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Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

Categories: Korean, World Cuisine
Contributed by: Kelly CA ~~adapted from Hi Soo Hepinstall's 'Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen'

INGREDIENTS

• store bought wonton skins or gyoza skins, defrosted (if frozen)
  
• handful of fresh oyster mushrooms or shitake mushrooms (or dried shitake if you cannot find them fresh...I used dry)
  
• 1 cup cabbage kimchi finely chopped
  
• 8 ounces medium-firm bean curd/tofu (necessary ingredient for stuffing. Acts as crucial binding agent.)
  
• 1/2 pound ground meat(I used 1/2 pork and 1/2 chicken)
  
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (necessary ingredient for stuffing. Acts as crucial binding agent.) 
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine or vermouth
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
  
• 2 large green onions, white and pale green part only, finely chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  
• 1 teaspoon ginger juice or grated ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 cups flour for dusting

DIRECTIONS

In a stockpot, make 4 cups acidulated water (basically water with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt in it) and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms and blanch for 10 seconds or until the mushrooms are barely wilted. Scoop out the mushrooms and plunge them into ice water to stop cooking. Drain in a colander. With a kitchen towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop fine. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl.

Wearing rubber gloves, wrap the kimchi in a paper towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and add it to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Wrap the bean curd in a paper towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place the bean curd in the bowl, along with all remaining ingredients (EXCEPT THE FLOUR). Mix well with a wooden spoon or with your hands until the mixture is smooth and soft.

To assemble the dumplings have the following on hand: the bowl of wrappers, the bowl of stuffing, a teaspoon, a bowl of cold water, and a plate or 2 large baking sheets liberally dusted with flour.

Hold a wrapper in the palm of one hand and using the teaspoon, spoon a walnut-size ball of stuffing in the center of the wrapper. Using your finger, lighten moisten the wrappers edge with water. Fold into a half-moon shape. Seal the edges tightly using your thumb and index finger.

Doubly seal the dumping by pinching the edge with your thumb and middle finger. It will resemble a piecrust edge. Line up the finished dumpings on the baking sheets about 1/2 inch apart to prevent sticking.

To store, dust the dumplings well with flour, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. After the dumpings are frozen they may be transferred to a plastic bag and kept in the freezer for up to a month.

You can steam the dumplings, boil the dumplings…or fry them (I like to deep fry them).

Makes about 64 dumplings.
1 hour to prepare.

Dipping Sauce:

I made a dipping sauce of 2T soy sauce, 2T rice wine vinegar, 1T sesame oil, 1T rice wine, juice of one lemon, 2t sugar, sesame seeds and chopped green onion. YUM!