Wontons, potstickers, boiled dumplings. If you think that these are all different names for the same thing, then this is for you! Each of these styles of dumplings have different characteristics and cooking styles and throughout this series that we’re calling Unwrapping the Dumpling, we’re going to take a deeper look into the many types of dumplings out there and what makes them unique.

Next up: Dumplings.

Cooking Style

Much like wontons, dumplings are best prepared in broth and served with vegetables and noodles. Because of its thin wrapper, dumplings can also be boiled in water and served with dipping sauces like soy sauce or chilli oil. The thickness of the wrapper is important because if the wrapper is too thick, you end up eating more dough than filling, which can end up tasting very bland. Although the wrapper plays a crucial role in holding the dumpling together, the filling is the star of the show. Cooking it in broth or in water is great because you can be having a meal or a light snack within 15 minutes that is both tasty and healthy.

Wrapper & Folding Technique

Dumplings are made with a round wrapper, much like the wrapper for potstickers. However, the potsticker wrapper tends to be slightly thicker because the panfrying method can be a bit more rigorous and requires a tougher skin. Since boiling the dumpling in broth or water isn’t as harsh on the wrapper, the dumpling wrapper tends to be thinner.

In terms of folding technique, the filling is placed in the middle of the circular wrapper, but unlike the potsticker where the wrapper is then folded in half and pleated, the dumpling is bunched together and squeezed at the top to create a small sack holding the meat together.

If you’re the creative type and wanting to experiment on fillings, dumpling wrappers and this type of folding technique is the most versatile. Usually we recommend experimenting with some ground pork or chicken and your own mix of season and vegetables.

Cooking Instruction

Cooking Time: 15min

The quickest and easiest way is to prepare dumplings is to either boil it in soup or in water. To serve it with soup, we recommend using a soup base like chicken broth, served with vegetables and noodles.

1. Bring the water or broth to a boil.

2. Put the desired amount of dumplings into the boiling water or broth.

3. Let the dumplings simmer in the boiling water for about 10 minutes. DO NOT put the lid on the pot, as the wrapper of the dumplings are delicate and covering the pot will cause the skin to overcook and break.

4. With about 5 minutes left, you can put the vegetables into the broth to cook. Noodles can also be put in at this time, but we recommend cooking the noodles in a separate pot and rinsing it with water (as opposed to cooking it all in the same pot) so that it has a better consistency for the soup. If you’re just boiling it in water, you can remove it from the water.

5. Pour contents into a bowl and serve. Enjoy!

At Typical Noodles, we have a variety of dumplings! Come visit us today or see what we have on the menu for dumplings here.