Clean and Savory Handmade Mandu (Handmade Dumplings)

Ingredients

• If the pork is too lean, the dumplings will turn out dry, so buy meat with a little fat, finely mince thinly sliced pork belly, or use half beef and half pork.
• If there are radish strips inside the aged sour kimchi, do not shake them off; leave them in for a great chewy texture and a refreshing flavor.

Steps

1. Prepare the ingredients

   

   

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   First are the ingredients for the pork dumplings.

   I prepared ground pork.

   If it is too lean, the dumplings will be dry, so buy meat with a little fat, or you can finely mince thinly sliced pork belly.

   You can also use half beef and half pork.

   I prepared 150g of sweet potato glass noodles before soaking, about a big handful of garlic chives (200g), 1 block of tofu (500g), 300g of mung bean sprouts, and 1 large green onion plus the white part of another.

2. Season the meat

   

   

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   It is best to season the meat separately to remove any gamey odor.

   The meat can make the entire dumpling filling smell gamey, so this step is essential.

   Press it with paper towels until no more blood comes through.

   

   

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   Add 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of minced ginger, and a little ground black pepper to the meat and knead it.

   If you knead the meat until it feels sticky, the dumpling filling will not clump up hard and will stay tender when eaten.

3. Chop the ingredients

   

   

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   Finely chop the garlic chives and large green onion.

   

   

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   Blanch the mung bean sprouts just until they wilt tenderly, rinse them in cold water, drain, and chop them finely.

   Moisture will still come out after chopping, so squeeze them tightly once more.

   

   

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   Boil the sweet potato glass noodles in boiling water until chewy and soft, let them cool without rinsing, and chop them finely.

   If the noodles are long, they will not blend into the filling and can be annoying when shaping dumplings, so chop them as finely as possible.

   Also, leaving the sticky starch without rinsing helps everything cling together neatly instead of separating, making the work easier.

   

   Put the tofu into a cheesecloth, mash it, and squeeze it tightly with all your strength to remove the moisture.

4. Season the dumpling filling

   

   

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   Put all the prepared ingredients into a bowl and add 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce (or brewed soy sauce), 1/2 tbsp of salt, and 3 tbsp of toasted sesame oil.

   

   

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   Mix well so the seasoning is evenly distributed, then take a little portion and cook it in a pan to taste the seasoning.

   The seasoning of the filling must be just right for the dumplings to be truly delicious.

   Adjust any missing saltiness by adding salt and mixing evenly. With that, the pork dumpling filling is finished.

5. Make the kimchi dumplings

   

   Prepare about one quarter head (500g) of aged sour kimchi. This is roughly the weight with the kimchi juice squeezed out.

   If there are shredded radish pieces in the kimchi seasoning, do not shake them off; leave them in, as they give a nice bite and a refreshing, delicious taste.

   

   

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   Chop it finely, place it in a cheesecloth or a strainer, and squeeze out the juice tightly.

   

   

   

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   Take out half of the pork dumpling filling made earlier, and add all of the chopped kimchi in its place.

   Add 1/2 tbsp of sugar to the kimchi alone and mix roughly to neutralize the sourness.

   Add 2 tbsp of gochugaru and mix so the color is evenly distributed throughout.

   To check the seasoning of this filling as well, pan-fry a little bit, taste it, and adjust any missing seasoning.

   

   This easily finishes both the pork dumpling and kimchi dumpling fillings.

   You make a generous amount of pork dumpling filling first, take half out, and just add chopped kimchi, so it is really simple.

6. Shape the dumplings

   

   

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   The dumpling wrapper size is about 12 cm in diameter.

   Rub water along the edge of the wrapper, add a generous amount of filling, and shape the dumpling.

   To make them quickly, I made the simplest shape without any fancy folds.

   Depending on how much filling you put in, I made 30 pork dumplings and 30 kimchi dumplings, for a total of 60 dumplings.

7. How to steam the dumplings

   

   

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   Line the bottom of a steamer with a cheesecloth and arrange the dumplings neatly.

   Pour water into the steamer pot, bring it to a rolling boil, set the steamer on top, cover with the lid, and steam for 12 to 15 minutes.

   Check the dumplings halfway through and adjust the time as needed.

   

   

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   Pork dumplings on the left, kimchi dumplings on the right.

8. Finish

   

   I plated the pork dumplings and kimchi dumplings together on one dish.

   

   It had been a very long time since I last made dumplings.

   Full of handmade care that commercial dumplings cannot replicate, handmade dumplings are so chewy and delicious.

   

   

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   Because I packed the filling generously, they look completely full like this.

   My meal was delayed because of shaping dumplings, so I was starving.

   Without any rice or sliced rice cakes, I quickly boiled a dumpling soup with just the dumplings and devoured a generous bowl in no time.

Ppunwife's tips

• It is best to season the meat separately to remove any gamey odor. The meat can make the entire dumpling filling smell gamey, so this step is essential.
• If you knead the meat until it feels sticky, the dumpling filling will not clump up hard and will stay tender when eaten.
• Boil the sweet potato glass noodles in boiling water until chewy and soft, let them cool without rinsing, and chop them finely. If the noodles are long, they will not blend into the filling and can be annoying when shaping dumplings, so chop them as finely as possible. Also, leaving the sticky starch without rinsing helps everything cling together neatly instead of separating, making the work easier.
• Mix well so the seasoning is evenly distributed, then take a little portion and cook it in a pan to taste the seasoning. Adjust any missing saltiness by adding salt and mixing evenly.
• Add 1/2 tbsp of sugar to the kimchi alone and mix roughly to neutralize the sourness.

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