The Fresh Prawn & Pork Dumplings (鲜虾水饺) have been one of my all time favorites since I was a kid. My mom used to be a voluntary helper at her friend's 'Wonton Noodle' stall in a hawker centre. I was amazed at how fast such dumplings could sell despite the higher price tag.
Honestly, it takes much patience and free time to prepare this dish. As it happens to be one of my husband's favorite dishes as well, I have no reason to be lazy. I just have to make it happen!
My husband says that my recipe is better than many sold in hawker/food centers. Give it a try if you have some spare moments.
To simplify matters, I am breaking down the recipes into 2 portions :
Recipe A : The Prawn & Pork Dumplings
Recipe B : The Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) Soup Base
Recipe A : The Prawn & Pork Dumplings
Ingredients (enough to make 40 to 50 pcs of dumplings) :
- 300 gm of minced pork
- 4 to 5 pcs of dry mushrooms (soak in water first)
- 3 to 4 pcs of black fungus (soak in water first)
- 4 pcs of water chestnuts (peeled)
- a little cilantro/coriander
- 16 pcs of mid to large sized prawns (gives better texture compared to shrimps)
- 50 pcs of round dumpling pastry/skin
- 1 egg (to seal the dumpling pastry)
Seasonings (enough to make 40 to 50 pcs of dumplings) :
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp grounded white pepper
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp corn or potato starch
(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)
Method :
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Finely chop mushrooms, black fungus, cilantro/coriander, water chestnuts. Cut each piece of mid-to-large sized prawns into 3 (as shown in picture).
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Blend in chopped mushrooms, black fungus, coriander, water chestnuts and minced pork into a large bowl.
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Add seasonings into large bowl : 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/3 tsp grounded white pepper, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 4 tbsp corn or potato starch.
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Mix Ingredients and seasonings well.
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Get ready to stuff the dumplings (包水饺). Spread flour or corn/potato starch onto tray so that the dumplings do not stick together. Beat an egg to seal the dumpling pastry.
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Use a spoon to spread a small portion of minced pork mix and a piece of prawn onto each piece of dumpling pastry. Brush the edge with egg wash. Fold the dumpling pastry into half to seal it.
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How the dumplings should look like.
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Store in air-tight container in freezer before cooking.
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Recipe B : The Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) Soup Base
Ingredients & Seasonings (Soup enough for 4 pax) :
- 1 cup of ikan bilis (anchovies)
- 1 cup of enokitake (optional)
- 1 cup of vegetables
- 4 slices of ginger
- 1/3 pc of ikan bills stock cube (optional, adding it will make the soup more flavorful)
- 1.5 litre water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- sesame oil
- a little cilantro/coriander for garnishing
(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)
Method :
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Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in soup pot and add in slices of ginger.
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Add ikan bills (anchovies) into soup pot and lightly stir fry at medium heat for about a minute.
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Add 1.5 lire water into soup pot and let it boil at slow to medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the ikan bills stock cube into soup. Meanwhile, separately boil another pot of water.
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Boil dumplings separately in the new pot of water as we do not want the flour/starch to thicken the soup. Boil till pork and prawns are fully cooked and dumpling pastry turn soft.
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When 30 minutes' up, add vegetables and enokitake into ikan bills (anchovies) soup and turn off the heat/fire.
The Final Product
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Assemble dumplings, ikan bilis soup, vegetables, enokitake and garnishing in a bowl or claypot. Top it with a few drops of sesame oil before serve.
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Alternative
If soupy stuffs are not for you, try deep frying the dumplings. They can be just as good.
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| Crispy Deep Fried Dumplings |
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