To make your prawn mixture, stir all filling ingredients together in a large bowl until combined well and a sticky paste forms. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
To make your dough, combine the wheat starch and cornstarch together on a clean, dry working surface. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and slowly add in your boiling water. Knead the mixture together until you get a smooth dough. If needed, dust more wheat starch on your surface to avoid the dough sticking.
Divide the dough into three portions and form each into a long snake-like shape, about 2.5 cm thick. Cover the dough in a damp towel and let rest for five minutes.
Cut each of the dough snake cylinders into rounds about 1cm thick. Roll each round out using a rolling pin to form a smooth round circle.
Carefully spoon 1 teaspoon of your prawn filling into the centre of each dough wrapper. Fold to form a half moon shape and fold over the edges from one end to the other in a pleat-style formation. Dab your fingertips in water if moisture is needed for the dough to stick.
To cook your dumplings, steam them lightly over boiling water for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Chef Song Yao Su tips for nailing dumplings at home
1. First and foremost, you need to ensure your filling is seasoned well. If it tastes bland before you stuff it into the wrapper, it will be even more tasteless as a dumpling, as the wrappers will mute the flavour slightly. Depending on what your filling is, and if you don’t want to taste it raw, you can perform a “spot test” and cook a tablespoon of filling to test the seasoning.
2. From there, it’s all about the wrapping technique – the simpler the better. The most basic and versatile homemade dumpling wrappers consist of just flour and water, making them incredibly pantry friendly. I’d always recommend beginners start with this type of dough, made with boiling water as it ensures the dough is more malleable and requires minimal resting time. This style is also really easy to roll out into thin wrappers, and best suit dumplings like potstickers that you steam or fry rather than boil.
3. The best bit? You can also make dumpling wrappers ahead of time as the dough can be used straight out of the fridge. So make a massive batch and keep the wrapper in the fridge for up to 6 months (just ensure you have added enough flour or even baking paper in between each to ensure they don’t stick).
4. Practice makes perfect. Don’t get too wrapped up in appearances. Treat each batch of dumplings as practice. Even though they may not look perfect, they will still taste great.
Try this delicious Prawn Har Gow recipe courtesy of Song Yao Su, Executive Chef of The Star Gold Coast’s signature Japanese restaurant, Uncle Su.
Ingredients
Prawn Filling
500g uncooked prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped finely
2 tbsp bamboo shoots, minced
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp chicken stock powder
2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp cornstarch
3 pinches ground white pepper
Dumpling Dough
240g wheat starch
200g corn starch
480ml boiling water
Method
avoid the dough sticking.
Chef Song Yao Su tips for nailing dumplings at home
1. First and foremost, you need to ensure your filling is seasoned well. If it tastes bland before you stuff it into the wrapper, it will be even more tasteless as a dumpling, as the wrappers will mute the flavour slightly. Depending on what your filling is, and if you don’t want to taste it raw, you can perform a “spot test” and cook a tablespoon of filling to test the seasoning.
2. From there, it’s all about the wrapping technique – the simpler the better. The most basic and versatile homemade dumpling wrappers consist of just flour and water, making them incredibly pantry friendly. I’d always recommend beginners start with this type of dough, made with boiling water as it ensures the dough is more malleable and requires minimal resting time. This style is also really easy to roll out into thin wrappers, and best suit dumplings like potstickers that you steam or fry rather than boil.
3. The best bit? You can also make dumpling wrappers ahead of time as the dough can be used straight out of the fridge. So make a massive batch and keep the wrapper in the fridge for up to 6 months (just ensure you have added enough flour or even baking paper in between each to ensure they don’t stick).
4. Practice makes perfect. Don’t get too wrapped up in appearances. Treat each batch of dumplings as practice. Even though they may not look perfect, they will still taste great.
Want more? Click here for Luke Nguyen’s Beef Pho recipe and here for Grilled Prawns with Zesty Asian Dressing.
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