Steamed Chinese Chive Dumplings (Kanom Gui Chai)

For the dumpling pastry

• 1/2 cup potato flour
  
• 1 cup rice flour
  
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 tbsp garlic oil for coating

For the dumpling stuffing

• 100g Chinese chives
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil

For the dipping sauce

• 1 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tbsp malt vinegar
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 chopped or crushed chilli

Special Cooking Equipment Used

• steamer
  

Cooking instructions

Step 1: Begin by cutting 100g of Chinese chives into roughly 1/2 inch long pieces. Then add the chopped chives to a mixing bowl along with 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, and thoroughly mix together. Once mixed, set the stuffing aside for about 1 hour as the baking soda will soften the chives.

Step 2: Meanwhile we can make the dumpling pastry. Add 1/2 cup of potato flour and 1 cup of rice flour to a mixing bowl, mix together, then slowly pour in 1/2 cup of boiling water whilst stirring constantly. Keep stirring until you have a thick lump free dough.

Step 3: Once the dough is cool enough, dust a chopping board with some potato flour, and knead the dough for a few minutes.

Step 4: Once the Chinese chive stuffing has been set aside for 1 hour, add the stuffing to a strainer and squeeze out any excess water, as we don’t want the stuffing to be too wet.

Step 5: Now grab a golf ball sized lump of the pastry, and roll it into a ball. Then use your fingers to flatten the pastry out into a thin round sheet. Then add about 1 tbsp of chive stuffing into the middle of the sheet of pastry, and then gently push the edges of the pastry over the stuffing and into the middle as shown in the video. Repeat until you have used up all of the pastry.

Step 6: Now line a steamer with some non stick baking paper, which you have cut small holes in to allow the steam through, and steam the dumplings on a high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your dumplings.

Step 7: Whilst the dumplings are steaming, we can make the dipping sauce. So grab a small dish and add in 1 1/2 tbsp of water, 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp of sugar, 1 chopped or crushed bird eye chilli – if you want the dip to be spicier then crush the chilli, 1/2 tbsp of malt vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Mix the sauce thoroughly, then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds on a high power.

Step 8: By now the dumplings should have finished steaming, so just coat them with a bit of garlic oil and serve them hot with your dipping sauce and enjoy!