Gyoza Recipe (Japanese Pan-fried Dumplings)

 INGREDIENTS

• Store-bought gyoza wrapper
• Oil, for pan-frying
• Water, for steaming

Filling:

• 8 oz ground pork
• 2 oz cabbage, shredded and cut into small pieces
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Mizkan (Bonito Flavored) Soup Base or 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sake
• 3 dashes white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, green part only
• Pinch of salt

Ponzu Dipping Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons Mizkan AJIPON® Ponzu or regular Japanese Ponzu
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

METHOD

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients in the Filling and blend well. The Filling should be sticky and cohesive.
2. In a dipping bowl, combine the Ponzu with the sesame oil. Stir to blend well.
3. To assemble the gyoza, place a piece of the gyoza wrapper on your palm or a flat surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the Filling onto the center of the wrapper. Dip your index finger into some water and moisten the outer edges of the dumpling wrapper. Fold the gyoza over, press and seal the left end. Use your thumb and index finger to make a pleat. Pinch to secure tightly. Repeat the same to make the pleats. (Start with 3-4 pleats if you are a beginner). A nicely wrapped gyoza should have a crescent shape.
4. Heat up the oil in a skillet or stir-fry pan over medium heat. Arrange the gyoza  and cover with the lid. Pan-fry the gyoza until the bottoms turn golden brown and become crispy. Add about 1/4-inch water into the skillet or stir-fry pan and cover the lid immediately. The water should evaporate after a few minutes. Continue to cook the gyoza for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bottoms.
5. Remove the gyoza from the skillet or stir-fry pan and serve immediately with the Ponzu dipping sauce.

Cook’s Notes:

To grate the ginger and garlic, you can use a Japanese grater (oroshigane) or Microplane.

Get a good gyoza wrapper. Gyoza wrapper is generally thicker compared to other dumpling wrapper. Most of them are round in shape, but some are oval-shaped. For easier assembling, I suggest the round-shaped gyoza wrapper. If you can’t find gyoza wrapper, you can always use pot sticker wrapper, or Chinese jiaozi wrapper. Traditionally, Japanese home cooks use their hands to mix the gyoza filling for the best texture. You can adapt this recipe and make vegetarian gyoza.

Credits to: yummly.com