Okay, so today I decided to tackle both dim sum and noodles. I’ve always loved them, but making them from scratch? That’s a whole different ball game. I started early, like really early, because I knew this was gonna be a project.
The Dim Sum Journey
First up, the dim sum. I’m not gonna lie, I was intimidated. All those little folds and pleats? Yikes. But I found a few recipes online, watched a bunch of videos, and just dove in.
I decided to make har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings). The har gow dough was surprisingly…stretchy. Like, I was worried I’d messed it up, but it turned out okay. I think. The filling was pretty straightforward – shrimp, some seasonings, and a bit of bamboo shoot for crunch.
- Making the har gow:
- Mixed the dough ingredients (it was sticky!).
- Kneaded it until it was…well, less sticky.
- Chopped up the shrimp and mixed the filling.
- Rolled out the dough super thin (this was the hardest part!).
- Tried my best to pleat those little suckers (they looked…rustic).
- Steamed and ready to eat.
The siu mai were a bit easier, dough-wise. The filling was a mix of ground pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and some other tasty stuff. Shaping them was fun – kind of like making little open-topped baskets. Into the steamer they went!
Noodle Time!
While the dim sum was steaming, I started on the noodles. I’d always wanted to try making hand-pulled noodles, but…yeah, that didn’t happen. I went with a simpler knife-cut noodle instead. Still homemade, still counts, right?
- Making the Noodles:
- Make flour, water, salt in a bowl.
- Kneaded, and kneaed, and kneaded some more.
- The dough was pretty hard.
- Let it rest (and my arms, too!).
- Rolled it out and used a big knife to slice it into noodles.
- Boil the noodles.
I made a quick sauce with some soy sauce, chili oil, garlic, and a few other things I had in the fridge. Tossed the cooked noodles in the sauce, and boom – lunch (and dinner, and probably breakfast tomorrow) was served.
Honestly, the whole thing took hours. My kitchen was a mess. Flour everywhere. But you know what? It was totally worth it. The dim sum, while not exactly restaurant-quality, were pretty darn good. And the noodles? Chewy, flavorful, and way better than anything I could’ve bought at the store.
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but the feeling of making everything from scratch was awesome. Plus, now I have leftovers for days!