Looking for the best China has on offer or just a tasty bite? Check out this Potsticker recipe and enjoy the flavorful Asian ride!

Potstickers or, for those learnt on the lore of Asian cuisine, Jiaozi are Chinese dumplings, commonly eaten in China and other parts of Asia.

The rather strange form factor can thank its appearance for superstition and the shape of Sycee a type of golden ingot, used in China as currency until the beginning of 20^th century.

Of course, when it comes to centuries old food, there are several other origin stories, including simple references to the dumplings’ horned shape which is called “Jiao” in Chinese. There is also a folklore about the Ming era’s famed Chinese physician who treated people’s frostbitten ears in a village with stew, wrapped in dough until the Chinese New Year arrived.

Either way, serving these dumplings is believed to bring prosperity, hence many Chinese families eat these at midnight on Chine’s New Year’s Eve with some cooks hiding a coin inside one for the lucky to find.

The name Potsticker came from a translation blunder and in reality, only meant to describe one type of Jiaozi made in a pan with open ends but the name stuck. Nowadays, all the dumplings filled with something is called a Potsticker in the English-speaking world, or in more eloquent fashion, “Chinese dumplings” is also used.

Nowadays, Potstickers can be found all over the world’s Asian restaurants in some form or the other, sometimes under different names, like it is the case with the Japanese Gyoza.

The exact ingredients of the Potstickers can vary, not just from part of the region but by family to family. Ground meat, chopped vegetables and soy sauce seem to be a common ingredient in most of them, except, of course the vegetarian ones.

Some mutual understanding across regions do exist though, as an example Gyoza tend to be more garlicy than Jiaozi. However, if someone throws an extra clove of garlic or two into their dumplings, no one will kick it off the pedestal of Chinese cuisine to the other side of the archipelago because it belongs there.

Getting into the bottomless hole of dumplings is an exciting journey that may never ends. Once dipped into the cavalcade of flavors and textures, we run the risks of never feeling the same again, but knowledge is all about having more of it. Just like dumplings.

Ingredients

1 pack of Jiaozi(about 50)
3 cups / 200g Bok choy or Cabbage (finely sliced)
1 piece / 10g Ginger (peeled, grated)
1 clove / 3g Garlic (grated)
1 lb / 500g Ground pork
2 teaspoons / 10g Salt
1 tablespoon / 15ml Soy sauce
1 tablespoon / 15ml Sesame oil
2 tablespoons / 30ml Cooking oil (for frying)
Basic dipping sauce
- 3 tablespoons / 50ml Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon / 5ml Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon / 15ml Cooking oil
- Hot sauce to taste

How to make Potsticker

Potsticker Wrap

We can make wrappers by kneading two parts of flour to one part of water.
Roll the dough out thinly and cut them with a cookie cutter. Or we can simply buy them in any Asian shop, sometimes under the name of Gyoza.

Filling

Finely slice the cabbage. Peel and grate ginger and garlic.
In a bowl, add cabbage, ground pork, salt soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Mix together the ingredients by hand until it is well combined.

Assembly

Take a slice of wrap into the non-dominant hand. Dip a finger into cold water and run it round the edge of the wrap so it will stick together when folded.
Place about two tablespoons filling into the middle of the wrap.
Pinch the two opposing sides together in the middle.
Start making a pleat by folding the dough under itself. Make one side first.
Then pop over the other side too. Fold about 3 pleat on each side.
Once both sides are done, make sure the dough sticks together nicely.
They tend to stick down at the bottom and dry out at the top so don’t keep them waiting too long for the frying pan. Place them onto a lightly floured surface and spread a kitchen towel over them that slows down moisture evaporation if needed.

Frying

In our favorite skillet, heat oil to medium to high heat and place the Potstickers flat side down.
Fry until the bottom gets golden brown, for about 2 minutes.
Pour a ⅓ cup / 75ml water in the skillet. Place the lid on! Using a lid is paramount!
Steam cook the jiaozi until the water evaporates and the skin gets a rubbery cooked pasta like texture, for about 6 minutes. Remove the Potstickers from the skillet. Shake together some basic dipping sauce and serve.