FoodieAtlas
Recipes around the World
Gyoza arrive at the table as a connected sheet — all six or eight dumplings fused at the base by the starch from the dumpling water that caramelized in the pan, creating a translucent, shatteringly crispy bottom while the top stays pale and tender. Japan adopted them from Chinese jiaozi soldiers encountered in Manchuria during the 1930s and 40s, then refined the wrapper to be thinner, the filling leaner (cabbage, pork, garlic, chive), and the cooking method more specific: pan-fried in a hot oiled pan, then steamed under a lid with a small amount of water, then crisped again without the lid. The dipping sauce is not an afterthought — a mix of soy sauce and rice vinegar, with a few drops of chili oil, cut through the fatty pork filling. Gyoza are eaten as a side dish with ramen, or on their own with a cold Sapporo.
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, finely chopped cabbage, green onions, minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Place a gyoza wrapper on a clean surface.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the filling into the center of the wrapper.
Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little water.
Fold the wrapper in half to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges together to seal.
Pleat the sealed edge, pressing firmly to ensure the gyoza is well sealed.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Arrange the gyoza in the skillet, flat side down, making sure they are not touching.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
Add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and immediately cover with a lid.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the gyoza are cooked through.
Remove the lid and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to re-crisp the bottoms.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil (if using).
Serve the gyoza hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
Pan-fried-then-steamed dumplings; Japan's version of Chinese jiaozi; thin wrapper, crispy base.
Adapted from Chinese jiaozi in post-WWII Japan; became a staple of Japanese izakaya and ramen shops.
Ground pork, napa cabbage (squeezed dry), garlic, ginger, chive, sesame oil, thin gyoza wrappers.
Squeeze as much water from the cabbage as possible before mixing — excess moisture makes the filling steam and prevents crisping.
Soy + rice vinegar dipping sauce with chili oil; alongside ramen; cold Japanese beer.