Dim sum is a popular Chinese cuisine that features bite-sized dishes typically served during breakfast, brunch, or lunch. This step-by-step guide offers a recipe for savory and spicy pork dumplings and also includes a recipe for chili oil. The ingredients and instructions are listed, and the final product is guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds. With a few key ingredients and some basic cooking techniques, you can create delicious, bite-sized treats that will add variety to your meal plan. Do not be afraid to experiment with fillings, flavors, and dipping sauces to create your own signature dim sum dishes.
Savory and Spicy: A Journey Through the Best Chinese Dim Sum Dishes
Introduction
Dim sum is a popular Chinese cuisine that features bite-sized dishes typically served during breakfast, brunch, or lunch. These small plates are a great way to sample a variety of flavors and textures, with each dish packed with spices and aromatics. If you are a fan of Chinese food, you need to try these savory and spicy dim sum dishes, which are guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds.
Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing Savory and Spicy Dim Sum Dishes
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground pork
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped water chestnuts
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 package of wonton wrappers (around 48)
- Soy sauce, for dipping
- Vinegar, for dipping
- Sriracha or other hot sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Combine the ground pork, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, sugar, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Use your hands to mix the ingredients together thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and paste-like.
- Take a wonton wrapper, and place a teaspoonful of the pork mixture in the center.
- Bring the corners of the wrapper together, and press them together to seal the filling inside. Repeat until all the filling has been used up.
- Line a bamboo steamer with a perforated parchment paper or brush it with oil to prevent sticking.
- Place the dumplings inside the steamer, making sure to leave enough space between them to prevent them from sticking together. Cover the steamer with a lid.
- Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Place the bamboo steamer on top of the pot, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the steamer.
- Steam the dumplings for around 6-8 minutes until the filling is cooked through.
- Remove the steamer from the pot and let the dumplings cool for a minute before transferring them to a plate.
- Serve the dumplings hot, with soy sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce for dipping.
Recipe for Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of Sichuan peppercorns
- 1/4 cup of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the Sichuan peppercorns and cook them until they are fragrant, around 1-2 minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds or so until they become aromatic.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the sesame oil, salt, and minced garlic.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature before transferring it to a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Store the chili oil in the fridge for up to a week.
Conclusion
Whipping up a batch of savory and spicy Chinese dim sum dishes is a great way to add some variety to your meal plan. With a few key ingredients and some basic cooking techniques, you can create delicious, bite-sized treats that will delight your taste buds. Our recipe for pork and shrimp dumplings is just the beginning – feel free to experiment with fillings, flavors, and dipping sauces to create your own signature dim sum dishes.