Happy Birthday To Me!

Hello,

Today is my Birthday! yay!
I turn 24 today and thank God for years that has passed and hopefully another years and years that are coming.
I'll work only until midday today and after that me and TWB will go somewhere that I don't know where to yet. How exciting!

For me birthday was ordinary day because since I was little until my Uni days, end of May was always, I mean always, exam/tons of assignments due period. Celebration was just simply mom cooked some noodle, boiled egg, and eating some cake. Even worse when I got here, Sydney, I was the one that cook my own noodle and egg. But this year, I'd give myself a break. If no one cook me some noodle or boil me some egg means probably this would be the first no-noodle-and-boiled-egg-birthday for me.

Anyway, talking about noodle, how I love a bowl of noodle with a dumpling soup as a side.
The other day I made around 90ish of dumplings. A lot? I know right.. Winter is coming so the needs of a bowl of dumpling soup were so creeping in and how I loved to have those dumplings ready in the freezer anytime I crave for them.


Pan Fried Dumpling
(sorry about the quality of the photo)

So now, I'd love to share y'all the recipe. I made this with a store bought dumpling skin, you can make them your own which is pretty easy, click on the Poh's Kitchen to see how to make the skin. You can also watch the video how Poh made them which helps a lot if you're a first timer.

Pork and Cabbage Dumpling
(makes around 45)

Recipe adapted from Poh's Kitchen

You need:
A packet of dumpling skin
A steamer

Filling
2 ½ cups Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
½ tsp salt
250g pork mince
3 tsp ginger, chopped finely
1/3 cup spring onions or Chinese chives, chopped
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
¼ cup chicken stock or water
4 ½ tsp light soy sauce
3 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbs vegetable oil
4 ½ tsp sesame oil
½ cup shitake dried mushrooms, soaked and chopped

Dipping Sauce
¼ cup light soy sauce
6 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
2-3 tsp chilli oil
3 tsp ginger, finely shredded
2 tsp garlic, chopped finely

Method
1. Mix salt with cabbage and allow to sit for 15 minutes so salt can draw liquid out of the cabbage. Wash cabbage briefly before squeezing to remove as much liquid as possible. You should end up with a heaped half cup of cabbage. Mix together with remaining ingredients until everything is incorporated.
2. Spoon a teaspoonful of the filling onto the centre of the wrapper. When crimping, only pleat one side of the dumpling leaving the other edge straight. This will give the dumpling an attractive crescent shape and let it sit nicely.
3. There are two ways you can cook these. Firstly, you can just boil them in plenty of salt water. When they float, allow them to cook for a further ten seconds, then scoop out with a slotted spoon into a colander. If you want a crispy bottomed finish, position the dumplings neatly in a frypan filled with about one centimetre of water and a dash of peanut oil. Cover and allow the dumplings to steam for about eight to ten minutes. When all the water evaporates, the little bit of oil that remains will help crisp up the bottom. Serve immediately with spice dipping sauce.


Good lookin crescent shape