Mandu (Korean Dumplings)
만두
This is a pork, beef and cabbage version of mandu, the Korean dumplings. This recipe makes approximately 240-280 dumplings, which you can cook in many different ways -- just freeze and fry, steam or add to soup (like duk mandu guk - rice cake & dumpling soup). Eat plain or serve with the
yangnyeom ganjang dipping sauce if you like.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 small Napa cabbage (baechu 배추), 1 lb
- 2 large round onion
- 1 bunch of green onion
- 1 small bunch of Korean chives (buchu 부추)
- 1 med size Korean white radish (moo 무)
- 3 lb mung bean sprouts (nokdunamul 녹두나물)
- 2 lb lean pork (ground coarsely)
- 2 lb-21/2 lb beef brisket (ground coarsely, or chopped finely with hand)
- 2 tbsp of salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp sesame oil (chamgirum 참기름)
- 4-5 egg yolks (save the egg whites)
- 4-5 pkg of dumpling wrappers (60 pieces each)
Recipe Steps:
- Prep the veggies for the dumplings: dice napa cabbage, yellow onion, green onion and chives into very small pieces and set aside. Slice the white radish thinly and steam for 7-8 minutes. When steam starts to escape from the pot, turn it off and leave it on the heat for a couple of additional minutes. Also wash the mung bean sprouts carefully and steam using the same method as above. Set all of the veggies aside.
- Get a cheese cloth ready and put the napa cabbage, yellow onion, green onion and chives into the cloth and squeeze tightly ... removing as much liquid as possible. Do the same for the steamed radish and the bean sprouts (separately), afterwards chopping both into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork and bean sprouts, mixing well with your hands. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, sesame oil and 4-5 egg yolks. Set aside the egg whites in a bowl -- you'll use this later for sealing the dumplings.
- Add all of the rest of the chopped vegetables into the mixing bowl and mix well.
- Cook a little bit of the stuffing by microwaving it and tasting. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt or pepper if necessary.
- Set up your dumpling wrapping work station -- if possible, it helps to ask others to help as this takes a while. Find several flat, freezable dishes or trays (I like to use old styrofoam meat trays) and sprinkle with flour. Lay these out, along with your dumpling wrappers, small spoons for scooping the dumpling mix and the egg white bowl.
- To make each dumpling, cup the wrap in your hand and put in about ¾ tbsp to 1 flat tbsp of stuffing in the center of the wrap. Dip your finger into the egg whites and trace a "C" on one side of the edge. Press the edges together so that it forms a half circle and close it tightly. If you run out of egg whites, you can use water, too.
- As you finish a mandu, place them on the flat dish and put them in the freezer (do not cover). This will freeze the mandus separately so that you can put them in a ziploc bag without them sticking together. After l/2 hour or so, it will have frozen enough to place them in a bag for later use.
- If you would like to eat some immediately, prepare a large skillet with hot oil (vegetable or canola). Wait until hot then add the dumplings. Leave for several minutes until one side is brown -- do not move around. Hold the lid with one hand and get ready to cover ... sprinkle several tbsps of water and cover immediately, letting the mandu steam. After the water has evaporated, fry uncovered for a few minutes again.
Serving Size: 20
Preparation Time: 1 hours, 15 minutes
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