There’s something deeply satisfying about making dumplings from scratch, especially when every step is done with intention.
As all my filling or meatball mixture, I started by gently sautéing the vegetables. Here I used leeks and garlic and sautéed until fragrant, building a sweet, aromatic base before mixing them into fresh mince. The seasoning was I kept to a traditional Chinese mix of — white pepper for warmth, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and oyster sauce for saltiness, and a drizzle of sesame oil to tie everything together.
My little secret ingredient for the meat mixture? Crushed cream crackers. They act as a natural binder, keeping the filling juicy and tender without weighing it down. Each dumpling was filled and shaped by hand, one by one, a slow but rewarding process.
To cook them, I simmered the dumplings in a light lotus root soup, letting them absorb the gentle sweetness of the broth. Any extras were frozen for later — the best kind of future meal, ready whenever comfort is needed particularly for those rainy gloomy days.
