies aren’t filled dumplings, but rather a dough mixture dropped by the spoonful into good chicken broth. Best part of this recipe is that it’s from Cooking Light Magazine (read: I can eat 2 servings and still feel great!).
This gorgeous photo is from Asha of Fork Spoon Knife blog (love the contrasting colors!) and she made Meat Ravioli with Puttanesca Sauce. Instead of making her own pasta sheets for ravioli, she used Chinese dumpling wrappers to make the job easier. Just beautiful. Plus, I just love saying puttanesca. I feel so naughty!
Susan wins the creative healthy award with these Samosa Wraps. Instead of the traditional Indian deep-fried samosa dumplings, Susan wrapped the curried vegan filling in whole-grain tortillas. This would make a perfect lunch. Or breakfast. Or dinner. Or snack. Or midnight munchies. Oh wait. It’s supposed to be healthy, which means no midnight munchies for me.
Mehan of Mehan’s Kitchen shows us what Afgan dumplings are in this Aushak recipe. I haven’t really much explored the food of Afghanistan, and darn it, I think it’s about time! Mehan also took a shortcut with the dumpling dough and used Chinese dumpling wrappers. Her recipe is from Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires book (by the way, I highly recommend any of Ruth’s books in audio form, telling her stories in her own voice).
Lastly, I cannot talk about dumplings without mentioning one of my close friends. Bee of Rasa Malaysia makes Japanese Gyoza, which are pan-fried dumplings. The gyoza are first browned with a bit of cooking oil, then steamed by adding water or broth to the same pan and quickly covering. With a little spicy soy sauce dip, this is one of my favorites.
Tell me, what’s your favorite type of dumpling or dumpling filling?
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes in her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!
40 Comments
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Brett on 9.7.2010
I like the fluffy kind that are cooked on top of a stew.
Never thought of perogies as being dumplings before, but I love those too!
Jane on 7.27.2010
I loooove wontons!!
Bee @ Rasa Malaysia on 7.21.2010
Jaden (and Ree),
Thanks for featuring the gyoza recipe on Tasty Kitchen!!
XO,
Bee
ComfortablyDomestic on 7.21.2010
I adore potato and cheese stuffed pirogies, but pork pot stickers are a close second.
Kathy on 7.20.2010
I absolutely LOVE potstickers!!!
Sommer P. on 7.19.2010
Mmm… pierogi’s and spring rolls are my favorite “stuffed” dumplings! But my mom’s homemade chicken and dumplings are to die for! If I could ever get her to actually write down her dumpling recipe I might post in on TK! =)
BelovedAimee on 7.18.2010
apple dumplings
Amanda on 7.18.2010
As I am a quarter Japanese, I’m biased toward Gyoza! My grandma and my mom cook them differently than you described, but either way they’re wonderful. I usually love all things dumplings though, so everything looks delicious.
Kim on 7.18.2010
Potato and onion pierogis with caramelized onions and sour cream.
Georgia Pellegrini on 7.18.2010
I love the texture and taste of Japanese mochi. And paired with bean paste or ice cream…mmmn mmmn good.
Laura Boord on 7.17.2010
Pierogies are my favorite. I was taught about 35 years ago by my X-Mother in law who was 100% Polish how to make them from scratch. Took all day long, but they were worth it. Now I cheat occaisonally and use Egg Roll wrappers. They are still yummy!
Texasphotochick on 7.17.2010
When I lived on Guam we got steamed dumplings at a Chinese restaurant there. I have tried ever since to find Chinese dumplings that were as good stateside, but have never found any that come close. My own efforts at making some fell far short of my expectations. LOL
I’ve got no idea what was in those little dumplings, I was 12 then and didn’t ask those things, but they were so good.
lesplaisirsduplar on 7.17.2010
Having travelled back and forth to Hong Kong for over 20 years I would have to say my favourties would be char siu bau, siu mai or gow gees dunked into a bowl of fresh chopped chillies in soy sauce. Now I am salivating!
elaine on 7.16.2010
Married to a Frenchman, i have to go with crepes. My favorite filling has to be asparagus, ham & cheese topped with a bechemel sauce… true love!
rowena on 7.16.2010
*cracking up in front of my pc here* – thanks for passing the word on fishie dumplings! It still amazes me that if I hadn’t stumbled on a food article about dumplings in Tokyo, I’d never have found out about these. Flickr dumpling groups have only the orange colored ones, but with my obsession with squid ink…..ehhh, somebody thought they looked like fugu!
Paula on 7.16.2010
I’ve never met a dumpling I didn’t like.
fujimama on 7.16.2010
Aw man, do I have to choose? I love ‘em all! Pierogi, empanadas, samosas, gyoza, apple dumplings, etc. I’m a slave to dumplings. Sigh.
Melanie on 7.16.2010
Gotta go for the dessert- apple dumplings, swimming in sweet, cinnamony sauce. Yum.
Bonnie B on 7.16.2010
Pierogi for me too, mashed potatos and cheese. Top with sour cream and chopped green onion.
judy fink on 7.16.2010
My Aunt Dorothy would make dumplings filled with a whole peach or plum. I believe she boiled them and then maybe baked them. I was a little kid and remember eating them with butter. I think they were from a Czech recipe. 54 years later and I still remember them. They were wonderful.
