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That’s a WRAP! Manduvision (Homemade Dumpling Wrappers)

By threejamigos | March 7, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

I cannot tell a lie. Most of the time, (we are talking 99.99 percent of the time) we use commercially available wrappers when making dumplings. Wrappers can be found in most Asian stores and your larger supermarkets. Asian markets will have a plethora of choices, you will have to sift through the different kinds of wrappers by shape- round versus square, thickness-depends on what dumpling you are making, and by brands. At non-Asian markets, I have seen Dynasty, Azumaya, and Nasoya. I would go with Nasoya (potsticker) and Dynasty (wonton) first.

Whichever brand is available, do the test. Pick up a package and bend the wrappers at a corner. They should separate and not break. This is a freshness test. If they break, put them back, go home and make your own…really.

That’s A Wrap

At Asian markets, there is no shortage of wrappers to choose from. Choose round wrappers for mandu and potstickers. For mandu I would use a medium thickness, generally labeled as dumpling wrappers. Potsticker wrappers are thicker, good for frying and then steaming but too thick for soup dumplings. I tend to stay away from potsticker wrappers, they are super thick.

Wonton wrappers are square and come in different degrees of thickness. From pretty darn thick to Hong Kong-style which is extra thin. My preference is Hong Kong Noodle Co. Thin Wraps. Not too thin, not too thick, just right. Great for soup or fried wontons.

Yep, my go-to wrappers. But do the freshness test on these too cause you just never know.

But I Digress

This post is supposed to be out making your OWN dumpling wrappers. It’s pretty easy, it might take a little practice to get them right and to get speedy. But doesn’t everything worth doing take practice? I’ll be candid, probably not making my own wonton wrappers, the commercial ones are bomb. But potstickers and mandu? You betcha.

YES, You Can!

I perused some of my favorite sites and decided to try a recipe that used AP flour, potato starch, salt and water. That’s it. Alot of recipes call for just flour, water and salt. I wanted to see if the potato starch texturally made a difference, I think it adds a bit of chew and tenderness to the wrapper. Nothing scientific to my conclusion but I can say the wrapper is delicious and just what I was looking for.

Super easy to put together. This is a hot water dough, which helps speed up the process. Throw the dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine, and then add the hot water. Use a dough whisk or wooden spoon to stir the water into the dry mix. It may seem like too little water but just be patient, it will come together.

Switch to using your hands to smoosh the shaggy stuff together to form a ball. Don’t worry, it will look rough. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead the dough on your counter. Knead until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and pliable.

See? Smooth, pretty dough after about 5 minutes of kneading. Put the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for 40-45 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax so it won’t contract when you roll the wrappers out.

Divide the dough into two and shape each into logs around 6-8 inches long. Work with one log at a time. Cover the rest of the dough so it doesn’t dry out. OR, a neat trick to making your logs -> Take the ball of dough and poke your thumb through the center creating a center hole, like a donut. Gently pull out from the center hole creating a bigger hole so it forms a ring. Keep stretching and pulling until the ring is around 1.25 inches in thickness and stop. Cut crosswise through the dough creating two logs. Ta-da!

Let’s Roll!

Cut each log into 10 equal pieces approximately 1/2 inch thick. For regular size dumplings, you are looking for pieces that weigh about 12-14 gms each. The pieces will look like little discs. Working with a piece at a time, covering the rest, flatten the disc with your hand. Then, using a small rolling pin roll the dough once, give it a quarter turn and roll again. You should have a rough circle. Pick up the outside edge further away from you and elevate it slightly, push the rolling pin onto the wrapper towards the center of it. Rotate the dough another quarter turn and roll again. Repeat going around the entire wrapper. Essentially you are flattening the wrapper, making it thinner especially on the edges. You should end up with a circle about 3.5 inches in diameter.

To make dumplings like Kimchi Mandu. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center on a wrapper. Fold into a semicircle and pressing the air out of the inside of each dumpling and sealing the edges. If you are using fresh dough you won’t need to wet the edges much if at all. Commercial wrappers will need some moisture, use water or an egg wash on the edges to seal. Rolling and wrapping video!

Proceed to Filling! My mom’s wontons here. Kimchi Mandu here

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Dumpling Wrappers (Potstickers or Mandu)

Fresh, amazing potsticker or mandu wrappers need only 4 ingredients and a bit of practice to master. Homemade wrappers have a nice chew and thickness that you don;t get with commercial ones. Try it, it's fun!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, One dish meals

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Wrappers for potstickers and mandu

Prep Time 30

Resting time 45

Total Time 1 15

Equipment

6-10 inch small diameter rolling pin

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour AP like Gold Medal will work or Asian AP Flour for dumplings and noodles. Moderate protein content
1 Tbs. Potato starch sub cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Hot water not boiling, approximately 105-110 degres,

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, potato starch, and salt. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients mixture, pour in hot water. Slowly incorporate with a dough whisk or wooden spoon.
As you mix, the flour-water will begin to look shaggy. At this point switch and use your hands to form a dough ball.
When there are no dry bits left in mixing bowl, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and start kneading thewith both hands on a flat surface.
Knead dough 3-5 minutes until it’s soft and smooth.
Place dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 40-45 minutes.
Divide dough in half and shape each piece into a 6” to 7” log. Cut logs in half and then cut into 1/2” wide pieces, you should end up with 10 equal pieces from each log and 20 equal pieces total.
Work with one piece of dough at a time, cover the remaining pieces with a damp towel to prevent it from getting too dry. Slightly flatten each disc with your palm.
Using a rolling pin, flatten dough by rolling once, then turn the dough a quarter turn and roll.
The next step is creating the final 3 1/2” circle that is slightly thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle. Keep your pin on the surface and roll towards the center of the circle and back. Rotate dough as you are rolling to create an even circle.
Place dumpling wrapper on a flour dusted plate and dust each dumpling wrappers so they won’t stick together. Cover dumpling wrapper with a plastic wrapper to prevent drying.
Repeat with remaining rounds.

