Tasty Taipei Dumplings: A Flavorful Journey

1. Spread cabbage and cilantro over a clean dish towel. Gather up towel and squeeze out as much moisture from cabbage as possible.

2. Transfer cabbage and cilantro to a large bowl. Add pork, jalapeño peppers, egg whites, ginger, and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. Fill a small bowl with water.

4. Hold a potsticker wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place a tablespoonful pork mixture in the center. Dip a finger in water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold up edges and pinch together to seal. Transfer dumpling to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and pork mixture.

5. Place dumplings in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours. Transfer to large resealable plastic bags and store in the freezer.

Tips

You can substitute 2 leeks for napa cabbage if desired. I’ve also made these with 1 head napa cabbage, 1 head bok choy, and 1 bunch scallions. It’s a great combo.

If you have dumplings that did not seal completely or have broken skin, do not freeze them, as they’ll fall apart later. Just cook those for dinner tonight instead.

How to cook dumplings: Cook frozen dumplings in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then pan-fry in a greased skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides. If dumplings have not been frozen, skip the boiling step.