Asian Dumpling Tips

Dumplings make everyone smile. Make and eat lots.

asian dumplings

Tips on How to Have a Dumpling Party (and not work hard)

Asian Dumplings Cookbook, Cooking Tips & Tricks

It may not surprise you to know that I involve Asian dumplings in a fair amount of my entertaining and social activities. People come over to my house and they get dumplings. I go to parties or pot-luck dinners and I bring dumplings. Let’s just say that I like to share dumplings with others. Spreading the dumpling love also prevents me from getting the dumpling belly – a physical condition brought on by over consumption.

However, you can have your Asian dumplings and eat them too – that is, you don’t have to work too hard to keep the flow of dumplings going. They can be labor intensive but with a little strategic planning and a flexible approach, dumplings can be a no sweat effort and lots of fun. Here are a few tips to keep in your back pocket:

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Korean Pickled Jalapeno and Garlic Recipe

All Recipes, Dumpling Sides Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Vegetarian recipes

I love all the banchan sides served at the Korean table. In the realm of Korean dumplings (called mandu), banchan provide wonderful textural and flavor contrast to the soft chewy dough and savory filling. This simple pickle recipe embodies a Korean pickling method called jang-ajji in which the featured vegetable marinates in tangy sweet soy and vinegar. Traditionally, the raw vegetable steeps in the brine for weeks. I speed things up by bringing all the ingredients up to a boil and then turning the heat off. The crisp texture remains intact.

Korean cooks typically make either a chile pepper jang ajji or a garlic jang ajji. I like them both so I combined them into one. You can separate them if you’d like. The garlic mellows so it’s safe for date night!

Pickled jalapeno and garlic add spicy kick and pungent bite to any savory Korean mandu, whether the filling is kimchi or meat and tofu. The brining liquid can be used as a dipping sauce for steamed, poached, pan-fried or deep-fried mandu. If your jalapeño chiles are super hot (they tend to be when the heat is on), hollow out the center of the chiles to remove the membrane and seeds before you slice them.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

4 large jalapeño chiles, or 2 large jalapeño chiles and 1 large head of garlic
6 tablespoons light (regular) soy sauce
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3-inch strip lemon peel (use a vegetable peeler to remove from lemon), optional

1. Trim the stem from the chiles and then slice crosswise into circles a good 1/8 inch thick. Transfer them to a bowl, leaving any seeds that may have fallen off behind. (I like to use the cut stem end to scoot the chiles onto your knife and deposit them into the bowl.) If you are using the garlic, peel the cloves; do your best to keep them as intact as possible.

2. Put the soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar into a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust the flavor for a savory-tart-slightly-sweet flavor. Add the lemon peel.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chiles (and garlic, if using) and stir to combine. When the mixture returns to a boil, turn off the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring the mixture occasionally to ensure even exposure. Transfer to a jar and chill overnight before eating. This pickle keeps well for a good month!

If you tweak the recipe (maybe using a different chile) please share your technique.

Watermelon Radish and Cucumber Salad Recipe

All Recipes, Dumpling Sides Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes

Watermelon radish and cucumber salad

I love radishes for their crisp texture and slight bite. Bring on Japanese daikon, Chinese luo buo, Korean moo, and one of my all-time favorites, the watermelon radish. It looks sad on the outside, mostly off white and often mottled, and resembles a turnip tinged with green at the shoulders and light pink at the root. But cut one open and the inner flesh is reddish and white, radiating toward the edge to become white and finishing as lime green. It’s a feast for your eyes. As for the flavor, watermelon radish has a marvelously sweet-bite, though it turns a bit bitter when growing conditions are hot. Watermelon radish is a Chinese heirloom variety that also goes by red meat radish, rose heart. In Mandarin, the radish is called shinrimei, which literally means “beauty in the heart.” (Note to Chinese speakers, the ‘shin’ is misspelled in English botanical terms, but it is really xin, meaning heart, as in dian xin/dim sum.)

Last week’s weather was cool so the watermelon radish that I picked up from Coke Farms at the farmer’s market were nicely sweet. Radishes are typically spring and winter crop but watermelon radishes can be cultivated year-round if the temperatures are moderate, like they are here in Santa Cruz.

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About the Asian Dumplings Cookbook

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Thanks for your interest in the Asian Dumplings cookbook. Get the scoop on this page!