Notes

Fresh wrappers are very pliable and moist and require minimal moisture to seal. The wrappers can be frozen but it is easier to fold dumplings with fresh wrappers and freeze the dumplings.
Enjoy!

Mandu-Welcome to MDU-Marvel-ous Dumpling Universe

By threejamigos | February 24, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

I love dumplings, right up there with bowl food, soul food. In my world, Jeopardy has a couple of categories including “Things You Eat with a BOWL and SPOON” and “Dumplings of the World”. It seems every culture has a dumpling that defines comfort, soul food. Ravioli, Momos, Mandu, Gyoza, Pelmeni, Pierogi…the list is endless. Dumplings are a labor of love, and labor-intensive. Maybe that’s why dumpling making is a joint effort with family and friends on occasions that bring us all together. Despite Covid, we did manage to have a small dumpling-making session to usher in the Lunar Year of the Ox (immediate family only and outside).

Bittersweet Gathering

Every year for the past too many to count years I look forward to New Year’s Day celebrations with family and friends. I pack up a tray of holiday cookies and head to my brother’s for their annual New Year’s celebration which includes making mandu of course.

The kitchen table is set up with bowls (more like vats) of mandu filling and stacks of wrappers surrounding the bowls. Everyone takes a shift wrapping mandu. It’s a lively table, as everyone chatters away while folding mandu. The folded mandu are lined on trays sprinkled with cornstarch, like little sentinels waiting for their marching orders on a winter’s day. Some are destined for the pot of boiling water on the stove-immediate gratification, while the rest are loaded into freezer containers for everyone to take home.

I look forward to seeing family and friends that I don’t see very often. We pick up right where we left off the previous year. Catching up on the comings and goings, the kids, vacation highlights, reconnecting as if it were only yesterday we last saw each other. This is what I miss most from this past holiday season due to COVID isolation.

My brother canceled their annual New Year’s Day celebration due to COVID and then my sister-in-law’s mother passed away. It was during the holidays we would normally see her. My kids affectionately called her Halmoni (grandmother in Korean) mimicking their cousins. Born in Seoul, she came here to complete her medical training to be a pediatrician. She was part of a generation of remarkable woman that defied the odds and norms of her time. What I will remember most was her kindness and generosity of spirit. She always greeted you with a warm embrace and a beautiful smile. Her soft-spoken demeanor and gentleness belied the tenacity and determination she must have had to accomplish all that she did.

I thought of her as I prepped the filling for our own little New Year’s Dumpling-making session. I was immediately transported to my brother’s kitchen table, sitting with her and my mom, laughing, talking, and of course, wrapping mandu. She will be sorely missed.

We made two fillings, Mom’s Won Tons and Kimchi Mandu in the morning before our designated wrappers arrived (my kid). I started with mom’s tried and true wonton filling, a delicious mixture of shrimp, pork, water chestnuts, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, and seasonings. We use it not only for wontons but for fried egg dumplings, and as a filling for steamed squash or tofu. Skip the wonton wrapper and make meatballs for a tasty addition to soup or congee. Mom’s universal filling, the best.

I adapted the recipe for Kimchi Mandu from Korean Bapsang (my go-to Korean food site). I wanted a vegetable-centric filling that still had a bit of meat in it. This one was perfect. Not gonna lie, the filling is not a walk in the park and requires time to make. My advice is to make the mandu filling the day before.

For Kimchi Mandu, you will need the following: Firm tofu, dried sweet potato noodles, ground beef or pork or combo, onions, scallions, kimchi, bean sprouts and seasonings. Gather the ingredients and then the “fun” begins. Blanch bean sprouts, drain & smoosh tofu, rehydrate & cut noodles, dice green & yellow onions, mince ginger and garlic, shred kimchi and THEN, add to meat.

WHEW, lots of prep but so WORTH IT. Wontons and mandu freeze beautifully so all this work will give you a freezer full of quick, last-minute, delicious meals.

Folding Mandu in the Cartoon Universe

That’s a Wrap

Most of the time (and I mean MOST), we use commercial wrappers for our dumplings. Look for round wrappers for potstickers or mandu at Asian markets. A link to the Oregonian shows 6 ways to fold dumplings! If you are feeling ambitious do try to make your own. It’s pretty easy and requires only 4 ingredients. The wrappers are flavorful, tender with a nice snap like hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles. Totally worth the effort (homemade wrappers get the “nood” here).

Serve mandu, steamed with a dipping sauce, fried, or boiled. A steaming hot bowl of Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup) with mandu and rice cakes ushered in the new year for us. Delish!

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