Prawns (shrimp) - for convenience, get the peeled, deveined prawns which usually comes in bags in the freezer section of the supermarket.Tips for making the best har gow at home.and that casual peckish feeling in the belly. I'm very happy with this recipe and I hope you will too! So what is a person to do? Make countless batches of har gow until the flavour is JUST right (with many failed attempts along the way, of course).

During months of lockdown in Sydney, the cravings for yum cha food was REAL. I don't know about you, but a basket of har gow is always the first thing I look for and order at dim sum restaurants. Perfect eaten as is or, with a side of super aromatic homemade Chilli Oil like the photo below! Prawn dumplings are always served as a side, with other complementing dishes such as Chinese Broccoli, char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), other types of dumplings ( Vegan or Pork Dumplings), fried rice ( Chinese sausage fried rice or Prawn Fried Rice), stir-fried noodles like this Chicken Hokkien Noodles and so much more! I like old school and so this recipe contains some minced bamboo shoots which I think add a nice layer of aromatic flavour profile to these little parcels of happiness. The authentic Cantonese style has minced bamboo shoots added but lately, ones without are becoming more and more popular. Har gow (蝦餃 in mandarin) or crystal prawn dumplings are served steamed and filled with juicy, flavourful prawn (shrimp) meat wrapped in lightly translucent ('crystal') dumpling skin. Turn the heat down to a medium-low heat and let steam for 8-10 minutes.HAR GOW!! A true yum cha (dim sum) favourite. Cover the basket and bring the water to a boil. Place the basket into the pot, ensuring that the water does not touch the dumplings. Pour ¼ cup or 1-inch (3 cm) of water into a wide pot or wok. TO STEAM: Place the dumplings in a single layer on a steamer basket lined with a thinly sliced carrot or radish round underneath each one. Place the assembled dumpling on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and continue until you run out of wrappers or filling. Take care not to overfill them, or they’ll be difficult to close.įold the wrapper in half-into a semi-circle-and firmly pinch the edges together to seal/ Although it isn't necessary, you can then pinch pleats / folds (See Dumpling folds here). Lay a few microgreen leaves on the wrapper, then scoop one heaped teaspoonful of the filling ontop of the leaves, in the center of the dough round. Place the wrapper in the palm of your hand. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball out to 4' in diameter x 1/16-inch rounds (it doesn't matter if they're not perfect circles – but try to go thin as possible without tearing the wrapper when assembling. Keep these in the covered pot while you're assembling the dumplings. On a clean work surface that's lightly floured with tapioca starch, divide the dough into 16-18 equal pieces. Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, like Silly Putty, but not as stretchy. Add the oil and knead the dough in the pot, either by punching it with a rolling pin or pestle, or with your hands – if it's cool enough to touch. Cover the pot and let this rest for 2-3 minutes. Add the water whilst stirring continuously until a large ball of lumpy dough forms. Place all the starches in a heavy-bottomed cast iron pot. In a small saucepan, bring a cup of water to a vigorous rolling boil (you only need 3/4 cup of this for the dough, but I'm allowing for evaporation.) I can't stress this enough, but it makes all the difference! Rather than using a stainless steel mixing bowl, I actually mixed mine in a cast iron pot that I warmed up for a minute, so that it retains the heat better. Make the wrappers: The important part about making crystal dumpling skin wrappers is to make sure the water is boiling hot. Transfer to a large plate to let this mixture cool before wrapping. Add the cornstarch, salt, xiao shing wine, and white pepper, mixing evenly. Add all the carrot, tofu and grated ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the carrot has softened and the water from the tofu has evaporated. Heat a skillet on high heat and coat the pan with oil. Crumble the tofu and finely chop all the carrot – a food processor, or mini herb chopper is handy here, but chopping it all with a knife works too!

Crystal shrimp dumpling