Many people contributed their professional expertise, including: Clancy Drake (editor), Betsy Stromberg (designer), Penny De Los Santos (photographer), Karen Shinto (food stylist), Natalie Hoelen (prop stylist) and Ann Miya (illustrator). The following recipe testers helped to refine the flavors and techniques: Mare Anderson, Lillian Chou, Alex Ciepley, Victor Fong, Georgia Freedman, Sue Holt, Doug Jeffery, Susan McCombs, Al Meyers, Candace Grover, Susan Pi, Karen Shinto, Makiko Tsuzuki, and Lea Yancey. 

To purchase Asian Dumplings, visit neighborhood bookstores and retailers such as Barnes and Nobles,  Amazon, Powell’s and Jessica’s Biscuit.

Asian_Dumplings-enhanced-ebook There are also ebook editions of Asian Dumplings too! On March 22, 2010, Ten Speed Press released two versions of Asian Dumplings, a regular ebook and an enhanced ebook that includes 12 how-to videos!

The iTunes bookstore has the enhanced edition whereas Amazon has separate pages for the enhanced and Kindle editions. If you prefer other ebook readers or platforms, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, Google eBookstore, and other ebook retailers are carrying the regular ebook. For more details on the process of putting together the ebook, see this post.


Reviews:

2010 Finalist

2010 Favorite Cookbooks

Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009

Winter 2009 Gift Guide

“…traditional publishers are adding video to their e-books, too. One of the best I’ve seen lately is Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More by Andrea Nguyen. “
– Lynn Andriani, Publisher’s Weekly, 4/18/11 (full review)

“If it’s a small, succulent parcel encased in dough, pastry, batter, or leaves from anywhere between India and Polynesia, you’ll find a recipe and crystal-clear instructions for making it with Andrea Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings.”
– Phillip Rhodes, Cooking Light,  Favorite Cookbooks of 2010 

“I just wanted to let you know that I am really enjoying Asian Dumplings. Your instructions are so clear and precise, they’re a joy to follow. So far I’ve only made vegetarian steamed dumplings (came out perfectly), but this afternoon I’m going to attempt my own dumpling skins and make some potstickers. . . . I spent 8 years in Hong Kong, south China and Taiwan and always loved watching dumpling-makers, and of course, sampling their wares. Well, out I go to locate a tortilla press . . .”
– Jennifer Miller, a reader in Montreal, via email

“I began mooning over Andrea Nguyen’s cookbook, Asian Dumplings, before it came out. I’ve owned it since December 25th, and I’ve read it cover to cover several times.”
– Cara, Big Girls, Small Kitchen, see 3/14/2010 pot sticker slide show

“Dumplings are something I consider a treat, something to feast on when I get the opportunity. Andrea Nguyen offers an alternative – under her guidance we can make our own dumplings right in our own kitchens and feast on them whenever we want.”
–Pam Thuman-Commike, Project Foodie, read full review

“Once you try these freshly made ones out of the oven, there’s a good chance there won’t be any left to even worry about heating them up again.”
– Carolyn Jung, Foodgal.com, read her account of making baked char siu bao

“If dumplings happen to be your thing, this book is certainly for you.”
–Flavorista.com, read mini review

“Andrea has done a bang up job producing a collection of carefully tested recipes for all sorts of dumplings to fill every desire. . . . If you ever have a craving for any sort of dumpling, this is your book. “
–Kristina Gill, Matt Bites, read full review

“Thanks, Andrea, for your wonderful cookbook! We will definitely be cooking (and posting) more recipes from it in the years to come.”
–Nathan Lau, HouseofAnnie.com

“This book will have you pleating like a pro, or if not, feeling it’s within reach.”
–Jacqueline Church, Suite101, read full review

“Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado, or merely dumpling-curious, Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings is a fabulous resource. Approachable, yet informed, this book has a prominent spot in my collection.”
–Traca Savadogo, Seattle Tall Poppy, read full review

“This book contains one of the most accurate and concise collections of dumpling recipes for those who want authenticity but rarely get it from cookbooks.”
–Lillian Chou, Time Out Beijing, January 2010

“The real magic occurs in cookbooks where the author has something to say, not just something to sell.”
–Brent, How Chow, read full review

“Personally, I have always strictly believed that the effort of making dumplings yourself magically negates the calories you might accrue by eating them. With the help of this book, you may find yourself reaching the same conclusion.”
–T. Susan Chang, National Public Radio,  The 10 Best Cookbooks of 2009 (read 11/25 text)  or listen to NPR Morning Edition 12/5 show

