Okay, so the weekend hit, and I got this serious craving for dim sum. You know, the proper stuff, like you get in those bustling restaurants. But honestly, dragging everyone out felt like too much effort, and sometimes, you just want that comfort food right here in your own kitchen. So, I thought, why not try making some myself? Seemed like a decent plan at the time.
Getting the Bits and Pieces
First things first, I had to figure out what I actually wanted to make. Settled on a few classics: siu mai (those open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings), har gow (the shrimp dumplings in that translucent wrapper), and maybe some simple potstickers ’cause they’re always a crowd-pleaser. This meant a trip down to the local Asian market. Man, that place is always an adventure. Grabbed some ground pork, fresh shrimp (had to peel and devein those myself, a bit messy but worth it), wonton wrappers (cheating a bit for the siu mai, easier that way), and crucially, the tapioca starch and wheat starch for the har gow wrappers. That part felt a bit ambitious, not gonna lie. Also picked up soy sauce, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, ginger, spring onions – the usual suspects.
The Making Part – Chaos Ensues
Back home, kitchen counter cleared, ready for action. Started with the fillings. Chopping the shrimp, mixing it with the pork, adding ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, some white pepper. Pretty straightforward, just mixing stuff in a bowl. Felt quite professional doing that bit.
Then came the wrappers. The siu mai using store-bought wrappers was easy. Just plop a spoonful of filling in the middle and kinda squeeze it up the sides, flatten the top. Done. They looked… okay, maybe a bit rustic.
Now, the har gow wrappers. This is where things got interesting. Mixing the wheat starch and tapioca starch, pouring in boiling water – very specific instructions I found somewhere. It turned into this weird, sticky blob. Kneading it was… an experience. Then rolling it out super thin? Much harder than it looks! My first few were tragic. Too thick, wrong shape, tore easily. Honestly considered chucking the whole lot and just making more siu mai. But I kept at it. Eventually, I got a few that looked vaguely circular and thin enough. Folding them over the shrimp filling and making those little pleats? Let’s just say they wouldn’t win any beauty contests.
- Mixed pork and shrimp fillings.
- Made siu mai using wonton wrappers (the easy part).
- Attempted homemade har gow wrappers (the hard part).
- Folded the dumplings (results varied!).
- Made a simple dipping sauce too – soy sauce, rice vinegar, bit of chili oil.
Steaming and Eating
Got my trusty bamboo steamer out, lined it with some cabbage leaves so nothing would stick (learned that trick the hard way ages ago). Loaded up the siu mai and the slightly lumpy har gow. Steamed them over boiling water for about 10-12 minutes. The kitchen started smelling amazing, just like a proper dim sum place.
Finally, pulling that steamer off the heat. The reveal! The siu mai looked pretty good, plump and juicy. The har gow… well, they were cooked. Some held their shape, others looked a bit sad, but the wrapper was translucent-ish, so I called it a win. We gathered around the table, dipping sauce ready.
And you know what? They tasted great. Maybe not restaurant-perfect, especially the har gow texture, but they were fresh, hot, and made with my own hands. There’s something really satisfying about that. Took way longer than just going out, made a decent mess, but totally worth it for a lazy weekend vibe. Definitely doing it again, though maybe I’ll practice those har gow wrappers a bit more… or just buy them next time.