So, I’ve been craving dim sum lately, but going out isn’t always an option, you know? So I thought, why not try making some at home? I decided to start with the fillings, because honestly, that’s the best part, right? I mean, who doesn’t love a good, juicy filling packed with flavor?
First, I had to gather my ingredients. Now, I’m no expert, but I did some googling and figured out the basics. For a classic pork filling, I needed ground pork, obviously. Then, some finely chopped cabbage, because you gotta have some veggies in there. I also grabbed some green onions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Pretty standard stuff.
Mixing it all up was the fun part. I dumped the ground pork into a big bowl and added all the other ingredients. Then, I got my hands dirty, literally. I mixed everything together until it was well combined. It felt a bit weird at first, squishing all that stuff together, but it was also kind of satisfying.
- Pork Filling:
- Ground pork
- Chopped cabbage
- Green onions
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Salt and pepper
- Shrimp Filling:
- Chopped shrimp
- Water chestnuts (these add a nice crunch)
- Green onions
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- White pepper
- Vegetable Filling:
- Finely chopped carrots
- Shiitake mushrooms (soaked and chopped)
- Wood ear mushrooms (also soaked and chopped)
- Glass noodles (soaked and chopped)
- Green onions
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Salt and pepper
Next up, I wanted to try a shrimp filling. I used some chopped shrimp, some water chestnuts for a bit of crunch, and the usual green onions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and this time, a dash of white pepper. Mixing this one was similar to the pork filling, just a different texture.
And since I was already on a roll, I decided to make a vegetable filling too. For this one, I went with finely chopped carrots, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. This one was a bit more work because of all the chopping, but I think it’ll be worth it.
I let the fillings sit in the fridge for a while to let the flavors meld. Meanwhile, I started working on the wrappers, but that’s a whole other story. I’ll save that for another time.
The Outcome
After some trial and error I put the fillings inside the wrappers. After steaming them for a while, the dim sum is finally done! The fillings turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. The pork filling was savory and juicy, the shrimp filling was light and flavorful, and the vegetable filling was surprisingly tasty. I’m definitely going to be making these again. Maybe next time I’ll experiment with some different ingredients or try making some dumplings. Who knows?
Anyway, that’s my little dim sum adventure for now. It was a fun and rewarding experience. If you’re thinking about trying to make dim sum at home, I say go for it! Just be prepared to get your hands a little messy.