“. . .  Asian Dumplings is a book that inspired not only me but also my 10-year-old son, who filled it with Post-Its marking recipes he was eager to try”
–Michael Ruhlman, Ruhlman.com

“Andrea Nguyen’s book on Asian dumplings is straightforward yet doesn’t shy away from using authentic ingredients. Nguyen covers everything from Nepalese-style vegetable and cheese dumplings to pan-fried Chinese chive and pork dumplings in translucent starch dough. This is an ideal gift for adventurous cooks.”
–CHOW.com, Winter 2009 Cookbook Gift Guide

“I’ve tried making my own wrappers before only to get annoyed and buy off-the-shelf gyoza skins or wonton wrappers instead. With her clear and very detailed instructions (and the tortilla press and a little dowel rolling pin), I was busting out wrappers like nobody’s business. . . . Am I gushing? I think I’m gushing.”
–April, The Hungry Engineer, read the entire review

“Andrea Nguyen has written a book that will demystify making dumplings at home. . .  if you live in a place where Asian dumplings are not readily available, this will be your go to guide to making them.
–Amy Sherman, CookingwithAmy.com

“Andrea’s Asian Dumplings goes beyond the mere instructional. With an introduction to every recipe in her book Andrea educates her readers on the cultural significance of each dish, becoming your personal dumpling guru.”
–AsiaMs.Net

” . . . her new book rocks, covering dumplings from across Asia with terrific recipes, clear techniques and illustrations, and insights into pan-Asian food culture.”
–Harris Salat, Japanese Food Report, read full blog review

Asian Dumplings is a book that all lovers of Asian food should have on their bookshelves. The meticulously written recipes guide the cook, whether novice or expert, through every step, anticipating mistakes that the uninitiated might make in attempting dishes that were typically handed down from mother to daughter, with much hands-on tutelage.”
–Cindy Bradley, Herald-Times, read review

Cookinglight-oct09cvr“If it’s a small, succulent parcel in dough, pastry, batter or leaves from anywhere between India and Polynesia, you’ll find a recipe and crystal-clear instructions for making it with Andrea Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings, new from Ten Speed Press. “
–Cooking Light Magazine, October 2009 “Editor’s Dozen” Picks

“Researched at the source, with painstakingly detailed descriptions of the process used by master dumpling makers, it’s a mother lode of firsthand dumpling knowledge, translated to the skills and supplies of the American home cook”
– Andrew Z. Galarneau, Buffalo News, read full review

“”I learned so much from cooking from this book just once that I’m already looking forward to whatever I might learn next time.”
–Lisa Lawless, Lisa Is Cooking, read blog post on cooking from the book

“With full color photos, step-by-step illustrations on how to wrap over 75 Asian dumplings from samosas to spring rolls, it’s definitely a book I’d recommend.”
–Jaden Hair, Steamy Kitchen & Tampa Tribune, read  blog post or newspaper article

“I’ve learned a lot of my small store of Asian cooking skills from Andrea Nguyen. Her first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen was award-winning and I don’t doubt that her newest, Asian Dumplings (Ten Speed Press), will get some similar attention.”
–Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, Apartment Therapy | The Kitchn, read the review

” If you love dumplings or wish to learn more about them, get yourself a copy of this cookbook. I salivate and get hungry every time I flip through the pages of this book.
–Bee Yinn Low, Rasa Malaysia, read the blog review of the book and gyoza recipe

“I loved making the dumpling dough and I loved the way Ms. Nguyen demystified the pouring of boiling water to make the hot water dough which I always thought was a dangerous thing to do…”
–Veronica, Kitchen Musings, read the blog entry on soup dumplings (xiaolongbao)

“An essential book for any Asian food junkie, featuring all manner of tasty tidbits wrapped in tender dough.”
–Katherine Miller, The Oregonian, read full review (pdf)

“Here, in a relatively small volume packed with stunning photography meant to obviously inform as well as entice, Nguyen treats her subject with the precision of a surgeon coupled with the kind of delicious narrative that makes the book a veritable page-turner.”
– Elissa Altman, Poor Man’s Feast, read full review . . .

“Truth be told, making your own spring roll wrappers from scratch can be a bit difficult, at first. But with practice, the exercise of making lumpia skins becomes second nature. Heck, I’d even venture to say that the whole thing gets easier, and fun, and addicting–all thanks to Andrea’s wonderful and inspirational cookbook.”
– Marvin, Burnt Lumpia,  read his blog account of test  driving the recipes

“. . . Andrea Nguyen dishes on everything you need to know to make curry puffs, gyoza, pork buns, spring rolls, samosas and more.”
–Mat Schaffer, Boston Herald, read full review. . .

