Dumplings
Serve with stir fry noodles and vegies or fresh salad complimented with a bowl of red vinegar combined with shredded ginger, for dipping. I like to dip my dumplings in a sauce of equal parts kecap manis, hot chilli sauce and sweet chilli sauce. We grow our own chillis so the flavour is awesome! Enjoy…
Ingredients
2 x 4cm pieces ginger, peeled 250g Chinese cabbage, finely shredded 350g minced pork 2 green onions, finely chopped 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tbs rice wine vinegar 2 x 275g pkts gyoza or potsticker wrappers 1/3 cup (80mL) peanut oil Chinese red rice vinegar Cornflour for dusting
*Shaoxing rice wine is a rice cooking wine. (Substitute dry sherry. **Chinese red rice vinegar is made from glutinous red rice. ***Wonton wrappers can be substituted, however, they don’t have the same thin edge as the dumpling wrappers so may not pleat as well.
Method
Step 1 Finely grate ginger pieces. Place cabbage in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt then leave for 30 minutes. Squeeze and massage handfuls of cabbage in your hands to remove excess water and transfer to a new bowl. Add 1 and 1/2 tsp of the grated ginger, the minced pork, onions, sauces, sesame oil and wine and combine well.
Step 2 Line a large tray with baking paper and dust with cornflour. Using your index finger, wet edge of a wrapper with a little water. Place 2 level tsp of filling in the centre. Fold wrapper in half and, using your thumb and index finger, pleat one edge, then press edges together to seal. Place the dumplings in a single layer on prepared tray. Dumplings can be made up to 6 hours in advance; store covered in the fridge.
Step 3 Preheat oven to 150°C. Heat 1 tbs peanut oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the 12 dumplings in a single layer in the pan pleated side-up and cook for 1-2 minutes or until brown underneath. Carefully add 1/2 cup boiling water, then cover partially with a lid and cook for a further 4-5 minutes or until water has evaporated and dumplings are crisp underneath. Serve while warm.
Cake 1/2 cup fresh lemon balm leaves 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup oil (such as olive oil) 1/2 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk or thin yogurt 2 teaspoons poppy seeds Icing 1/2 cup fresh lemon balm leaves (or 1/4 cup dried) 1 cup just-boiled water 1/4 cup honey 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder More poppy seeds for sprinkling Lemon balm leaves for garnish (optional) For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking pan (see notes above).
For the cake:
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a
baking pan (see notes above).
2 Finely mince the lemon balm. (I use a food
processor for this but a knife is fine too.)
3 Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4 In a large bowl, mix together the oil, minced
lemon balm, honey, and vanilla extract. (I use a
cake mixer for this step.)
5 Add the eggs, mixing them in one at a time, and
then the buttermilk (or yogurt).
6 Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in two
batches. Mix on low speed until combined, and
do not overmix. Mix in the poppy seeds. Pour
the batter into the prepared pan.
7 Bake until it is brown around the edges and
a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 30 minutes for a cakelet pan or
60 minutes for a loaf pan.
For the icing:
1 Steep the lemon balm in 1 cup of just-boiled
water for 5 minutes.
2 Strain into a small pan. Add the honey and stir
until it is dissolved.
3 Separate two tablespoons of the lemon balm
and honey mixture into a small bowl and allow
to cool. Once cool, add the arrowroot powder
and stir well.
4 Add this mixture back into the small pan with
the lemon balm and honey.
5 Heat the pan on medium-low heat. Whisk
the mixture continuously until it begins to
thicken. Pull it from the heat just as it thickens;
otherwise, it will continue to thicken and
become overly gel-like.
6 Spoon the icing over the cake. Sprinkle poppy
seeds on top. Garnish with fresh lemon balm
leaves if desired.
