Lunar New Year Dumplings

Directions for Dumpling Skin

Combine flour and one cup of hot water. Gently mix together with your hands. At this point, you may need to add one tablespoon of additional hot water at a time depending on the dryness of your dough. When it becomes shaggy, you can transfer it to a clean work surface.

Knead the dough for ten minutes or until it becomes a smooth ball. Place into a clean bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest and hydrate in a warm space for 30 minutes. You'll know when it's ready because it will be soft like your cheek when you poke into it with a finger.

Directions for Pork & Cabbage Filling

Combine all of the ingredient in a clean bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Cover and place into the fridge to cool.

If you can, take a small piece of the filling and fry it in a pan without any oil. Cook it all the way through and taste. This will allow you to adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Directions for Broccoli & Egg Filling

Heat a non-stick pan with two tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil over medium high heat. Stir fry the minced broccoli for five to eight minutes or until the stems are soft.

Meanwhile, whisk your eggs with the spices and seasonings. Once the broccoli is soft, add your whisked eggs and scramble for two minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add vour cilantro and scallions. You don't want the herbs to cook with the filling so you can preserve their flavor. Allow to cool completely before using.

For Pan-Frying the Dumplings

Make sure that your dough is covered with a damp towel while you are rolling out all of the skins. Tear a quarter-size piece of the dumpling dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten this ball with the palm of your hand to create a disk. Then, use your rolling pin to create a thin wrapper. Roll from the center of the disk outward and then give it a quarter turn in between each roll to ensure that the skin has an even thickness. Your dumpling wrapper should be about 2.5-inches wide. Alternatively, if you have a pasta rolling machine, you can roll out sheets of dumpling dough and punch disks out using a biscuit cutter. You'll want to aim for a sheet of dough that is about 8 Post-Its thick.

Once you have a decent stack of wrappers, the dumpling folder can start their work. Lay a dumpling skin in one hand and place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough. If you're using homemade skins, you shouldn't need to dab the edges with water; this dough is well hydrated. If you are using store-bought skins, you'll want to keep a small dish of water nearby to help close your dumplings. Fold the skin over the dumpling and pinch in the middle. Then, make four to five pleats from the center outward. Repeat on the other side.

Heat a non-stick pan with 1/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil over medium high heat. Place a layer of dumplings in the pan, make sure there aren't too many. You'll want them to lay flat so that the bottom gets crispy. Cook for four to five minutes to achieve a nice golden brown. Next, add 1/3 cup of water to the pan and cover with a lid. This will allow the dumplings to steam and cook the filling thoroughly. This may take another five to eight minutes.

Once the water has evaporated, let the dumplings crisp up a final time for one more minute. Transfer to a clean plate and enjoy with your favorite brand of dumpling dipping sauce!