Siu Mai (Shumai, 烧卖)
One of the most popular Cantonese dim sum dishes, siu mai with pork and shrimp filling can be easily made at home. Learn the tips and tricks!
Servings: 20 Siu Mai
Ingredients
For the filling
- 8 oz ground pork see note 1
- 7 oz raw, peeled shrimp cut into cubes
- 3 large dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated and minced (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoon water in which the mushrooms are soaked
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
You also need
- 20 siu mai wrappers or thin wonton wrappers (see note 3)
- 20 slices carrot for lining
- Finely minced carrot for garnishing
Instructions
Prepare the filling
- Add all the ingredients for the filling to a large mixing bowl. Use chopsticks or a spatula to stir the mixture vigorously in one direction for 5 minutes or so until everything is combined into a sticky mass. You may use a stand mixer to speed up the process (with a flat beater on medium speed).
Assemble the siu mai
- Take the wrappers out of the package. Remember to cover them if not used immediately as they dry out easily.
- Put a tablespoonful of the filling in the middle of a wrapper. Then let the wrapper securely sit in the hole formed by the thumb and index finger of your non-dominant hand.
- Top up with more filling. Level with a frosting spatula or the handle of a spoon so that the wrapper is generously filled to the rim (watch the video below for reference).
Steam the siu mai
- Scatter the carrot slices in the steamer basket. Then place the assembled siu mai over the carrot (see note 4 for alternative methods). Garnish each siu mai with a pinch of finely minced carrot.
- Add 2 cups (500ml) of water to the wok/pan you plan to use for steaming. Bring it to a full boil then place the steamer baskets over (you may stack up multiple baskets and cook all at once).
- Leave to steam over high heat for 7 minutes. Serve immediately, on their own, or with a sauce of your choice (such as chili oil, black rice vinegar etc.).
Make ahead & store
- Right after assembly, place uncooked siu mai on a tray in a single layer. Put into the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer them to air-tight containers/bags. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
- Steam frozen siu mai for 10-12 minutes (without defrosting).
Video
Notes
1. It’s best to choose ground pork with a high content of fat (e.g. 20%). You may use ground chicken as a substitute. In this case, use the one made with dark cuts of chicken instead of breasts.
2. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water overnight, or in hot water for 30 minutes until soft and plump.
3. Siu mai wrappers are yellow, round and thin. If unavailable, use square wonton wrappers instead (Trim off four corners). White, round wrappers for dumplings (Jiaozi) are not ideal as they’re usually too thick.
4. Apart from sliced carrots, you may also line the baskets with perforated parchment paper or brush a thin layer of oil if using metal/plastic steamers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1siu mai | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.1mg
