Dumplings

Ingredients
Filling
•4 cups chopped cabbage(Chinese or regular, or mixed)
•1 cup chopped celery
•1 cup diced carrot
•1 cup diced seasoned tofu (brownish and hard)*
•1 tsp diced ginger, optional
•1 tsp salt 1
•¼ tsp pepper
•1 tsp sesame oil
•1 tsp brown sugar, optional
Dough
•½ cup rye flour **
•1 ½ cup all purpose flour
•2/3 cup water
Sauce
•2 tbsp soy sauce
•1 tsp sesame oil
•½ tsp chili flakes or Chinese chili sauce/paste ☺
Preparation
1)Chop all the ingredients and mix them in the bowl. Add all seasoning in the bowl and mix them well. Squeeze out the water after 30 minutes.

2)If you cannot find seasoned tofu in your Asian store, you may omit this ingredient and use any soy meat you have. Or simply omit any soy products and use any vegetables you like.

3)Meanwhile, mix flour with water and knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. **I like rye flour so I use rye in everything. You may use whole wheat or simply just plain all purpose flour. When I was in India, I use atta flour (chapatti flour) and the dumplings turned out to be a hit among my Indian friends! The dough should come to the consistency of the dough of chapatti; you may want to add more water if it gets too dry or add flour if it gets too wet. Roll the dough into a ball.

4)Dust the counter and your rolling pin with flour. Divide the ball into small pieces. I like my dumpling big (more than 2‐inch long) so with this recipe, you will get about 26 to 28 pieces. If you make your dumpling small, you will get more than 40 pieces easily. Roll each piece into a disc (5 to 10 cm in diameter).

5)On each disc, water the edge of the disc before you stuff the filling. You need about 1 tbsp of the filling for a big dumpling or 1 tsp of the filling for a small dumpling. Seal it well and shape each dumpling like you were making a samosa. Or simply just seal it well. Place your dumplings on a floured plate.

6)In a big pot, bring the water (at least 2‐3 quarts/2‐3 litters) to a boil. Dump one third of your dumplings. It will only take about 5 to 7 minutes to get each batch done. Once they are cooked, sprinkle dumplings with some oil so they do not stick together in a plate or bowl.
Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, chili, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Serve dumplings hot with sauce!

7)My father always makes more than 100 pieces at a time since it takes time to make dumplings. He would freeze them so they become handy later. You do not need to thaw them if they are frozen. Just dump them in the boiling water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. My father also saves the dumpling water to make soup. Dumplings are main dish for many people who live in the northern part of China where they do not grow rice. Dumplings can be as big as your palm or as small as a golf ball (or smaller)!

Serves
26-40 pieces
By Madhavi Devi Dasi