Japanese Dumplings

Ingredients (makes about 30)

¼  head of cabbage

1 spring onions

1 Tbsp salt

200g pork mince

1 tsp white pepper

2 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger

dumpling wrappers (about 30)

Oil for cooking

Method

1.  Chop cabbage up in chunks and put in the food processor. Chop up spring onion in chunks and add with the cabbage. Process until the cabbage is finely chopped, then put in a large bowl. Add the salt to the bowl and rub the salt through the cabbage to draw out all the water.

2. Tip cabbage mixture into a sieve and squeeze out any moisture in the cabbage over the sink.

3. Add the mince, white pepper, garlic, and ginger. Mix together until the mixture is all combined together and sticky. 

4. Set up a work station with a small bowl of water, a clean tea towel for wiping your fingers, a bowl with the dumpling filling, a tray with baking paper for the finished dumplings, and a stack of dumpling wrappers.

5. To form dumplings, hold one wrapper on top of a flat hand and using a spoon, put a small teaspoon size of filling in the centre of the wrapper.  Use the tip of your finger on your other hand to very gently moisten the edge of the wrapper with water (DON’T use too much water!). Wipe finger tip on dry kitchen towel.

6. Working from one side, carefully seal the filling inside the wrapper by folding it into a crescent shape, pleating the edge as it meets the other.  Transfer finished dumplings onto baking paper.

7. Dumplings can be either fried or frozen at this point.