Chinese Dumplings Jiao Zi RecipeChinese Dumplings Jiaozi and Chinese New Year You know that Chinese Lunar New Year,or Spring Festival is the most important festival for all Chinese world wide. Like Thanksgiving Day in western country, Chinese people celebrate their harvest this year and welcome the coming spring in Chinese Lunar New Year. In Spring Festival,families stay together. No matter how far they are, they must go back home. In Spring Festival's Eve, families have dinner together. In the following days, people visit relatives and friends,blessing for each other. At mid night(12 O'clock) of the New Year's Eve,it's a custom to eat Jiaozi. Jiaozi has the same pronunciation with the meaning "the point of intersection of new and old world". So the forming of Jiaozi is to press the two part of a round paste together. Traditional Jiaozi skin is made of wheat while fillings are vegetables and ground meat. Popular and traditional fillings are Chinese cabbage with pork, celery with beef,shrimp and egg with leek. Now people make whatever their favorite as fillings such as fish, mushroom,green pepper,cucumber,tomato,etc. The methods of cooking Jiaozi are water boil, steam or pan-fry. Water boiling has smooth and soft skin,fresh delicious taste. While steam method keep the most food flavor and so more fragrance. The following is the process of making Jiaozi.
Making fillings: 1/4 lb ground beef(about 100g) 2 cup celery,chopped(about 200g) 1 teaspoon five species powder 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon shallot,chopped 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg Procedure: 1. Add ground beef in a big bowl,add soy sauce,salt,shallot,five species powder,ginger powder,salt,egg,(if it's not so dry,then just add half egg liquid)stir evenly,let it stay 10mins. 2. Cut celery into very thin and small pieces,almost minced. Or just minced by using machine. 3. Add minced celery in the above bowl,mix and stir evenly.
Making Jiaozi Skin: Ingredients: 1 cup water 500g flour (about 1lb) Procedure: 1. Add flour in a basin,slowly add water while stir. 2. knead into dough.Cover,let it stay 15mins. 3. Knead the dough into 1inch long round strip. Cut into small dough(about 1/2 inch section)(experts pull by hands) 4. Roll into thin round flakes by using stick.(I know it's not easy to do.It needs practice. I learned it from when I was 5 years old).Jiaozi skin must be thin enough. Don't let the round flakes(Jiaozi skin) stay too long time(they'll be dry),making Jiaozi at once.
Making Jiaozi 1. Put Jiaozi skin on your palm,add stuff(about 1/3 of Jiaozi skin). 2. Fold the Jiaozi skin in half with stuff in side,don't pinch now. 3. Pinch at the center first,then pinch at the two end. Leave the front side shorter so that you can fold into tuck.Nip around slightly making sure two side is firmly stickied. The right shape of Jiaozi is half round,like an ear.
Cooking: Steam: Arrange Jiaozi in a drawer of a steamer,cover,steam 10min over medium heat. Water-boiling:(Bring 3 times boil) a.Add water in a saucepan,water cover 2/3. Bring to a boil. b.Add Jiaozi,Jiaozi should be less than 1/3 of the cooker.Bring to the 1st boil while stir. c. Add 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring to the 2nd boil while stir. d. Add additional 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring to the 3rd boil while stir. e. Simmer 2mins over low heat. Scoop out with strainer spoon,turn off heat,serve.(turn off heat after scoop out,otherwise it'll be easy to spoil the jiaozi when scooping).
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