New Year Jiaozi

Name: New Year Jiaozi
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 300 g wheat flour; 160 ml water; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 400 g ground pork; 300 g napa cabbage; 2 teaspoon salt; 3 scallions; 20 g ginger; 2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine; 1 teaspoon sugar; 60 ml chicken broth; white pepper; 3 tablespoon black rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon chili oil; 1 teaspoon ginger

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New Year Jiaozi – Recipe | Löffelglück

1
Knead and rest the dough
Mix the flour and salt, add the cold water all at once, and knead for eight minutes into a firm, smooth dough. It should be noticeably tighter than bread dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for thirty minutes so the gluten relaxes and it can be rolled out thinly.
2
Draw water from the napa cabbage
Mix the finely chopped napa cabbage with the two teaspoons of salt and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Then take it in handfuls and squeeze the water out vigorously. A surprising amount will come out. This step is the reason why the dumplings stay sealed later.
3
Stir the filling in one direction
Mix the ground pork with the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, sugar, ginger, and pepper, then add the cold broth in three portions. Stir continuously in the same direction for two to three minutes until the mixture becomes noticeably sticky, tough, and clings to the spoon. Only now should you fold in the napa cabbage and scallions.
4
Roll out the wrappers
Roll the dough into two logs, cut them into about 40 equal pieces, and roll each into an eight-centimeter circle. Make them slightly thicker in the middle than at the edges so the bottom holds up during cooking. Keep the finished wrappers under a damp cloth, as they dry out in minutes.
5
Fill and fold
Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, fold the wrapper into a half-moon, and press the center firmly together. Then make three to four pleats in the front edge from one side, pressing each one against the flat back edge. The pleats are not just decoration, they give the dumpling its base to stand on.
6
Pan-fry as potstickers
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet, place the jiaozi in it with some space between them, and fry for two to three minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Pour in 80 ml of water, cover immediately, and let them steam for eight minutes. Remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate until the bottoms crisp up again. Mix the dip ingredients and serve immediately.

Our best tips

Squeeze the napa cabbage really vigorously. Every spoonful of water left inside will later end up as a hole in the dough.
Always stir in the same direction. Changing directions tears the protein network that keeps the filling juicy.
Raw jiaozi freeze exceptionally well. Pre-freeze them individually on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. They go straight from the freezer into the pan.

Tasty variations

Boiled instead of pan-fried

Cook in plenty of simmering water until they float, then add a cup of cold water twice and bring back to a boil each time. This is the classic preparation for the New Year festival.

Vegetarian

Replace the meat with 300 g of firmly pressed tofu and 150 g of chopped shiitake mushrooms. Reduce the broth to 40 ml, as tofu binds less water than meat.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 portion)
Calories	486 kcal
Protein	26 g
Carbohydrates	58 g
– of which sugar	4 g
Fat	16 g
Fiber	3 g

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference compared to gyoza?

Gyoza are the Japanese evolution. They have a thinner wrapper, a finer filling, and are almost always pan-fried. Jiaozi have a sturdier dough and are traditionally boiled, though both work with the same technique.

Can I use store-bought wrappers from the Asian market?

Yes, and they save a lot of time. Look for round wrappers for jiaozi, not the square ones for wontons. However, homemade ones have a much better bite.

Why do my jiaozi burst?

Usually, there is too much water in the filling or too much filling in the wrapper. A heaping teaspoon is enough. The temptation to pack more in is the most common beginner mistake.

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New Year Jiaozi

Step-by-step instructions

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Knead and rest the dough

Draw water from the napa cabbage

Stir the filling in one direction

Roll out the wrappers

Fill and fold

Pan-fry as potstickers