Shrimp dumplings

Preparation - 25 minutes + 15 minutes waiting time

Remove 3 large leaves from the chinese cabbage and put it aside, we will use it later. Rinse the chinese cabbage and finely chop ¼th of the cabbage as fine as possible.

Add the chinese cabbage to a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of salt. The salt will extract a lot of moisture. This prevents the dumplings from getting too wet. Let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushroom in warm water.

Wash and peel the shrimps (see instructions on how to clean shrimps). Use a small knife to remove the intestinal tract from the shrimps. Wash the peeled shrimps thoroughly under running cold water.

Rinse and chop a spring onion into fairly small pieces.

After about fifteen minutes, squeeze as much liquid as possible from the chinese cabbage using your hands. Now cut the shiitake mushroom into small thin strips, don't make them too long.

Add everything (minced meat, shrimp, mushroom, spring onion, chinese cabbage, and an egg) to a large bowl. Now add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil, ½ tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of sake and stir everything together.

Finishing the shrimp dumplings - 25 minutes

Add a spoonful of filling into the centre of a round dumpling wrapper. If you made the wrappers yourself, there's probably no need to wet the edges with a bit of water.

Fold the edges together and press it. Folding the edge slightly from the outside to the inside. Then press it well again and repeat for the remaining dumplings.

Add water to a steamer and bring to a boil. Now add large chinese cabbage leaves to the basket of the steamer. The leaves will add flavour and (most importantly) prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom.

Divide a number of dumplings over the pan, make sure there is enough space between the dumplings, otherwise, they will stick together!

Steam the dumplings for about 5 minutes, or until they're soft. Serve with a simple dipping sauce, mix soy sauce with sesame oil and a little sambal to taste. Enjoy!