“Nguyen’s attention to detail is heartening, and her passion for her subject is contagious. She provides a visual guide to the six master shapes, comprehensive tutorials about the basic doughs and manages to convince even the most skeptical home cook that not only are homemade dumplings better than those from restaurants or stores, but they’re also easy to execute.”
– TastingTable.com, read full review . . .

“Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, celebrates a wide array of dough-wrapped treats from China, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, India and Korea in this lavishly photographed homage to the not-so-humble dumpling. . . . This alluring and attractive book will appeal to a wide audience of home cooks and trained chefs.”
– Publisher’s Weekly read full review. . .

“Until I began cooking from this remarkable book I had no idea that preparing Asian dumplings was so easy and so satisfying. Andrea Nguyen’s latest work is authoritative, fun, and filled with recipes that yield insanely delicious results.”
–James Oseland, editor in chief of Saveur and author of Cradle of Flavor

“I was truly excited when I first picked up this book, a feeling that quickly turned to awe. Andrea Nguyen introduces you to Asian dumplings you never knew existed, makes you feel that you can’t live until you try them, then takes your hand and, in admirably lucid detail, shows you exactly how to make them. Asian Dumplings is destined to become a classic–it’s already an instant must-have for any Asian food lover.”
–John Thorne, author of Outlaw Cook and Mouth Wide Open

“Andrea Nguyen has done a remarkable job of guiding us through the world of Asian dumplings, sharing their history and evolution and providing plenty of user-friendly recipes. This beautiful cookbook will make you want to throw a dumpling-making party every time you turn the page.”
–Corinne Trang, author of Essentials of Asian Cuisine and Noodles Every Day

“Andrea’s humor, enthusiasm, and comforting pragmatism make me want to bolt into my kitchen to knead and roll and wrap and steam and bake and fry and, best of all, gobble. This book will make you very, very hungry.”
–Niloufer Ichaporia King, author of My Bombay Kitchen

“Asian Dumplings is full of inspiration for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Samosas, lumpia, pot stickers, momo, gyōza, wontons, and bāo in one volume? And diagrams for all the folding techniques? Thank you, Andrea.”
–Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Cooking

“It’s absolutely gorgeous – and as far as I’m concerned, is now THE definitive English-language dumpling cookbook around – no one has yet managed to combine such clarity of instruction with so wide a survey.”
–Christopher Tan, author of Shiok!

Permission and Credit

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All
of the recipes and postings on the Asian Dumpling Tips site by Andrea
Nguyen are the original creations and property of their author, Andrea
Nguyen.

Feel free to link to the postings but please
DO NOT post or publish content, including recipes and photographs,
found on this site without:

1. First obtaining permission. 
2. Then, providing an attribute to appropriately credit the information source. For example:

Printed [published] with permission from Andrea Nguyen, www.asiandumplingtips.com

3. If you are going to reprint a recipe from the Asian Dumplings cookbook, the attribute should be:

From Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, spring rolls, samosas and more (Ten Speed Press, 2009) by Andrea Nguyen

Plagiarism is not good. For details on reprinting online content, review the guidelines from Creative Commons. Feel free to contact me with any
questions.

Thanks!

About Andrea Nguyen

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ANDREA 3A-color
Hello, this site was created and maintained by me — Andrea Nguyen. I’m a cookbook author, freelance writer, and cooking teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area. This site is dedicated to one of my all-time favorite foods — Asian dumplings. No matzo balls here. We’re talking pot stickers, sticky rice in banana leaf, stuffed buns (bao), har gow, siu mai, samosas, and the likes from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. I hope to go into Central Asia too!

I’ve been eating and making Asian dumplings  for decades, and recently, I had the great fortune of writing a cookbook on them. I’ll be encouraging you to make dumpling wrappers from scratch (you can do it and I will help!). Because you have to do plenty of research to know what a good dumpling is, there are also tips on how and where to find good Asian dumplings. Everywhere I go, I look for dumplings. Why not? They’re one of the most wonderful, lovely foods.

