Crispy Pork & Cabbage Gyoza with Chilli-Soy Dipper

⏱ 60 min · Serves 4

Golden-bottomed, steam-puffed dumplings with a juicy pork and cabbage filling. Pleating takes a little practice, but even the wonky ones taste brilliant dunked in the tangy chilli-soy sauce.

Per serving: 505 kcal · 22.0g protein · 48.0g carbs · 24.5g fat

Ingredients

• 300g minced pork (ideally not too lean)
• 250g Chinese leaf or savoy cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 30-36 round gyoza wrappers (about 1 pack), thawed if frozen
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, for frying
• Water, for steaming
• For the dipping sauce:
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp chilli oil or chilli crisp, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp finely sliced spring onion

Method

1. Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt in a bowl and leave 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands — this keeps the filling juicy, not watery.
2. In a bowl, combine the pork, squeezed cabbage, spring onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornflour. Mix vigorously in one direction for a minute until sticky and cohesive.
3. Lay a wrapper on your palm, keep the rest covered with a damp cloth. Add 1 heaped teaspoon of filling to the centre. Wet the edge with a fingertip of water.
4. Fold in half and pinch the centre closed, then make 3-4 small pleats along one side, pressing each onto the flat back edge. Sit the gyoza on a floured tray so it stands with a flat bottom. Repeat.
5. Whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside.
6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Arrange a third of the gyoza flat-side down in a snug circle and fry 2-3 minutes until deep golden underneath.
7. Add 60ml water, cover immediately and steam 5-6 minutes until the water has gone and the wrappers look translucent.
8. Uncover and cook 1 minute more to re-crisp the bases. Slide onto a plate crisp-side up and repeat with the remaining batches.
9. Serve hot with the chilli-soy dipper.