Jiaozi are Chinese dumplings that are more commonly known as pot stickers in the states. Jiaozi are one of the major foods traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year. Although Chinese New Year is not for a couple of weeks, I thought it would be fun to make them for New Year’s Day and surprise my family. I also wanted to make my version of egg rolls. I have never been a fan of the egg rolls that come with your Chinese food delivery, but since I made these myself, they were a hit.
For the Jiaozi:
1 package ground chicken
bunch of scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon grass, grated
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 egg
Salt
Wonton wrappers, store-bought
Combine all the ingredients, except the egg, in a large bowl. Crack the egg in a separate bowl and whisk in water to create an egg wash. When making a mixture like this, I always take a small amount of the mix and cook it to make sure the seasonings are perfect before moving forward. Line up several wrappers on a cutting board and drop one teaspoon of the meat mixture into the center. With a brush, or even your finger tip, run the egg wash along the edges of the wrapper. Fold into a triangle and crimp the edges together.
After all the dumplings are formed, drop them into your steamer or directly into lightly boiling water. I happen to have a bamboo steamer that I used to cook the dumplings. After the dumplings are steamed, you can either leave them as is, or quickly pan fry them in some vegetable or sesame oil.
For the Egg Rolls:
Bagged cabbage mix, from the grocery store
Bean sprouts
Shiitake mushrooms
Fresh mint leaves
Egg Roll wrappers, store-bought
Salt
Sesame oil
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the cabbage, bean sprouts and shiitake mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and sauté until softened. Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a strainer to rid of all the excess liquid. You want the mixture to be as dry as possible before filling the wrappers. Place a healthy amount of the filling in the center of the wrapper, place the fresh mint leaves on top and fold the bottom corner up.
After the bottom portion is folded up, tuck the sides in the same technique used to roll burritos. Brush the egg wash on the remaining fold and roll the wrapper over to seal it closed.
Heat a neutral flavored oil, like canola or vegetable, in a large pot and carefully drop the egg rolls in. Remove the egg rolls once they are golden and drain on a paper towel or metal rack.
The Dipping Sauce:
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Mirin
Red Chili Paste
Combine each ingredient until you reach your desired taste. The soy sauce is the salt component while the rice wine vinegar adds the acidity. The mirin, which is sweetened sake, acts as the sugar. The chili paste is optional. Use this sauce for both the dumplings and the egg rolls.
Happy New Year!
xristina ♥ marie
© 2012 Xristina Miros
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Tags: Asian, cabbage, chicken, Chinese, Christina Marie, cooking, dumplings, egg rolls, food, ginger, gyoza, jiaozi, lemongrass, mint, pot stickers, the refined palate, TRP, Xristina Marie
