Shopping list
1 packet of Jiaozi sheets (frozen)
200g lean pork
2 + 1 tablespoons of groundnut oil
a small piece of ginger
2 spring onions
1/4 white cabbage
200g Shitake mushrooms
1 leveled teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
soy sauce and / or chili sauce
Jiaozi (dumplings) are a traditional treat for Chinese New Year. The shape of the Jiaozi is like the golden ingots (Jīntiáo) which were used as money, during the Ming Dynasty. The people in China believe that serving Jiaozi during New Year brings prosperity all through the year.
You can make jiaozi in four ways, traditionally boil them in a pan with water, steam, deep-fry or fry them in a frying pan. We steam and deep-fry them today. The mini-monsters don't mind which way, they like them all 4 ways!
How to make deep- fried and steamed Jiaozi
Start by thawing the Jiaozi sheets then stir the soy sauce and chili sauce together for dipping.
Cut the pork into small cubes.
Fry the cubes in the oil.
Cut the spring onion finely.
Stir fry the meat almost done.
Grate the ginger over the pork.
Chop the shitake and the cabbage.
Stir fry the vegetables with the pork.
Season the stir fry
with salt, pepper, 5 spice and soy sauce.
Turn the heat off, let the stir fry rest on the stove.
Pull the almost-thawed jiaozi sheets apart and lay them out.
Spoon a heap of filling in the center of each circle.
Brush some water on the edges of the Jiaozi
Press them firmly shut, with your fingertips.
Deep fry the jiaozi 3 minutes on each side.
Place the dip sauce on the side.
Steamed jiaozi
Cover the bottom of a pan with water (about two fingers high). Bring it to the boil and turn the heat down low. Place the steambasket on the pan. Please mind, the water should not touch the basket!
Place the greased (1 tbspoon oil) basket on the pan.
Brush water on the edges of the filled jiao zhi and press them shut tight.
Joey closes the jiaozi perfectly, in the traditional way.
In close up, to show you how it's done.
Place the jiao zhi in the basket with the lid on.
Steam the jiao zhi for 7 to 10 minutes.
Joey loves Jiaozi both ways equally.
Jiaozi, in the traditional and the modern way :)) Xin Nian Kuai Le!