Sichuan Dumplings (Zhong Dumplings/钟水饺)

5 from 19 votes

Sichuan Dumplings (Zhong Dumplings/钟水饺)

Make mouth-watering Sichuan dumplings with this simple recipe! They’re filled with succulent pork and seasoned with a super flavorful sauce. An absolute delight to your taste buds.

Prep Time40

Cook Time35

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: dumplings

Author: Wei Guo

Ingredients

For the spiced sweet soy sauce

1 cup light soy sauce
¼ cup water
½ cup dark brown sugar or rock sugar, light brown sugar
2 stalk scallions
5 slices ginger
1 star anise
1 piece cassia cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 Tsao-ko optional

For the dumplings

1 stalk scallions chopped
5 slices ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
⅓ cup hot water
12 oz ground pork see note 1
1 egg
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
40 dumpling wrappers if using frozen ones, defrost beforehand

You also need

Chinese chili oil to taste
Minced garlic to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the spiced sweet soy sauce

Put all the ingredients for the sweet soy sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low. Leave to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or so until the volume has reduced by about ⅓.
Use a sieve to separate the liquid and the solid bits. Discard the latter and leave the spiced sweet soy sauce to cool (see note 2).

Prepare the filling

Put ginger, scallion, and Sichuan pepper into a small bowl. Pour in hot water. Set aside to infuse for 10 minutes, then pass through a sieve and keep the liquid for later use.
Add ground pork, Shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, egg, salt, sugar, and white pepper to a mixing bowl. Pour in the aromatic water from the last step gradually while stirring in one direction with chopsticks/spatula until the liquid is fully absorbed. You’ll end up with a smooth, sticky, paste-like mixture.

Fold the dumplings

Place some filling in the middle of a dumpling wrapper. Fold it into a half circle. Press the rim to seal it all around.
If using shop-bought wrappers, you’d need to wet the rim with a little water before pinching them together.
Put assembled dumplings onto a lightly floured surface without them touching one another. This is particularly important if using freshly made wrappers.

Cook the dumplings

In a large pot/wok, bring plenty of water to a full boil. Slide in the dumplings (you may need to cook them in two batches depending on the size of your cookware). Gently move them around to prevent sticking. Cover with a lid and leave to cook over high heat.
Once the water comes back to a full boil, add about ½ cup (120ml) of cold water then cover. Repeat the procedure another two times. The dumplings will be fully cooked when the water boils again after the third water addition (They should be all floating on the surface).

Assemble the dish

Fish out the dumplings with a slotted spoon (shake to drain off as much water as possible). Divide them into serving bowls (3-5 dumplings each as a snack or 10-12 dumplings as a meal).
Add sweet soy sauce, chili oil, and minced garlic to each bowl. Stir to coat evenly. Adjust the sauce quantity based on the number of dumplings in each bowl.

Make ahead & store

The spiced sweet soy sauce: Once completely cool, transfer to a clean jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.
The dumplings: Right after assembly, place them over a lightly floured tray in a single layer. Once completely frozen, transfer to an airtight bag and keep in the freezer for 3 months. Boil them the usual way without defrosting.

Notes

1. For a better taste, choose ground pork that has a high fat content. Ground chicken thighs can be used as a substitute.

2. The spiced sweet soy sauce made with this recipe is more than you’d need for 40 dumplings. Please see the post above to learn how to use it in other dishes.

Nutrition