Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

Ingredients

500 grams ground pork
250 grams napa cabbage, finely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small piece of ginger, minced
5 grams salt
15 grams soy sauce
5 grams sesame oil
2.5 grams five-spice powder
20 wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil, as needed

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling Wash and drain the napa cabbage.
   Finely chop the cabbage and place it in a bowl.
   Add salt and mix well. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
   Squeeze out the excess water from the cabbage.
   Add the ground pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder to the bowl.
   Add the squeezed cabbage and mix well.
2. Wrap the dumplings Take one wonton wrapper and place a spoonful of filling in the center.
   Pinch the edges of the wonton wrapper to seal the dumpling.
3. Pan-fry the dumplings Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
   Place the dumplings in the skillet and fry until the bottoms are golden brown.
   Add a few tablespoons of water (about 1/3 the depth of the dumplings) and cover the pan with a lid.
   Steam for 3-5 minutes, or until the water has almost evaporated.
   Remove the lid and continue to fry until the bottoms of the dumplings are completely golden brown.

Tips

Salting the cabbage ahead of time helps to remove excess moisture, resulting in a more juicy filling.
When wrapping the dumplings, make sure to seal the edges tightly to prevent the filling from leaking out.
Use medium-low heat when pan-frying the dumplings to prevent them from burning.
Adding water to the pan and steaming the dumplings helps to make the wrappers soft and pliable.
Frying the dumplings until the bottoms are completely golden brown will give them a crispy and flavorful crust.

Additional notes

This recipe makes about 20 dumplings.
You can also use store-bought wonton wrappers for this recipe.
If you don’t have five-spice powder, you can substitute with a combination of ground star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Serve the dumplings with your favorite dipping sauce, such as soy sauce, chili oil, or vinegar.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!