Cookbooks and Accolades

2007 Award Finalist

2010 Finalist

2010 Favorite Cookbooks

Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009

Winter 2009 Gift Guide

You may know me from my site, Viet World Kitchen, and/or my debut cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, which was published by award-winning Ten Speed Press in October 2006. Into the Vietnamese Kitchen was nominated for three prestigious James Beard and IACP cookbook awards in 2007. I launched the Asian Dumpling Tips site in May 2009 to support my new landmark publication on dumplings from all over Asia. Asian Dumplings (Ten Speed Press, August 25, 2009) is the first book to cover the broad scope of dumpling preparations from all over the region, as well as its manifestations in Asian communities abroad.

In June 2009, the Slate.com food issue listed me among a number of well-respected “recipe detectives” who excel at translating and demystifying foreign foodways for American cooks. I accomplished that with Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and hope to do the same with Asian Dumplings!  

In 2011, Asian Dumplings was released as an ebook. There are two kinds to choose from — depending on what your device will run. One is a digital version of the printed book (a straight ebook) and the other is an enhanced ebook that contains instructional videos to guide cooks through the various shapes; learn more from this page. 

To develop and refine the recipes in Asian Dumplings, I traveled to Asia to do research for the book, read many books on Asian cooking and dumpling making, and ate dumplings in major Asian enclaves in the U.S. and Canada. Then, I spent countless days in my home kitchen to perfect the recipes and techniques, and had them tested by a team of recipe testers.

Though you can buy store-bought skins for a number of recipes in Asian Dumplings, I’d like for you to try your hand at making them yourself — just like a good Asian dumpling master.

As of July 2010,  new posts on Asian dumplings are residing on Viet World Kitchen, where I explore Asian food, cooking and culture. I’ll post related links on this site but you should check VWK for new content. And, if  you love tofu, there are some cool dumpling recipes in my new book, Asian Tofu, to be released on February 28, 2012.

Professional Affiliations and Education
A contributing editor to SAVEUR magazine, my food writing appears in the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. I’ve led a tour of Orange County’s Little Saigon for Epicurious TV, which airs on the Travel Channel. A cooking teacher for several years, I’ve taught classes at Sur la Table in San Francisco, the Institute for Culinary Education in New York, Ramekins in Sonoma, Draeger’s in San Mateo, and Let’s Get Cookin’ in Los Angeles.

I’m a culinary professional and member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR), and San Francisco Professional Food Society (SFPFS). I also am a co-founder of the Asian Culinary Forum, an educational non-profit dedicated to the cuisines and food cultures of Asia, and serve on the advisory board.

I’m a proud alum of the University of Southern California, where I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Go Trojans! I’ve studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong where I honed my Mandarin speaking skills.

AndreaNguyenEmail-7My culinary training
Since the age of 10 (when I gained a certain command of English), I’ve been reading and studying cookbooks. I perused cookbooks, both East and West, as if they were novels. I watched PBS shows by Julia Child and Martin Yan and observed their moves and took in their knowledge. I fantasized about doing something in food but first generation immigrants ‘don’t do that.’ I’ve been a bank examiner, university administrator, and communication consultant. But in the midst of those careers, I cooked and read the classics as well as new interpretations of food, trying to find cultural and culinary links between cuisines. When reading Asian cookbooks, I tried to figure out how to present the unfamiliar and ‘exotic’ to a broad audience of cooks. The stuff seemed normal to me, why not others?

To test my determination, I cooked professionally for 1 year in the early 1990s, first at City Restaurant (owned my Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger) in Los Angeles, and then in catering. It was the hardest work I’d ever done. Not glamorous in any way.

My father offered to put me through cooking school — a bold move on his and my mom’s part since they first thought it was crazy of me to get a university degree and then work with my hands! But I demurred and figured that I’d be better off in something more conventional so I went to graduate school and became a communication consultant for clients in education. On the side, I wrote as a freelancer for newspapers and Saveur to hone my writing and research skills. I eventually built a website and won a cookbook contract with Ten Speed Press for my first work, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. It’s the book that I’ve been wanting to write since I was 10, and has since led to this work on Asian dumplings.

I have no formal culinary training. I never went to cooking school. What fuels me is this: A life-long curiosity about food, cooking, and culture. At the end of the day, my aim is to (1) capture the human connections to food and (2) demystify Asian food without dumbing it down.

Feel free to send messages, post comments, and join in the fray. I look forward to ‘meeting’ you.

Copyright information
Please do not copy and re-post content from this site without getting permission from me first.  That’s a rights infringement and just plain bad form!