Dusty on 7.16.2010
Love me so Czech dumplings.. they are drop dumplings like that in chicken & dumpling soup.. but bigger than your fist!! served with gravy and meat.. SO GOOD!
Mindy Volkert on 7.16.2010
Perogies – potato and cheese. YUM!
AbbieD on 7.16.2010
Just thinking about Potstickers makes my mouth water. That last picture of the Gyoza isn’t helping!!!
Yum.
Delicious.
I must have.
sweepea on 7.16.2010
p.s. yes, food makes me this effusive–it is a sicknss, but i know i am in good company! ; )
sweepea on 7.16.2010
this was a GREAT post, SK! i loved all the different approaches to bundling flavor, especially the Samosa Wraps and Aushak–
i love Samosas, but never can convince myself to deep fry some, so this is a great approach, and the Aushak looks so home-cooked and comforting.
also, i’d never heard of Khinkali, from Jess above, so that is on the list.
love me some TastyKitchen!
slammie on 7.16.2010
Chinese dumplings with homemade skin, ground pork and Chinese garlic chives (or however that translates from Chinese to English). YUM!
Helen on 7.16.2010
I am Polish (on both sides) and grew up with perogies. My faves are potato, mushroom and saur kraut stuffed.
psumeb83 on 7.16.2010
Crab won tons or rangoons – I love the crab and cheese mixture inside of a crisp, yummy shell of some kind!
Jess on 7.16.2010
My favorite is khinkali, dumplings from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, where my daughter was born. Sadly, I can’t make them–I can’t fold the pleats properly–so I don’t get to eat them that often. They’re yummy, though!
Sabine on 7.16.2010
Coming from Germany, I’m used to dumplings with sweet fillings: plum dumplings (the dumpling made from a potato dough), yeast dumplings, covered with melted butter and cinnamon sugar or a sweet wine sauce, Quark dumplings, poppy seed dumplings made from white bread cubes soaked in milk…. the list goes on and on. They are usually eaten as a main meal, following a light soup.
Deb da Amazon on 7.16.2010
I’m jumping on the pierogi bandwagon. My late father-in-law was 100% Polish and made them with saurkraut and cracklins or with mashed potato, onion and cheese.
While it’s not quite a dumpling, I also love rangoons when we order Chinese take-out. I always dip them in 1 part Oriental hot mustard and 2 parts sweet & sour sauce.
carolinagirl on 7.16.2010
Cecedon, I saw that cookbook and pan at WS last week and it looked interesting, I’ll have to go back and check it out as I have a WS gift card burning a hole in my wallet!!
My girlfriend’s mom makes the most amazing eggrolls that she made for my wedding and we still have some in the freezer, that may be lunch today!
I also love chimichangas and enchiladas! And crab ragoon!
read2sew on 7.16.2010
Mandu, Korean dumplings, love them pan-fried with soy sauce.
Anna on 7.16.2010
My husband and I did a belated honeymoon to Singapore last summer, and we ate at Din Tai Fung, a top-10 in the world (according to the NY Times ) restaurant that was surprisingly affordable (less than $10 US per plate). We had the steamed juicy pork dumplings, and I will forever be wanting these things. The wrapping is so thin, they’re bite sized, and explode with tremendous flavor. There’s a branch in the LA area, and if you’re ever remotely close, you can’t miss the opportunity!
http://www.dintaifungusa.com/en/en_cuisine01_1.html
Robin on 7.16.2010
OH! Pierogi…and we make them regularly!!
Robin
PS…to Jessica @HowSweet…we have them in this (Philadelphia) part of PA too. But we also have the good old fashioned Pa Dutch dumplings as well…
Shawna C on 7.16.2010
My favourite stuffed thing would probably be spring rolls. There’s a Vietnamese place here in Ottawa that makes amazing, peppery, vegetarian spring rolls. It’s called… wait for it… the Spring Roll House.
I am also a fan of the chimichanga, perogies, egg rolls, pasties, boxty, and dim sum in all forms. I guess I’m like your kids in my love of stuffed things!
cecedon on 7.16.2010
being gluten free it’s been awhile since I’ve had a dumpling (because I’d have to make them myself of course). Maybe I’ll teach my kids how to do it this summer.
However, I do make the kids ebelskivers for breakfast (it’s a round ball shaped pancake made in a special pan). I fill them with jelly, nutella and chocolate chips. When I was in william sonoma yesterday I saw they had a ebelskiver cookbook with all sorts of savory fixin’s, so we may have to try to expand our sweet ebelskiver world.
Sandi on 7.16.2010
Oh, they all look so yummy. I’m a big fan of Chicken & Dumplings (I use the Cook’s Illustrated recipe), but whenever I have the opportunity for potstickers, I jump on it. I had to laugh at the “puttanesca” comment – I work at a restaurant and that is one of the offerings on our special events menu. When I first saw it, I laughed and commented how funny it was that “prostitute sauce” was available on our wedding menu. The boss didn’t know that’s what puttanesca meant!
Heather (Heather's Dish) on 7.16.2010
isn’t it amazing how wrapping something in a tortilla magically transforms the mundane into something magical? at least i know it’s not me…i now know 4 kiddos on your ranch who would side with me
Jessica @ How Sweet on 7.16.2010
Do perogis count? LOL! Those are the dumplings we have in Pittsburgh.